Law firm of Spencer Global ChileThe Law Firm of Spencer Global is composed of Chilean Attorneys and professionals dedicated to providing legal and investment services exclusively to international clients in Chile.

We represent a diverse group of clients from around the Globe. Our clients include everyone from Fortune 500 companies to families immigrating to Chile, to even foreign attorneys and their clients requiring assistance in the jurisdiction of Chile.

Our law office provides legal services in English and Spanish; in all parts of Chile, from the Capital of Santiago to small towns in Southern Chile. 









CHILE LAW ARTICLES

Spencer Global would like to announce the completion of our expansion with our recent acquisition of a partnership in a Santiago Law firm. This new law firm will be operating as Veloso, Flores, and Valenzuela. Our senior Chilean attorney and expert in international law, Zandra Valenzuela will be a managing named partner of Veloso, Flores, and Valenzuela, allowing us to provide the specialized consulting services of Spencer Global outside of the legal field, while also providing the best legal council available in Chile to all of our clients.

Chile's department of immigration (Departamento de Extranjería y Migración) has determined that the time before a person qualifies for applying for full residency in Chile starts when temporary residency is granted and you receive your official visa status in your passport. The Chilean Goverment has also set new limits on how much time you must be physically in Chile to qualify for Citizenship in Chile.

Chile guarantees the same property rights to foreigners as to Chilean citizens or residents buying or owning real estate in Chile. The real estate laws in Chile safeguard the property transfer and ownership rights. Still, everyone considering buying property in Chile should have a full title search done to understand the exact issues any particular property might have before buying real estate in Chile.

Sooner or later, everyone with assets in Chile is going to pass on. It is critical that foreigners understand as owners of real estate and other assets in Chile exactly how the inheritance laws in Chile work. Estate planning is very different in Chile, due to the tradition of mandatory inheritors under Chilean law. This overview we hope will be of assistance for getting started with estate planning, and also for those family members that may be heirs to estates under the jurisdiction of Chile.

International probate and inheritance considerations in Chile for family of citizens, foreigners, and residents of Chile. How to decide if it is worth the time and expense to probate an inheritance in Chile in terms of legal fees, inheritance tax, real estate tax, and court costs.

Recognition of a Foreign Divorce in Chile

Even though you were divorced outside of Chile, your foreign divorce will not be automatically recognized in Chile. This means for all purposes your former spouse, first spouse if you have been remarried more than once, is still your spouse for all legal and practical purposes in Chile until your foreign divorce is recognized or you obtain a divorce in Chile. This includes rights to your estate, and any new marriage will be viewed as illegitimate or illegal until the first divorce is formally accepted under Chilean law. We take a look at here the reasons to obtain a new divorce in Chile vs. recognition of a foreign divorce. 

A power of attorney can be executed for just about anything in Chile. Powers of attorney should be limited in scope to particular tasks or goals, and they MUST be drafted by a qualified attorney. A poorly drafted power of attorney, after getting all the proper authorizations outside the country, can ultimately be rejected or accepted by each notary, government office, or private party in Chile, if not drafted correctly. The amount of effort and expense you need to validate a power of attorney inside of Chile, from outside Chile, makes it essential that the Power of Attorney be well drafted from the start.