Lawyers in Morocco

Morocco has long been seen as an exotic place for British people to visit and own property. With a wide variety of off-plan property projects combined with the more traditional and established market, It attracts those people looking for the old and the new.

The country of Morocco

Morocco (the Kingdom of Morocco) is a sovereign state in Northern Africa and has a coastline that runs along both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Morocco also claims the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

The official languages of Morocco are Arabic and Berber although French is also often spoken.

The Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla are found within Morocco.

Law in Morocco

Moroccan law is based on the French legal system as it was a French protectorate before independence. However, it also has elements of Muslim and Jewish traditions. Morocco is an Islamic country and therefore Sharia Law also applies.

Unsurprisingly the legal system in Morocco is very different to that in the UK. As such it is vital that you have the proper legal advice to help you through such a different legal system and make sure that not only are your rights protected but also that you don’t do anything that does not sit well with Moroccan law. This is particularly important when it comes to inheritance rights, which can be very different from those which you are used to back home.

Morocco used the Notarial system for the transfer of properties and for registered properties the process for the legal transfer of property is similar to that in France.

Working with Morocco

Your day to day contact on your case will be with our office in the UK and you will speak English to a firm of UK based and registered Solicitors. We work closely with our team in Morocco who can cover the whole of the country. This way of working brings you both the benefits of dealing with a British firm of Solicitors and also Moroccan lawyers on the ground in Morocco at no extra cost to you.

Because we are a British firm of Solicitors who work with Morocco we understand how the two different legal systems interact, the differences between them and how the two systems collide. As such not only can we explain things to you but this also makes it easier to get things done when there is an interaction between the two legal systems such as when dealing with an inheritance.

The areas of law that we can cover in Morocco

We can cover a wide range of different legal issues in Morocco including;

  • The purchase of new (off plan) properties. When buying a property off plan it is vital to make sure that not only does the development have the proper building permits and the seller owns the land but also that any stage payments that you pay in advance are protected as much as possible.
  • The purchase of resale properties. Establishing title for older properties in Morocco can be difficult and you need to make sure that you are purchasing the property from the rightful owner.
  • Selling Moroccan property. When selling a property in Morocco you want to make sure that the terms of the sale are correct and that you get the sale proceeds. We can assist with that.
  • Inheriting assets in Morocco. The inheritance laws in Morocco are very different to those that you may be used to and some of it may surprise you. Equally the way that an inheritance takes place in Morocco is very different to the way that it is done in the UK. We can help you through what can often appear to be a very strange and confusing system and also work with your UK based solicitor to tie in the two legal systems.
  • Debt recovery. We have seen many cases where British people have been owned money by people in Morocco, particularly when it comes to property transactions. If, for example, you are owned money by a developer who did not finish constructing a property in Morocco then we may be able to assist.

Lawyers in Morocco

  • Lawyers in Morocco are used to speaking Arabic and French and some of them may speak some English but often not to the level required to explain what is happening with a legal transaction in a country where the legal system and process is significantly different to that which you will be used to.
  • Instructing Judicare Law to assist you with your legal requirements in Morocco means that your communication will be with our office in the UK and with a UK registered and regulated firm of Solicitors. We then work very closely with our colleagues on the ground who are Moroccan qualified lawyers to make sure that you get the benefits of both dealing with a British firm of Solicitors and also Moroccan lawyers on the ground in Morocco.

 

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