Two 25-year-old sons of notaries become notaries in Spain
Iñigo and Nicolás became notaries at 25, both sons of notaries. The debate over nepotism, merit and the notary business in Spain.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Notaries at 25: the nepotism of merit and inherited privilege
Iñigo Revilla and Nicolás Almarza Ayarza became notaries at 25. Both are sons of notaries. The coincidence is no accident: access to the notary profession in Spain remains a closed circuit where a surname weighs almost as much as the syllabus.
The 10% who pass and the 90% who don't
Only one in ten candidates passes the notary exams. Years of intensive study are required, but most of those who secure a post have family ties to the profession. Data from the Colegio Notarial show that a third of practising notaries are sons of notaries. The debate is not whether they study – they do, and hard – but whether they start with an advantage: access to materials, contacts with notaries and, above all, the tacit knowledge of a trade learned at home.
The income from public office
Once inside, the business is lucrative. Notary fees are regulated, but they allow charges for minimal procedures: one euro for opening the online window, sixty for a simple renunciation of inheritance. The notary's economy is based on volume of acts, and in areas of high real estate activity income can exceed 8,000 euros per month. The uncomfortable question: how much value does the notary really add to that transaction?
The shadow of Francoism
The current notary corps has its roots in the patriotic promotion of the 1940s, when professionals sympathetic to the Republic were purged and regime loyalists were installed. That origin marked a culture of nepotism that has persisted. Today's exams are objective, but the social filter remains fierce: someone who does not grow up in a legal environment hardly dreams of becoming a notary at 18.
The question nobody answers is whether individual merit can break the family monopoly. Meanwhile, two 25-year-olds with a notary surname add a new generation to the caste. The system works, but not for everyone.
Related debates on the forum
Iñigo Revilla and Nicolás Almarza Ayarza became notaries at 25. Both are sons of notaries. The coincidence is no accident: access to the notary profession in Spain remains a closed circuit where a surname weighs almost as much as the syllabus.
The 10% who pass and the 90% who don't
Only one in ten candidates passes the notary exams. Years of intensive study are required, but most of those who secure a post have family ties to the profession. Data from the Colegio Notarial show that a third of practising notaries are sons of notaries. The debate is not whether they study – they do, and hard – but whether they start with an advantage: access to materials, contacts with notaries and, above all, the tacit knowledge of a trade learned at home.
The income from public office
Once inside, the business is lucrative. Notary fees are regulated, but they allow charges for minimal procedures: one euro for opening the online window, sixty for a simple renunciation of inheritance. The notary's economy is based on volume of acts, and in areas of high real estate activity income can exceed 8,000 euros per month. The uncomfortable question: how much value does the notary really add to that transaction?
The shadow of Francoism
The current notary corps has its roots in the patriotic promotion of the 1940s, when professionals sympathetic to the Republic were purged and regime loyalists were installed. That origin marked a culture of nepotism that has persisted. Today's exams are objective, but the social filter remains fierce: someone who does not grow up in a legal environment hardly dreams of becoming a notary at 18.
The question nobody answers is whether individual merit can break the family monopoly. Meanwhile, two 25-year-olds with a notary surname add a new generation to the caste. The system works, but not for everyone.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (169 replies).
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