Lawyers. A lot of them. Good or bad, they speak to the point or just throw words to the wind with a smart look. Having heard about the problem, they put “rose-colored glasses” on the client, describing an excellent picture of a prompt solution to the issue. Lawyers in Bulgaria are psychotherapists who are ready to tell you that everyone around you is wrong, and the law is on your side. Just give them money and they will arrange everything. As a rule, the lawyer presents you with only one of the options for the development of events, the most promising and necessarily profitable for him, because they will take money from you in advance. Money in the morning - chairs in the afternoon, money in the afternoon - chairs in the evening... and this is in the best case, since there is also the option “it didn’t work out”.
“I didn’t succeed” or “I did everything, but something went wrong” - this is what you will hear most often from a Bulgarian lawyer. And this is not at all because your problem is complex and the lawyer does not know what to do. This is Bulgaria, and no one here is interested in your problems, so for them you are a tourist who will sooner or later go back. Yes, even with a residence permit or permanent residence permit. The main task of a lawyer is to take money from you, not to help. You can easily verify this if you try to negotiate payment upon completion of the work - you will quickly be shown the door.
Is this information secret? Of course not. Any friend of yours who has lived in Bulgaria for a sufficient amount of time will tell you about the scams that have been, are and will be perpetrated on visitors. There is a widespread opinion among the local population that we Russians have a lot of money, and we should give it to the Bulgarians, and give it away just like that, because we have money and because they are Bulgarians.
How the law works in Bulgaria
Does the law work in Bulgaria? Yes, it works, but there is only one small nuance: the law does not work for you, but for the locals. Everywhere they are: brother, matchmaker, “give two hundred, we’ll be together”! Problems with the management company in your complex? Are they breaking the law? Solve everything directly with the management company. The police, the prosecutor's office, the municipality will not help. They will say that you are right, but they will not do anything.
Prices for lawyers' services
The average cost of a lawyer is 60 levs/hour. Regardless of what he will do: call on the phone, communicate with you, attend a meeting of owners or in court. With average salaries of 800 levs, these gentlemen want to earn extra money for you and me. This is possible mainly because tourists are not aware that the goal of most lawyers is not to provide legal assistance, but to collect money. It all starts with a stupid consultation for 20 levs, and ends... depending on your luck. Consult with your friends, read forums before going to a lawyer. Think a hundred times whether it is possible to resolve the issue more easily without the participation of a lawyer, at all.
Consultation
As a rule, Bulgarian lawyers speak Russian poorly, and our compatriots, in turn, speak English poorly. In this connection, an almost insurmountable language barrier is created. In most cases, such consultation is pointless, but both sides actively pretend that this is not the case. If you go to consult on a non-standard situation, be prepared to waste money; Bulgarian lawyers do not particularly follow innovations in legislation. Most likely, you will consult a lawyer, and even give him money to listen to him.
Preparing documents
Another area where a legally savvy specialist may be needed is document preparation. An unpleasant surprise may also await you here. “Deadlines” for a Bulgarian is an empty phrase. All your certificates issued in the Russian Federation will be expired by the time a Bulgarian lawyer finally takes care of them. Try not to tell the “specialist” that you are leaving, otherwise your documents will be shelved. When you return and call the lawyer in hopes of finding out how things are going, he simply will not answer the phone. By the way, you can’t expect much privacy either. If someone needs information about your affairs, it may pop up in places you don't expect.
Corruption in Bulgaria
It's here. Yes, perhaps not the same as in the Russian Federation: the level is not the same, and the country is smaller. However, this does not prevent the construction of buildings illegally, as well as the registration of Russian owners from the cadastre. Then go and prove that you did everything “according to the law.” The right to real estate and rights in court for you, as for visitors, are only on paper. In fact, you can waste a lot of effort and time proving that you are right. Most likely, in a case against a Bulgarian or a Bulgarian company, you will find yourself out of business. They won’t take a bribe from Russians, but your opponents can easily have relatives in different government structures. Such things, such a country. You have been warned, which means you won’t think that the law is on your side and say “I’ll sue you!”, because this is a waste of energy, nerves, money, and time. Relax and enjoy the Bulgarian nature, mild climate, smiling people and delicious food.
Before you go to a lawyer, try to find out as much as possible about your issue on your own. In particular, about how similar cases are resolved not according to the law, but in reality. If you require the preparation of documents, be sure to check the deadlines, try to break the payment into several parts in order to at least somehow interest the Bulgarian lawyer. And never pay in advance if you can avoid it.
And remember, appearances are very deceptive: even a neat, gray-haired, well-dressed man may well turn out to be a rare thief and an irresponsible extorter of funds. What kind of lawyers have you come across in Bulgaria?