Profile
Services
Seila is a dual-qualified solicitor and Spanish lawyer having started her law career in Spain. She has lived and worked in several countries, including Australia, and has developed expertise in private client while working for several reputed Surrey-based law firms.
She has a special interest in cross-border private client matters and can assist clients to navigate the challenges posed by the interaction of the laws of foreign jurisdictions with the law of England and Wales. In particular, she is familiar with Spanish wills and the Spanish succession laws, including the taxes that apply to an inheritance in Spain.
In the UK she assists with the preparation of wills, including will trusts, estate planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Grant of Probate applications, the reporting and payment of Inheritance Tax, administration of estates, Deeds of Variation and any ancillary advice connected with succession planning, Inheritance Tax mitigation, lifetime gifting, care fees planning, the elderly and those with special needs.
Career Highlights
- Handling an intestacy of a British National where the deceased left assets in the Philippines which had to be investigated, reported to HM Revenue & Customs and Inheritance Tax paid on them. It involved collaborating with professional third parties in the Philippines, including Lawyers, Local Authorities and Surveyors.
- Validating and implementing a Court of Protection Deputyship Order in Spain and a further specific Court of Protection Order to sell P’s Spanish home. This entailed liaising with Spanish Estate Agents and Local Authorities and ensuring that the Deputy complied with his tax obligations in Spain upon the sale of the property.
- Assisting with the mitigation and payment of Spanish Inheritance Tax by the family of a British National who died in Spain and owned a 1,000,000 euros residential home in the Balearic Islands. Helped surviving spouse and children to navigate the implementation of the Trusts in the deceased’s English Will in Spain. Advised the deceased’s family on the Spanish Capital Gains Tax position of the Spanish property.
- Obtaining Probate of Spanish Wills and assisting with the application of the Spanish Intestacy Rules of British Nationals who die while resident in Spain and who own assets in the UK on their death.
- Assisting with the transfer of a deceased’s mooring rights at a Port in Majorca, Spain, to the Executors of an English Will to enable their sale. It required to guide through and assist the Executors with the formalities requested by the Port Authority, including the issuing of an appeal against the Port Authority’s initial decision to refuse the transfer of the mooring rights to the Executors and successfully overturning their initial decision.
