By Fernando Del Canto on October 5, 2026
A trust settled in London that owns a villa in Ibiza or on the Côte d’Azur may exist in English law but not on the same terms in Spanish or French law. I set out what a trust is and what it
Continue Reading To trust or not to trust: the use of trusts in the twenty-first century
Part of the year in Jerez and Vejer, or all of it. Del Canto Chambers, with offices in Jerez de la Frontera for decades, on the residence, visa and succession consequences of each arrangement.
The word trust travels easily between English and Spanish. The institution it names does not. Colombia has answered the difficulty by statute, most recently by decree in May 2026, while Spain answers it through administrative practice alone. What follows examines why the fiducia mercantil is not a trust, and what a patrimonio autónomo means for a family with a member resident in London.
Continue Reading Neither fiducia nor fideicomiso is a trust. A Colombian and Spanish perspective
Choosing between London and Madrid is a matter of pure portfolio arithmetic, not political ideology. Compare the UK’s 4-year FIG regime against Spain’s 6-year Beckham window to see where your wealth thrives. Discover how the ultimate balance between annual wealth taxes and inheritance taxes changes the return you need.
Continue Reading Taxing Income or Taxing Wealth? The Real Arithmetic of an Anglo-Spanish Move
Your life crosses borders. A home in London, another in Andalusia, children settled in the Gulf, a business with operations in three countries, a will that works under English law but not in Spain. You are bouncing between advisers who rarely speak to each other. After twenty-five years between London, Madrid and the GCC, I write here for you — about the human side of cross-border life, and how the law can serve it.
Continue Reading Welcome to The International Private Client