This is our opinion from working with Tanash Utamchandani – Spanish Lawyer (Abogado)
We were introduced to Tanash Utamchandani, a practicing Spanish lawyer (abogado), through a close and trusted friend who was navigating her own brutal separation. She recommended him without hesitation, and based on her experience, we decided to meet him.
First Impressions: Unconventional and Unsettling
Our first meeting with Tanash was in a café near La Zenia—an unusual setting for a legal consultation. In hindsight, this should have raised our first red flag. Yet, trusting our friend’s judgement, we sat down for coffee and explained our ongoing dispute with AMAY Properties, the builder responsible for our off-plan villa purchase.
Tanash listened carefully, then advised that we sue both AMAY Properties and the lawyer who had overseen the purchase contract. His strategy was to demand the full return of the villa back to the builder in exchange for its value, plus costs and expenses—a drastic measure that completely disregarded our wishes. We had no interest in returning the villa. Our aim was simple: to compel AMAY Properties, through the courts if necessary, to fulfil their contractual obligationsand provide the correct technical documentation to allow the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) to issue the Habitation Certificate, which they had failed to do.
Despite our misgivings about his approach, we agreed to proceed. He quoted a fee of €1,200, which we accepted.
A Web of Uncertainty and Red Flags
I questioned the informal restaurant meeting, to which Tanash responded that he was affiliated with a local law firm, but preferred to keep us as private clients. While this struck me as odd, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Navigating legal services in Spain, as many migrants will know, often feels like trying to decode a different language—both literally and culturally.
To his credit, Tanash initially appeared to take action. He arranged a meeting for us at the local town hall to determine who was truly at fault: AMAY Properties or the Ayuntamiento. But the day before the meeting, he emailed to say he could no longer attend, due to prior commitments. We were left to go alone, relying on a translator instead of legal representation.
Shortly after this, we paid half of his fee. Around the same time, the same friend who had originally recommended Tanash contacted us in distress, warning us not to work with him. She’d had a falling-out and was experiencing serious issues with his service. While this was her account, not ours, it added to our growing unease.
Communication Deteriorates and Results Stall
I made a habit of sending Tanash regular email updates—sometimes weekly, sometimes more—depending on how the case progressed. Ironically, this later became a point of contention, used against me as “excessive communication.” But at the time, it seemed essential to keep momentum going.
By September, Tanash claimed to have sent a Burofax (official legal communication in Spain) to AMAY Properties, demanding completion of the agreed works, compensation, and documentation regarding the Habitation Certificate. He also claimed to have exchanged numerous emails with AMAY’s legal team. However, we never saw any of this correspondence—no copies, no email trails, no evidence.
In December, he requested the remaining €600. We paid promptly, still holding out hope that things would move forward. But despite assurances of legal meetings and ongoing communications, we were never shown a single document to support his claims. This, despite him knowing we were compiling a documentary about the misconduct of AMAY Properties, and required clear, written documentation to support our claims.
A Complete Breakdown in Trust
In July, we made the difficult decision to change legal representation. Our new law firm formally requested the transfer of documents, including the alleged Burofax and correspondence with AMAY Properties. Tanash refused to provide anything. When we directly requested proof of work and a refund, we received an abrupt and legally threatening email, stating that under Spanish law, we were no longer allowed to contact him directly and must communicate only through our new lawyer.
The result? Nine months of representation without a single face-to-face meeting beyond that initial café encounter, only two phone conversations, and not a shred of provable legal work to show for it.
Without documentation, we cannot confirm whether he ever acted on our behalf in a meaningful way. That’s why we have now escalated the matter to the Colegio de Abogados (Spanish Law Society) and submitted a formal complaint.
Would We Recommend Tanash Utamchandani? – Absolutely not.
Despite the early trust we placed in him, our experience with Tanash Utamchandani was deeply disappointing. Lack of transparency, unavailability and refusal to provide documentation raise serious concerns about his conduct. For others seeking legal representation in Spain, particularly in matters involving property law or construction disputes, we urge you to proceed with caution.