The independent attorney who works for you — not the seller, not your realtor.
Costa Rica real estate and business law for foreign investors. 30 years, former Legal Director of RECOPE, attorney and notary. One accountable lawyer from first message to registered title — and your money never touches my account.
Foreign buyers are the target: forged deeds, undisclosed liens, conflicted lawyers, funds that vanish in escrow. When it goes wrong, recovery in Costa Rica can take years. My entire practice exists to make sure it never starts.
0+
Years of Costa Rican practice
0+
Matters represented
0
Years as Legal Director · RECOPE
Your money never passes through my hands.
The deepest fear in a remote purchase is wiring life-changing money to a stranger abroad. Here is the structural answer — a fact you can verify, not a promise.
- 01
Into regulated escrow — never my account
Your funds move only into a SUGEF-regulated escrow, a Costa Rican financial institution supervised by the government under anti-money-laundering rules.
- 02
Through a US correspondent bank
The wire runs through a US correspondent bank so it is fast, clean and fully traceable from origin to escrow.
- 03
Released only on clear, registered title
Escrow releases the funds only when the title is verified clear and registered in your name at the Registro Nacional — not a day before.
- 04
I direct and verify — I never hold a dollar
I am accountable for the outcome at every step, but your money never passes through my hands. You can independently confirm the escrow provider's SUGEF registration yourself.
Independence that protects your money.
The industry's loudest warning to foreign buyers — don't use the lawyer your realtor picks — is the foundation of how I work. My only client is you.
Never both sides
I will never represent the seller or your realtor in your transaction. My only client is you.
No broker commissions
I take no commissions or referral fees from brokers or developers. Nothing colors my advice.
I will tell you to walk away
When the title is bad, I will say so — even when everyone else in the room is paid to close it.
“I will walk you away from a bad title, even when everyone else is paid to close it.”
A clear path, from first message to registered title.
- 01
Tell me what you're planning
A purchase, a company, a power of attorney or a dispute — by WhatsApp or email, in English.
- 02
Strategic Valuation Session — US$350
A focused paid session on your specific situation, the real risks and the path forward. Credited toward your engagement if we proceed. No free call.
- 03
A written engagement
A fixed scope and a flat fee from a stated starting point, in writing, in English. No surprises, no hidden intermediaries — one lawyer accountable to you.
Everything your Costa Rica investment needs, from one lawyer.
Buy, hold and defend — the whole risk surface handled by one accountable person. Each guide below is written for investors, not lawyers.
Can foreigners buy property?
Yes — the rules, the one coastal exception, and how to own safely as a foreigner.
ReadDo you need a lawyer?
Why your attorney must be independent — not the one your realtor recommends.
ReadProperty due diligence
What I check in the Registro Nacional before you wire a single dollar.
ReadIs it safe? The 3 scams
The three documented scams and exactly how an independent lawyer prevents them.
ReadBeachfront & maritime zone
The concession rules for oceanfront land, the foreigner cap and the fideicomiso option.
ReadS.A., S.R.L. or personal name?
How to hold your property — and the residency rule most advice gets wrong.
ReadClosing costs, escrow & taxes
What you really pay in 2026, how SUGEF escrow works, and the tax on resale.
ReadBuying remotely (POA)
Close from abroad with a power of attorney — the process, step by step.
ReadStart or buy a business
100% foreign ownership, S.A. vs S.R.L., acquisition due diligence and 2026 compliance.
ReadSquatters & title disputes
Adverse possession, title fraud and how ownership is defended in court.
ReadBuying from Europe
A guide for Dutch and French investors: tax, apostilles and remote closing.
ReadConstruction & land-use permits
Uso de suelo, SETENA environmental viability and the water-availability letter.
ReadBeachfront and concession, verified and structured
Maritime-zone status confirmed before closing, ownership structured in the right vehicle to protect the buyer.
Bought by power of attorney, no flight required
Full purchases executed remotely under a scoped power of attorney, reported step by step in English.
Registered ownership, defended
Adverse claims and squatter risk met with administrative action, negotiation and, where needed, the courts.
The way I would want to be treated with my own money.
Plain English — every document, risk and decision explained clearly.
Total discretion — your matter and your identity stay private.
One accountable person — the lawyer who studies your title signs and would defend it.
I tell you what I'd do if it were my own money — including when the answer is: don't buy this one.
Can foreigners buy property?
Yes — the rules, the one coastal exception, and how to own safely as a foreigner.
ReadIs it safe? The 3 scams
The three documented scams and exactly how an independent lawyer prevents them.
ReadBuying remotely (POA)
Close from abroad with a power of attorney — the process, step by step.
ReadReady to invest in Costa Rica with confidence?
Start with a Strategic Valuation Session — US$350, credited toward your engagement. You speak directly with me, in English, with one lawyer accountable from first message to registered title.
Book a Strategic Valuation Session