Italian Real Estate: Can Americans buy property in Italy?

Is it possible to buy property in Italy without dual citizenship or without Italian residency? Although not all non-EU residents can acquire property in Italy, it is perfectly legal for Americans because of a reciprocity treaty between Italy and the United States. This agreement allows Italian citizens to buy property in America and vice-versa. Those […]

Implicit acceptance: heir behaviors that imply acceptance of an inheritance

The law identifies some acts performed by an heir that qualify as acceptance of the inheritance, such as: Waive of rights of succession in exchange for money The Supreme Court of Italy has ruled that if an heir has registered an asset in his/her favor, this implies  total acceptance of the inheritance as well. Because […]

Italian American Dual Citizenship: the most common problems and how to overcome them

One way of acquiring Italian American dual citizenship is by descent, meaning petitioners will need to identify their most recent ancestor born in Italy and work backwards from there. After searching for and collecting all the necessary documents, the pathway to citizenship goes through the local Italian Consulate in the United States. Many cases for […]

Italy’s Supreme Court vs. US Supreme Court

Italy’s Court of Cassation and the Supreme Court of the United States: How do these highest courts in the land match up? On the most fundamental level, the differences that exist between the highest courts of Italy and the United States reflect their respective legal systems; Italy based on a civil law system and the […]

Italian Public Notary vs. US Notary

An Italian public notary, or notaio, is a public officer who operates in every area of law and is empowered by the Italian State to draft or authenticate documents, agreements or contracts. Unlike a lawyer representing the interests of a client, a notary places neutrality and fidelity to the law above all. As officers vested […]

Italy’s Constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic, or Consulta, is Italy’s highest court regarding matters of constitutional law. In keeping with the framers’ notion of a “rigid” constitution and a centralized system, the court was designed as an ad hoc organ for constitutional justice separate from the judiciary. The court resolves controversies on the constitutional […]