Officia’s provision of services is based on the following assumptions: 

a) Services are provided under Portuguese law; 

b) Services do not include any advice on matters excluded or not explicitly covered. Differently put, our services only cover the type of services purchased by the User; 

c) Documents are prepared in Portuguese and/or English according to the type of services acquired and the client’s preference; 

d) Subject to the foregoing, Officia reserves the right, regarding certain types of service, to require additional information or documents from the User for the proper performance of the services requested. 

2.1. Officia’s services will include support and legal advice, liaising with the relevant authorities, and preparing the necessary or appropriate corporate documentation to promote the: 

     2.1.1. Incorporation of limited liability companies (“anónimas” and “por quotas”); 

     2.1.2. Approval of the annual accounts (with or without appointment of governing bodies); 

     2.1.3. Changes to the governing bodies; 

     2.1.4. Changes to the registered offices;  

     2.1.5. Changes to the objects’ clause; 

     2.1.6. Changes to the articles of association; 

     2.1.7. Share capital increase; 

     2.1.8. Transfer of interests in limited liability companies (“anónimas” and “por quotas”); 

     2.1.9. Application to secure Portuguese Taxpayer ID (NIF) number for individuals;  

     2.1.10. Application to secure Unified Registration and Taxpayer ID (NIPC) number for corporate persons;   

     2.1.11. Submission, update and annual confirmation of the Beneficial Owner Central Register (RCBE) declaration; 

     2.1.12. Subscription and renewal of permanent certificates; 

     2.1.13. Notarial Deeds (certification of photocopies, certification of translations, authentication of documents and certification of signatures). 

2.2. The acquisition of the services establishes a legal services agreement between Officia and the User, perfected electronically, upon agreement to these T&Cs.  

2.3. The execution of the agreement is subject to the User’s prior identification, which is why the User is required to create an account, provide the data required, and fill in the fields marked as required. The User is responsible for the accuracy and currency of the data provided.  

3.1. When acquiring certain services, in addition to checking for conflicts of interest under the Bar Association Rules, Officia is subject to legal obligations of identification and due diligence (“Know Your Customer” or “KYC”), under Law 83/2017, of 18 August 2017, and its implementing regulations. 

3.2. KYC procedures may require the provision of additional data and documents, depending on the type of service to be provided. 

3.3. In the circumstances envisaged in the preceding paragraph, the effects of the services agreement will be suspended until Officia has received and verified the existence or absence of any conflicts of interest, as well as the duly completed and signed KYC questionnaire and all required supporting documentation. 

4.1. Services requested by the User and the relevant documentation will be made available in the User Area of the Website (‘User Area’), after payment and within the timeframe specified at the time of purchase of the services. 

4.2. Officia allows the User to request urgent provision of services, subject to an urgency fee being applied to the price of the service purchased. The urgency fee is determined by Officia depending on the nature of the service and the resources required to provide it. The urgency fee is notified to the User in advance. 

4.3. The User will be notified, through the User Area, of the identity of the lawyer or lawyers responsible for providing the services engaged.  

4.4. Officia may extend the period specified in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 by giving prior notice to the User via the email address provided at registration, for such time as is necessary for the proper performance of the services, in particular where the services, or any part thereof, require action or responses from third parties.  

4.5. Certain services may require the User to fill in specific questionnaires with the information necessary to carry them out correctly. In these circumstances, the period specified at the time of purchasing the services only begins to run once OFFICIA has received the information requested. 

4.6. If applicable, the documentation resulting from the provision of the services may be downloaded from the User Area by the User to their equipment. The User will be notified of the availability of the documents via the e-mail address provided during registration.  

4.7. The documentation will remain available in the User Area for a period of twelve (12) months from the date it is made available, after which it may be removed without prior notice. Officia recommends that the User downloads and securely stores the documentation immediately after it becomes available. 

4.8. The User undertakes to provide true, complete, and up-to-date information. Officia shall not be liable for any damages arising from inaccurate, incomplete or outdated information provided by the User. 

4.9. Officia will charge the prices listed on the Website for each type of service for the provision of the relevant service, including any fees payable. The website will specify that the price of the service provided by Officia includes the official costs associated with fees payable to third parties and any taxes, where applicable.  

4.10. If the User selects the urgency fee option, the amount corresponding to the urgency fee applied will be added to the total value of the service calculated in accordance with 4.9. Officia undertakes not to charge any additional amounts without first notifying the User, who must expressly agree such amounts. 

4.11. Should Officia detect any errors, omissions, or inconsistencies in the information provided by the User, it will contact the User for clarification or correction, and the service performance period will be suspended until the situation is remedied. In these circumstances, Officia reserves the right to terminate these T&Cs, in which case the User will be reimbursed in full for any amounts paid, with no further compensation, or to amend the contractual conditions submitted. The provision of the service will be subject to the User’s new agreement.  

4.12. Officia may refuse to provide services when, after the due checks, it finds that there are conflicts of interest or situations that prevent the fulfilment of the applicable ethical duties. In such instances, the User will be fully reimbursed any amounts paid, with no further compensation. 

4.13. Communication between Officia and the User during the performance of the services will preferably take place through the User Area and/or the e-mail address provided by the User during registration. The User is responsible for keeping their e-mail address up to date and for regularly checking any communications received. 

5.1. Services will be invoiced based on the price stated in the description of the relevant type of service at the time of purchase. 

5.2. VAT, other relevant taxes and fees or costs payable to official bodies, if applicable, will be added to the price at the legal rate. 

5.3. Payment will be made by MbWay, Entity/Reference and credit card (Visa or Mastercard), via the IFTHENPAY online payment platform. Payment processing is carried out directly by IFTHENPAY, an entity independent of Officia, and Officia recommends that the User consult the terms and conditions of this service before proceeding with payment.  

5.4. Invoices are issued immediately after payment and made available to the User in their User Area

6.1. The User may request cancellation of the service and the corresponding refund, as follows: 

     I. Within 24 hours of purchasing the services requested, we will refund any amounts already paid in full; 

     II. Within 2 hours of purchasing the services requested, if the services were requested with urgency, we will refund any amounts already paid in full. 

6.2. On expiry of these deadlines, no refund will be payable if the services are cancelled, as they are deemed to have already been started. Performance of the service shall be deemed to have begun as soon as Officia starts to make enquiries of third parties or to prepare documentation. 

6.3. If the User requests cancellation after the services have commenced, Officia may retain, as compensation for work already undertaken, an amount proportionate to the stage of completion at the time of cancellation, together with any applicable urgency fee. 

6.4. Cancellation and refund requests must be submitted to Officia via the email address provided in the contact section of these Terms and Conditions. Where applicable, refunds will be processed within fourteen (14) business days of approval of the request, using the same payment method as was used for the original purchase. 

7.1. Save where otherwise stated, Officia is and shall remain the owner of all intellectual property rights to its templates, models, methodologies, know-how and other proprietary working materials used in the provision of the services and the delivery of any deliverables made available as part of the services acquired by the User. 

7.2. Upon acquiring the services and paying for them, Officia grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable and limited licence to use the documents and deliverables of the services, exclusively for the purposes for which they were acquired. 

7.3. Subject to the previous paragraph, the User may not reproduce, modify, distribute, market or otherwise provide the documents or deliverables of the services to third parties without Officia’s prior written authorisation. 

7.4. Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraphs, documents prepared specifically for the User in connection with the services acquired (including minutes, agreements, and other bespoke corporate documentation) shall become the property of the User once the services have been paid for in full. 

8.1. Officia disclaims any liability whatsoever for any damages resulting from the impossibility, delay, suspension, or interruption of access to the Website and/or the User Area due to technical failures, acts of third parties, or any other causes not directly attributable to Officia. 

8.2. In any event, the User acknowledges and agrees that: 

     a) Accessing the Website and purchasing services on the Internet involves risks inherent to the digital environment, including the possibility of unauthorised intrusion by third parties and the spread of malware; 

     b) Officia will endeavour to resolve any computer errors affecting the availability or proper operation of the Website, but does not guarantee that all computer or human errors impacting the availability or proper operation of the Website, or access to any deliverables or related documentation provided in the User Area, will be resolved within a specific timeframe. 

     c) The Website is accessible via a public electronic communications network that may be used by multiple users and is therefore subject to potential computer overload. Accordingly, Officia does not guarantee uninterrupted service provision, nor the absence of information loss or delays in such circumstances or in situations of force majeure. 

     d) Officia shall not be liable to the User for any damages suffered by the User and/or third parties arising from the use or impossibility of use of, and/or from the deliverables of, the services, due to delays, interruptions, errors, or suspensions of communications and consequential loss of information, where such events result from factors beyond Officia’s control and not attributable to it. This includes, but is not limited to, any defects or failures caused by the communications network or services provided by third parties, the computer system, modems, connection software, or potential computer viruses, or due to the downloading of files that are infected or contain viruses or other elements capable of affecting the user’s device, particularly where the user has not installed suitable protective software, as well as in circumstances of unforeseeable overload of computer systems. 

9.1. Officia is a Professional Limited Liability Law Firm, as defined by Portuguese law. 

9.2. Officia is duly registered with the Portuguese Bar Association as a law firm, under Article 213 et seq. of the Portuguese Bar Association Rules, and all legal services are provided exclusively by lawyers currently and validly registered with the Bar Association. 

9.3. Officia may, at any time, and upon giving the User a substantiated notice, withdraw from providing the contracted services, including in circumstances where the relationship of trust between lawyer and client is compromised, or where such withdrawal is required in order to comply with ethical obligations. In such cases, Officia will reimburse the amounts paid for services not yet performed on a pro rata basis. 

9.4. Officia carries professional civil liability insurance underwritten in accordance with the requirements applicable to law firms, under the Bar Association Rules and their implementing regulations. Information on the policy is provided on request. 

9.5. Officia’s total liability to the User in relation to the services provided, including to any third parties benefiting from work performed by Officia for the User, shall not exceed twice the amount of the fees (net of tax) actually paid by the User to, and received by, Officia. 

9.6. The lawyer-client relationship is exclusively between Officia and the User. Accordingly, any services provided by Officia are solely for the benefit of the User and may not be relied upon or used by third parties without Officia’s prior written consent. 

9.7. Officia guarantees complete and absolute confidentiality in respect of any business secrets obtained in the course of providing the services. 

9.8. Officia fully complies with the ethical obligations set out in the Portuguese Bar Association Rules (Law 145/2015, of 9 September 2015), in particular those relating to independence, professional secrecy, and conflicts of interest. 

10.1. Should any provision of these T&Cs be declared void, invalid, or unenforceable, or should it be set aside, this shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect. 

10.2. Portuguese law applies to all matters governed by the T&Cs and to the services agreements entered into between Officia and the User. 

10.3. In the event of any dispute arising from or in connection with the interpretation or application of the T&Cs and the services agreements entered into between Officia and the User, the Lisbon district court shall have jurisdiction, with express waiver of any other, subject to any mandatory rules. 

10.4. Pursuant to the Portuguese Bar Association Rules, beneficiaries of the legal services provided can turn to the Ombudsman for Beneficiaries of the Bar Association’s Services (Provedor dos Destinatários dos Serviços da Ordem dos Advogados), who is tasked with hearing complaints about the provision of services by lawyers and issuing recommendations. Information on the Ombudsman, including contact details and procedures, is available on the Bar Association’s institutional website or by e-mail:  gab.provedor@oa.pt 

10.5. If the User has any questions, they should contact Officia at the following: Rua Dom Luís I, 28 – Sala B0.01, 1200 – 151 Lisboa, officia@officia.pt, (+351) 21 838 8080.