We engaged Ágreda Abogadas after they were recommended in a masterclass for expats moving to Spain…read more I married my Spanish wife in California last September and sought legal assistance to register our marriage with a Spanish consulate in the United States.
We engaged the firm expecting that, as a professional law practice, they would guide us through the process smoothly and with consulate-specific accuracy. For this guidance alone, we paid €2,160 plus VAT (€2,610 total).
We were instructed to apostille all U.S. documents on my side and to obtain sworn translations of all of them.
At the consulate appointment, however, we were informed (consistent with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' published guidance) that:
Documents in English do not require translation when the procedure is carried out in the United States.
And that, when original U.S. documents are presented in person at a Spanish consulate in the U.S., apostilles are not required, as the documents are already considered legally valid for the consular procedure.
As a result, the translations ( $500) and apostilles ( $1,500) were entirely unnecessary, and the process was delayed by approximately three additional months.
In total, for a straightforward marriage registration in the U.S., we spent €2,610 in legal fees and over $1,500 in unnecessary external costs, bringing the total impact to well over $4,000.
What bothers me most is the complete lack of due diligence: It literally took us five minutes to look up the requirements on the Spanish government's consular website and contact the office.
Why didn't they do this basic step before charging us?
We did not think that the due diligence was our obligation and we trusted their expertise in immigration and nationality. Their follow-up letters disclaimed blame, with the blatant claim that 'the contracted legal service was properly and fully rendered,' ignoring the unnecessary costs we incurred. Save your money and time: choose a more diligent law firm.
