Costa Rican Lawyers
In order to perform real
estate transactions in Costa Rica, you will
need to find a licensed Costa Rican lawyer that
you trust. The lawyer that you work with
in the states may be able to look over contracts
and legal documents, but it is essential to
obtain the services of a lawyer who is experienced
and familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the
Costa Rican legal system.
It
is impossible to say if the legal rules and
regulations here in Costa Rica are easier or
more difficult than in the states, but it is
safe to say they are very different. For
that reason, having a licensed Costa Rican lawyer
is not only essential in the real estate process
here, but it is required.
It
can be a daunting task to find a lawyer that
you trust for an exciting endeavor such as purchasing
property in a foreign country. What we
recommend as the most important step is: Do
your homework!
There
are many lawyers with varying levels of experience
in the real estate area. We suggest speaking
with friends or business colleges that may have
been through this experience before, in Costa
Rica. They may know of a person that they
found helpful or perhaps more importantly, someone
that they did not find helpful.
In
the absence of recommendations from your other
associates, we highly recommend the lawyers
at Montejo
& Associates. We work
with this group of attorney’s on a daily basis
and they have proven themselves to be excellent
advisors for our clients.
As
with any other recommendation, we hope that
you will call and speak with them personally,
research all of your options and most importantly
come to your own conclusion. You need
to have confidence in whomever you choose.
You
may notice that many of the lawyers that people
work with are not physically located in the
area of the project or property under consideration.
Unlike in the states where you would typically
choose a lawyer close to your home, it is extremely
common for lawyers from or around San José
to be used in all parts of Costa Rica.
The
added bonus with their location in San José
is that all of the government offices and registries
are located in San José as well, making
it easier and quicker for them to research title,
record documents and perform other necessary
work on your behalf.
It
is also possible however, to find a lawyer that
has an office in Guanacaste if you feel more
comfortable with being able to visit them in
person on short notice.
One
of the most exciting things here at Catalina
Cove is that we have an onsite lawyer from Montejo
& Associates. who works with
us right in our own sales office. Their
central corporate office is located just outside
of San José in San Pedro. Our onsite
attorney Alvaro Cedeño has joined our
team of agents and developers here in our Brasilito
office. This has resulted in great benefit to
all of us as well as our clients. We are
able to utilize the convenience of daily meetings
with him as well as the ability to offer immediate
consultation with our clients. Alvaro
is an excellent lawyer and we are very pleased
to have him as a part of our team.
Overall,
the most important thing to remember throughout
the whole process of looking for a lawyer is
to take the time to research and explore all
of your options. Nothing needs to be done overnight.
On the contrary, you should not expect
to find the perfect choice on the first try.
Our hope is for you to feel ready and
confident when you find the best lawyer and
the best real estate investment for you. |
