A neutral notary, a Romanian lawyer who checks and signs, and an Israeli lawyer who translates, coordinates and connects to the Israeli side.
Article 1244 of the Civil Code requires an authenticated deed to transfer a right in real property. The notary does not check the developer or the price.
Under Law 51/1995, a lawyer may practise only if registered with a bar that is a member of UNBR. Check before the meeting.
Adv. Ilan Leibovitch to ynet (11.2025): support from Israeli lawyers specialising in Romania costs about €2,000–3,000.
Scope, what is not included, a written report, language, a conflict-of-interest statement and a timetable.
A lawyer for a purchase in Romania: the short answer
A property purchase in Romania involves three different roles. The notary is mandatory, but neutral, and does not represent you. A Romanian lawyer, registered with a bar that is a member of UNBR, is the only one who can give you an opinion on Romanian law and check the property on the ground. An Israeli lawyer who knows Romania translates the transaction for you, coordinates it, and connects it to the Israeli side. For most buyers resident in Israel, the right combination is a Romanian lawyer for the checks and an Israeli lawyer to accompany the deal.
A disclosure before we start: my partner, Adv. Ilan Leibovitch, is an Israeli lawyer who accompanies transactions in Romania. So I have tried to write this article in a way that helps you even if you choose a different lawyer, or only a Romanian one.
Three roles that get confused
| Who | What they do | Whom they represent | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian notary | Drafts the contract as an authenticated deed, verifies identity, collects taxes and sends it for registration | No party, the notary is neutral | Yes, to transfer ownership |
| Romanian lawyer | Due diligence, land register extract, permits, preliminary contract, representation towards the developer and in court | You | No, but strongly recommended |
| Israeli lawyer | Explanations in Hebrew, coordination, power of attorney and apostille, link to the tax adviser in Israel | You | No |
| Cross-border tax adviser | Reporting and taxation in Israel and Romania | You | No, but worthwhile |
| Certified translator | Translates at the signing at the notary | No party | When you do not understand Romanian |
The notary is mandatory because under Article 1244 of the Civil Code, an agreement transferring a right in real property that is entered in the land register must be signed as an authenticated deed, or it is void. But as we wrote in the guide to the notary in Romania, the notary does not check whether the price is fair, whether the developer is stable or whether what is on the ground matches the plan.
Why a Romanian lawyer is not optional
Only a Romanian lawyer can sign an opinion on Romanian law, represent you in a Romanian court, and check on the ground what cannot be seen from Tel Aviv: open cases against the developer, debts, the state of planning and registration.
Under Law 51/1995 on the legal profession, a lawyer may practise only if listed on the roll of lawyers of a bar that is a member of the National Union of Romanian Bars (UNBR). So you do the first check yourself, on the UNBR website, before the first meeting.
A lawyer who does not appear on the bar's roll is not a lawyer, however nice the business card.
And what the Israeli lawyer adds
An Israeli lawyer cannot sign an opinion on Romanian law in place of the Romanian lawyer. What they do provide:
- Language. They explain to you in Hebrew what the contract says, and what it does not say.
- Coordination. They manage the Romanian lawyer, the notary and the timetable.
- The Israeli side. A power of attorney before a notary in Israel, an apostille (in Hebrew) and translation. We wrote about the power of attorney in detail here.
- Professional liability in Israel. They are subject to the Israel Bar Association, and you can approach them and sue them in Israel.
And why not do without one? Because the gap between Israeli and Romanian law is exactly where Israeli buyers fall: assuming there is a "Sale Law" like Israel's, that there is a bank guarantee, that it is easy to cancel. Someone who knows both systems spots these gaps quickly.
What it costs
In Romania, a lawyer's fee is agreed freely between the lawyer and the client, within the law and the profession's statute (UNBR). There is no binding fee scale.
One reference point from the Israeli market: in an interview with ynet in November 2025 (in Hebrew), Adv. Ilan Leibovitch said that due diligence and legal support from Israeli lawyers specialising in Romania cost about €2,000 to €3,000, and that some Romanian lawyers charge about €400, but do not always explain to the Israeli buyer what they need to know.
The right question is not "how much does a lawyer cost?" but "what exactly does the fee include?". €400 for reading a contract and €3,000 for full due diligence and support up to registration are not the same service.
The right question is not "how much does a lawyer cost?" but "what exactly does the fee include?".
What to put in the fee agreement
In Romania, a duly signed fee agreement with a lawyer (contract de asistență juridică) is directly enforceable, and fee disputes are decided first by the dean of the bar (UNBR). So it is worth making it detailed:
- Scope of work: land register extract, checking the developer, permits, preliminary contract, final contract, registration.
- What is not included: mortgage, litigation, tax advice.
- A written deliverable: a written due diligence report, not just "everything is fine" on the phone.
- Language: whether the report will be in English or in Hebrew.
- Conflict of interest: a statement that the lawyer does not represent the developer and receives no commission from them.
- Timetable and a fixed fee or hourly rate.
The developer's lawyer: why they are not yours
Many developers offer "a lawyer who accompanies the project". This can be convenient, and even professional. But their duty is to the client who hired them. We wrote about this in detail in the guide to the legal check before signing.
A simple question for any lawyer offered to you: "Who pays you?". If the answer is the developer, they are not your lawyer, however pleasant they may be.
So who do you hire: three scenarios
You speak Romanian, know the system and travel to Romania: an independent Romanian lawyer may be enough, together with a tax adviser for the Israeli side.
You are in Israel, do not speak Romanian, first transaction: the combination. An Israeli lawyer to accompany you, and a Romanian lawyer to check and sign.
You are buying off-plan from a developer: the combination, with an emphasis on checking the developer and on the dedicated account under the Nordis law.
And honestly: an Israeli lawyer who has no Romanian lawyer alongside them, or cannot tell you who that lawyer is, is not giving you what you need.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to buy property in Romania?
No. Only a notary is mandatory, because an agreement transferring a right in real property must be signed as an authenticated deed. But the notary is neutral and does not check the developer, the price or the planning for you, so an independent lawyer is strongly recommended.
Can an Israeli lawyer represent me in Romania?
They can accompany, explain and coordinate, but an opinion on Romanian law and representation in a Romanian court are the work of a lawyer registered with a Romanian bar that is a member of UNBR.
How much does a lawyer for a property purchase in Romania cost?
There is no binding fee scale, and the fee is agreed between the parties. Adv. Ilan Leibovitch told ynet in November 2025 that support from Israeli lawyers specialising in Romania costs about €2,000 to €3,000. Compare by scope of work, not only by price.
How do I check that a Romanian lawyer is registered?
Under Law 51/1995, a lawyer may practise only if listed on the roll of a bar that is a member of UNBR. Look up their name on the bars' rolls via the UNBR website before you sign a fee agreement.
Can the notary also act as my lawyer?
No. The notary is a neutral office holder who makes sure the transaction is lawful and gets registered. The notary represents neither the buyer nor the seller.
The bottom line
The notary, a Romanian lawyer and an Israeli lawyer are not three versions of the same service. Each is responsible for a different part, and only the combination covers the whole transaction.
I will mention it once: for buyers in our own project in Balotești, too, we explicitly recommend an independent lawyer acting for the buyer. If you want to build your transaction team, book a 30-minute call with me and we will go through who does what, and what to ask each of them for in writing. It is also worth reading the guide to buying costs first.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources and data: Law 51/1995 on the legal profession, UNBR · UNBR: fees and disputes · National Union of Romanian Bars (UNBR) · Civil Code, Article 1244 · National Union of Public Notaries of Romania (UNNPR) · gov.il: apostille certificate (in Hebrew) · Israel Bar Association · ynet, 16.11.2025 (in Hebrew).
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The prices mentioned are a reference point from a press interview and are not a quote. Correct as of October 2026; ask every lawyer for a written fee proposal.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
