Practice Areas

Acquisition of real estate is expensive and needs to be done according to laid down rules and regulations. A slight oversight may cost an innocent individual lots of money and even the property. Following acquisition, administration of your property is another hurdle that must be dealt with. At Athena Spyrou Law Firm, we understand these and our lawyers have robust knowledge and experience in all aspects of Real Estate Law and Property Administration in Cyprus, particularly Limassol. We frequently advise various high networth individuals, families, and corporate bodies concerning property development and administration. We also handle property transactions for a wide range of clients and we can help you across the entire life cycle of a property.

Whether you are acquiring a home, an office, retail, industrial, logistics, hotels, residential or any other commercial property or land for the first time or you are an experienced property buyer, it is very important for you to seek legal opinions on such transaction so you would not end up buying a bundle of litigation. To this end, our lawyers will be able to put you through and advise whether the proposed property you are contemplating to purchase is not and might not be subject in future to any form of government acquisition, adversarial claim or dispute. We pride ourselves as one of the best Real Estate Law Firms in Limassol, Cyprus.

We have built a practice based on a deep understanding of real estate assets. We combine our industry knowledge with a practical and collaborative approach to solving your property matters. Our Property Lawyers have sound work experience in every part of Limassol and other neighbouring states within Cyprus. We offer market-leading advice across a range of practice areas where real estate is of concern. We are tested and trusted by real estate developers, owners, financiers (including private and institutional investors), corporate lenders and underwriters in Cyprus to help navigate and manage the complexities of various real estate matters.

Our real estate and property administration practice covers various aspects, including:

• Acquisition and sale of property
• Property conveyancing and agreement
• Commercial property transaction
• Real estate investment trust
• Property’s development
• Leasehold and tenancy agreement
• Search and due diligence on property
• Perfection and Registration of Title
• Estates management
• Recovery of Premises
• Joint venture
• Property finance and mortgages

Our Services include:

• Conducting search and due diligence on properties on behalf of clients
• Advising on property finance and mortgages
• Reviewing and drafting of deeds of assignment, leases, and tenancy agreement
• Management of estate including recovery of premises
• Perfection and registration of title at land registry
• Advising on property acquisition for development
• Advising and litigating in all property related matters
• Advising on tax related obligations of the different participants in real estate transactions

In Cyprus, all matters related to administration of estates are regulated by the Administration of Estates Law (Cap. 189), the Probates (Re-Sealing) Law (Cap. 192) and the Wills and Successions Law (Cap. 195). At Athena Spyrou Law Firm, we boast of the finest lawyers specialized in estate administration and able to navigate the provisions of the laws to your best interest.

Estate here means the movable and immovable property and generally, all the assets someone has in possession during a lifetime. As a result, estate administration is related to the procedures of gathering and distributing assets of the deceased to legal heirs in Cyprus.

In case a person dies without leaving a will, the District Court will appoint an administrator of the deceased person’s estate. If the person leaves a will and specifies a person or persons to administer their estate, such persons become the executor and the court will grant such the power to administer the deceased person’s estate.

The administrators/executors main duty is to manage the estate under the supervision of the court to collect and get the estate which includes the power to issue legal proceedings on behalf of the deceased, pay the funeral and testamentary expenses, pay all the debts of the deceased.

After payment of the funeral and other incidental expenses, including the administrator’s reasonable expenses, the debts of the deceased, the administrator will distribute the remaining assets of the estate to the beneficiaries. For the administration of the estate usually, a special bank account is opened which is used to make all the payments and to receive any money to be collected.

For an administration to be considered as finalized, the administrator must file to the probate registrar the final accounts with the necessary documents, details, receipts and declaration signed by the heirs and the beneficiaries stating that they have received their inheritance part. The probate registrar examines the final accounts and provided the administration has been properly executed, he releases the administrator from his duties.

Athena Spyrou lawyers are well versed in all the procedures and processes involved in the administration of a deceased’s estate: from drafting wills to representing as administrators/executors of a client’s estate.

Criminal Law is generally regarded as one of the most complex areas of law because of the invariably high stakes involved. Therefore, criminal defense requires expertise, swiftness and clinical precision during proceedings. Here at Athena Spyrou Law Firm, we engage in criminal defense as a core part of our practice areas. Our team is highly respected for its excellent courtroom advocacy skills demonstrated in trial and appellate courts within and beyond Limassol, Cyprus.

Considering the unfavorable outcomes in criminal proceedings, which may sadly result in the deprivation of liberty, life or facing heavy fines, it is important to seek legal help to avert these things unfavorable outcomes. At Athena Spyrou, we will give you the requisite legal help and more. We understand that criminal proceedings necessitate the prompt involvement of dedicated lawyers from the outset and often at very short notice, and we are always ready to defend you. We have a strong track record of defending our clients in criminal prosecutions successfully.

Our lawyers appear regularly before criminal courts in Cyprus and can defend you out of any criminal matter against you with the immense knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice system. Our team of criminal law specialists provide the highest quality service and advocacy on the full range of all criminal law matters. They appear before all District Courts of Cyprus, undertaking any type of criminal case, from the simplest to the most complex. In order to prepare for an effective defense and minimize the chance of being convicted, we meticulously review all the facts of our client’s case and work closely with them over repeated meetings in order to make sure that nothing is left to chance and the defense case is prepared in the best way possible.

Our services include: instituting fundamental human rights action to compel the release of accused being unlawfully detained without pending charges; and representing accused in criminal charges.

We have represented clients and succeeded in cases ranging from: manslaughter, murder, assault, theft, rape, money laundering, fraud, bribery, drug trafficking and possession, regulatory offenses, crimes related to property, tax matters, road traffic offences, arson etc.

The economy of Cyprus is rapidly increasing through significant activity in the shipping, tourism, legal and financial services sectors, and has also seen a flow in foreign investments and developments, property and investment values. The country’s special characteristics and advantages make Cyprus citizenship a desirable asset for many internationals. These including the fact that the Cyprus citizenship program offers the simplest and efficient means of obtaining EU citizenship and all nationalities are eligible to apply and the requirements along with process application are very straightforward. Investors and their families gain the right to full EU rights, including the ability to live, work and study in all EU member countries.

We make your naturalization dream come true. Our Immigration/citizenship team at Athena Spyrou is able to provide assistance in obtaining work permits, subject to regulation visas, entry clearance visas, combined expatriate quota approvals and business permits, and most importantly, processing applications for Cypriot citizenship and naturalization.

We undertake the whole procedure until your immigration application is finished, to make sure everything is processed smoothly.

More specifically, we advise and prepare required documents, complete application forms, book meeting with immigration department or district units, submit the application, attend the meeting with you (if your presence is necessary), follow your application process, collect your permits or documents.

Applying for the Cypriot Citizenship is quite a lengthy and it can take up so many years and investments to complete. Particularly, applying for citizenship by naturalization requires one to be careful to fulfil the 7 years (or 5 years) requirement as many applications have been rejected for this reason alone. A ‘year’ for the citizenship application by naturalization is a continuous stay of 365 days in Cyprus and not a calendar year. The procedure currently entails a two stage interview process, with the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Council of Ministers having the last word. To complete the process, you need us. Our immigration team has deep knowledge and experience to ensure the whole process is shorter, less costly and thoroughly easy for you.

A civil tort is a civil wrong. In very general terms, a tort is a civil wrong, other than a breach of contract, which the law will redress by an award of damages.

It is defined in the Cyprus legal jurisdiction as a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty (other than a contractual duty) owed to someone else. This area of law is concerned with the allocation of responsibility for losses which occur in our society. Civil tort is governed by Cyprus Civil Wrongs Law (Cap 148).

Civil tort law could be described as the most popular area of law in Cyprus because the District Courts of Cyprus deal mostly with numerous cases relating to incidents that cause losses to individual or legal entities and which require award of damages and other court ordered remedies.

Some examples of civil tort actions in the court are among others, the awarding of damages due to negligence (level of liability / contributory negligence), nuisance, defamation (libel / slander), duty of care, misrepresentation (fraudulent, negligent and/or innocent), assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, passing off, conversion, trespass, assessment of damages (special, general, punitive, exemplary, loss of amenities etc.)

The limitation period to bring civil tort actions is different depending on the nature of the cause of action. For example:

• Claims brought in respect of a mortgage or pledge: 12 years from the perfection of the cause of action (that is, from the breach of obligation contained in the mortgage or pledge).
• Torts that relate to damages for negligence, nuisance or breach of duty: 3 years from the perfection of the cause of action (that is, from the date the damage occurred or from the date of knowledge of the injured party).
• Torts that relate to claims for defamation or malicious falsehood: 1 year from the perfection of the cause of action (that is, from the date of publication).

Our civil litigation lawyers at Athena Spyrou Law Firm have a strong track record of successes in civil tort proceedings in all courts of record in Cyprus. We understand the nuances of every case and we are timely in our approach. This makes us the best for you.