As we continue to address the historic mortgage issues which face thousands of foreign property owners in the UK, we have in recent days successfully settled another French mortgage issue for one of our clients. After many years of worry and anxiety for our...
The largest of the Balkan countries, Romania has dramatic mountain scenery and a coastline on the Black Sea. Romania is one of the large countries of Europe (the size of the United Kingdom or roughly half of France), with a population of approx. 22 million inhabitants.
Along with the Romanians; Hungarians, Germans, Serbs, Turks and other minorities also live in the country. Most of them are of Greek-Orthodox religion, but there are also many Catholics, Protestants, Evangelical, Muslims and others.
The modern legal system in Romania dates back to the mid-19th century. The Romanian justice system is based on French, Belgian, Italian and German models.
As Romania is part of the EU there is also heavy influences from EU law.
The judiciary of Romania is organized as a hierarchical system of courts, with a civil law system. According to the Constitution and the Civil Procedure Code, the Romanian judicial system comprises: local courts (judecatorii), tribunals (tribunale), courts of appeal (curti de apel) and the High Court of Cassation and Justice. Local courts and tribunals act in first instances depending on the type and value of the dispute, while the courts of appeal judge first or final appeals. The High Court of Cassation and Justice is Romania’s Supreme Court. It deals with second appeals, as well as having a relevant role in interpreting the unitary application of legislation at national level.
Lawyers
The central body responsible for the profession of lawyers is the Romanian National Union of Bar Associations (UNBR), which is a legal person of public interest comprising all Bar Associations in Romania. It ensures qualified exercise of the right of defence, professional competence and discipline, and the protection of the dignity and honour of lawyers who are members of the union. All Romanian bar associations are members of the Romanian National Union of Bar Associations.
Judicare Law and Romania
We have been dealing with Romania and Romanian law for many years and as such are well versed in how the legal system works, particularly with those issues that British people for example may need assistance with. We have an established track record of successfully assisting clients with their legal issues.
We work very closely with our team on the ground in Romania who are all highly experienced Romanian lawyers. We cover the whole of Romania. Whilst our colleagues in Romania speak English the main day to day client contact is through our office in the UK. This removes the costs to our clients of international calls and working within Romanian office hours; which do vary from those in the UK. Clients are able to have the advantage of dealing with a UK based firm of Solicitors whilst still having the benefits of having Romanian lawyers on the ground in Romania.
What areas of Romanian law can we assist with?
Judicare can assist with a wide range of different legal issues which involve Romanian law. These include, but are not limited to;
Helping you on the legal side of buying or selling a property in Romania either for your own personal use as a holiday home either to live there or for an investment to rent out. We can also assist with inheriting a property in Romania. This can be done whether there was a Romanian Will, a UK Will or even no Will at all. We can also work with your UK lawyers to make sure that the inheritance in both countries is co-ordinated.
Making a Romanian Will
If you own a property in Romania it makes sense to have a Romanian Will to make sure that your wishes are complied with in the easiest and most tax effective way possible for your family.
Romanian lawyers
Romanian lawyers are called “Avocati”
A large percentage of lawyers in Romania are sole practitioners and operate as one single lawyer.
Avocatii must be a member of the Romanian Bar Association (Uniunea Nationala a Barourilor din Romania)
In Romania you re qualified as an Avocati after you pass your degree and exams. In the UK you have to train as a lawyer at a law firm for 2 years before you are fully qualified. The thought process behind the system in the UK is that the training process at a firm teaches you how to act as a Solicitor rather than just what the law says and you learn about ethics, the Solicitors Accounts Rules, how to draft real life letters and documents and how to deal with clients rather than just the theoretical legal aspects of the law.
Romanian lawyers, just like their British counterparts, are required to have Professional Indemnity Insurance to cover the advice that they give. The minimum level of cover in Romania is, however, significantly lower than in the UK. In Romania the minimum level of Professional Indemnity Insurance is currently €6,000 whereas the minimum level in the UK is £3 million per claim.