Dennis Phillips
Dennis specialises in multi-jurisdictional estates at the intersection of English and Spanish law.
Dennis is a qualified UK solicitor who advises families and businesspeople on property ownership, succession matters and cross-border estate administration.
He read Law and Spanish Law at the University of Kent with a year spent at the Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. He qualified in 2002 and is one of a handful of English-trained solicitors with recognised expertise in cross-border private client law.
Dennis advises on administration of estates in Spain, Will writing for Spanish estates and lifetime transfers of Spanish property. He frequently oversees Spanish assets left to UK charities, where multi-layered legal, tax and procedural considerations demand specialist experience.
Working collaboratively with trusted professionals in both the UK and Spain, he ensures matters progress smoothly and efficiently, minimising delay and unnecessary tax exposure.
He also advises on capacity-related matters, helping clients plan ahead with appropriate Powers of Attorney or navigate complex cross-border recognition when capacity is lost. He is equally experienced in other special situations involving Spanish property.
Beyond Spain and the UK, Dennis has advised on matters across Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East, with notable experience in Croatia where he has handled extensive property transfer work, including transactions for his own family.
His cross-border expertise also spans jurisdictions such as Turkey, Switzerland, Dubai and Morocco. This practical understanding of how foreign and UK legal systems interact enables him to anticipate and resolve complexities that frequently challenge experienced practitioners in each jurisdiction.
His experience includes:
Cross-Border Divorce and Spanish Property
Advised a European couple divorcing under foreign law on transferring a share of jointly owned Spanish property. Structured the transfer to save the client a substantial amount in Spanish transfer tax. Prepared supporting Spanish Powers of Attorney for execution in London
Strategic Anglo-Spanish Inheritance Tax Planning
Implemented a targeted adjustment to the inherited shares of Spanish property governed by England and Wales law, delivering a five-figure inheritance tax saving for a UK-resident widow and daughter
Complex Executor Guidance for International Beneficiaries
Advised a professional executor on the preparation of sworn declarations enabling Ukrainian sisters to inherit their late uncle’s Spanish property, where the original named beneficiary under an English Will had predeceased
Coordination of Multi-Jurisdictional Estate Administration
Coordinated English and German legal advice to satisfy Spanish inheritance requirements, ensuring that German beneficiaries received specific legacies from a substantial estate under a will proved in England & Wales
