Aldolfo Garcia Adolfo is co-author the forthcoming “Christopher Howard’s The Costa Rican Legal System Made Easy”

On my monthly relocation/retirement tours I am always asked questions about how to find a good lawyer. What I have written below should help you select a good attorney.

If you plan to go into business, work, buy or sell property, form a Costa Rican corporation or seek long-term residency status in Costa Rica, you will definitely need the services of a trustworthy and professional attorney.

A few years ago I started using Adolfo Garcia as my main lawyer. Adolfo was born in Costa Rica but spent his youth in Miami. His English is flawless which makes his clients feel right at home. It is very frustrating to deal with lawyers who speak little or know English. This can lead to serious communication problems and most likely will affect the outcome of your legal affairs. If you are not fully bilingual, be sure to choose a lawyer who is. The secretary should be bilingual too (Spanish/English) so you can get messages to your lawyer.

It is also of paramount importance that your lawyer  be bilingual so he can help you understand the complexities of the Costa Rican legal system, which is based on Napoleonic law.  You are guilty until proven innocent, just the opposite of the system in the United States. A lawyer is one of the best investments you can make because he can assist you with bureaucratic procedures and handle other legal matters that arise.

Another thing that makes Adolfo a good lawyer is his accessibility.  I can virtually call him  at all hours.  Always make sure you have your lawyer’s office and home telephone number in case you need him in an emergency.  If you are told your lawyer is always “in meetings” or “out of the office,” this is a clear sign  your work is being neglected and you have chosen the wrong lawyer. This is not the case with Adolfo. He bends over backwards to help his clients. I have several friends who use him and they are satisfied, too.

For all of the reasons above and more I have selected Adolfo to co-author the  forthcoming “Christopher Howard’s The Costa Rican Legal System Made Easy”. This guidebook promises to be a blockbuster and outshine other similar books. Look for this publication in 2010.

You may contact Adolfo at 011-506-2201-0300 or 8381-3562

Although I recommend Adolfo highly, here are some general tips  for choosing a lawyer in Costa Rica.

1. Ask your fellow expatriates for recommendations. They have been there and done that.

2. Do not let advertising influence your decision. It is only a paid ad. Anyone can do that.

3. If you do have a problem, you can file a complaint against an attorney, but it is extremely difficult, if not impossible to get another attorney to represent you so be prepared to represent yourself which requires fluent Spanish.

4. Do not automatically trust someone that appears in forums as an “expert”.

5. Never, ever pay for the entire amount required up front. Pay no more than one-half initially and the other half upon completion.

6.  A good clue is if the attorney makes the appointment for 2 or 3 in the afternoon, it is possible that is when he begins the work day. Most government offices close from 3 to 4:30 for the day, leaving little time for attorney “work”.

8. Ask for at least Two recommendations for a particular attorney.

9. And if you are personally involved with an attorney, go elsewhere for your legal work.

10. Do not trust some lawyers (or anyone else) just because they speak English. Check out anyone you do business with.

11. Never take anything for granted. Refuse to believe that things are getting done, even if you are assured they are. Check with your lawyer on a regular basis and ask to see your file to make sure he has taken care of business. As you might imagine, paperwork moves slowly in Costa Rica, so you do not want a procrastinating lawyer to prolong the process.

12.  Check with the Costa Rican version of the Bar Association (El Colegio de Abogados) www.abogados.or.cr if you have any questions about legal fees. They establish minimum legal fees, however some fees are determined by the amount of the transaction.

Costa Rica is one of the prime retirement destinations in the world because of all that it has to offer.

Most everyone is reluctant to invest because of the current world economic crisis. I understand their mind set but think they should consider the following reasons why I still consider Costa Rica a good investment.

First, a lot of big players like Intel, Wal-Mart, City Bank, Amazon.com, Proctor and Gamble and a whole lot more have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the country.  If big players are doing it than you should feel safe investing, too.

Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in Latin America which is tantamount to political stability and thus making it a good place to invest. The country has NO army nor is there an imminent threat of terrorism. How many places in the world can make this claim?

Insured state-run banks, escrow services, title insurance, diligent lawyers and a national registry exist to protect buyers.

The country is also Latin America’s number one warm weather travel destination according to many travel publications. This trend is not expected to change. Tourism will continue to fuel the investment climate despite international events. Most tourists fall in love with the country and many end up investing in real estate here.

Investing in hot foreign real estate markets has become an alternative to more traditional investments at home. Baby Boomers also have their eyes on Costa Rica. The country is one of the prime retirement destinations in the world because of all that it has to offer.

One Costa Rica’s major  selling points is its affordable laid-back lifestyle. There is every imaginable activity both indoors and outdoors to stay busy and happy. Most people who have moved here say they have a better quality of life than in the States. The bottom line is that “It’s really all about lifestyle.”

Costa Rica offers a wide variety of choices for investment: condominiums, homes, gated communities and more in different settings like lakes, mountains, beaches and urban environments. In Costa Rica there is “Some thing for everyone and everything for someone.”

I have personally invested in Costa Rican real estate over the last fifteen years and have done very well. Granted the market has slowed down but the country’s track record remains excellent. In fact Costa Rica is considered one of the five best emerging real estate markets in the world. If you look for VALUE properties you will not go wrong.

Many a wise investor knows that to make money sometimes it is necessary to do the opposite of the masses. Most people are hesitant to invest now. Perhaps it is the right time for savvy investors to look at the opportunities and bargains out there. Most adroit investors survive the bad times and the majority use adversity to get ahead. In Spanish we say, “Smart fishermen know how to catch fish in troubled waters.” Think differently!

There will be bargains out there as many people seek to unload their financial burden at lower prices. Buy wholesale!

A few people I know have been land banking (investing in land) and just waiting for the good times to come back. They know that their property can be cashed in a later day for a nice profit.

There you have it! All of the facts and reasons are listed above. Now you have to weigh them and decide if Costa Rica is right for you. Investment in Costa Rica isn’t for everyone.

Starting in 2002 a whole new wave of people started to move here.

I just coined the phrase “Post 2002ers” to describe a new breed of American who has moved here since 2002. For years Costa Rica attracted nothing but eccentric foreigners, retirees, dropouts from the U.S., those looking for a post hippie paradise, people on the lamb for one reason or another, (alimony debts, etc.) some strange characters and a few brave entrepreneurs.

Starting in 2002 a whole new wave of people started to move here. This was probably due to Costa Rica’s growing international reputation, a boom in tourism, people looking for opportunities, the coming of age of the Baby Boomers but most of all the ability to use the Internet from abroad to promote businesses here. Whatever happened, a new group of people started to move here and set up shop. Many of them heard about the real estate boom and started real estate offices. Others built spec homes. While other people started to work in tourism. We even had one woman who was into witchcraft and black magic who tried to start a business. Anyway a whole cast of characters from every walk of life came here including criminals and con men. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of great people were part of this new wave and have contributed immensely to Costa Rica.

The funny part is that many of these newbies that went into business here weren’t even legal residents but tourists. Unfortunately government control is lax in this area.  On top of that, since you don’t need a license to sell real estate in Costa Rica, not only were these people in the country illegally but they were selling property without a license because of the lack of regulation here. I have  a realtor friend who calls them carpet baggers.  Other people from this group started tour companies without a license from the tourism board (ICT), again due to a lack of enforcement by the government. Many started online business from here to lure naïve  Americans into their clutches. Most of these new wave entrepreneurs were not dishonest but lacked the legal credentials and experience to provide first-rate services. The Internet played a huge role in giving them credibility. Fortunately, many have fallen to the wayside but some have managed to survive. Sadly, people seem to think that just by moving here the are qualified to provide certain services.

Once again,  NOT everyone who moved here was incompetent, unscrupulous or illegally working under the table.  But we did and still do have our fair share of these characters from the post-2002 group.

I only write these type of articles to protect the people who take my retirement tours or anyone else gathering information to move here. My object is not to offend anyone. I feel it is my duty to help people NOT leave their “brain on the plane.”

Over the past 28 years I have personally helped 1000s of people make the move, make their dreams come true and find happiness here.

Most people who are interested in retiring here are confused after having read all of websites and guidebooks, checked out the on-line news groups and blogs and seen all of the expensive self-serving videos on the subject. After being bombarded by so much material it is hard to know what and who is for real. You need to come here and experience the country first-hand to separate fact from fiction.

The perfect solution is to visit the country and hook up with the people who really have the time-tested knowledge and experience to help you be successful. That is purpose of my relocation/retirement tours. Over the past 28 years I have personally helped 1000s of people make the move, make their dreams come true and find happiness here. It is a very rewarding experience to be able to help people change their lives. I have seen people literally be reborn and regain their youthful enthusiasm. Time after time I run into people who took my tour and they thank me by saying, “If it were not for you, I wouldn’t be here. You’re responsible for all of this.” One former client, Gary from California, tells me the same thing every time I bump into him on the street. He found love and happiness here and says you couldn’t drag him back to the States. He was a successful doctor and gave it all up just to live here after taking my combination beach and Central Valley Tour. It looks like he has found his personal paradise and I am proud to have been part of it.

On all of my tours you have experiences you could never have on your own or on a self-guided tour. You are exposed to a variety of mouth watering local foods; will have the opportunity to meet and interact with others who a have made the move; attend a invaluable two-day seminar where you will hear from the local experts in a variety of fields (law, health care insurance, banking etc.) and you will see the best areas for living and actually tour homes to get an idea of what it is to live here. Most important you will come away with the knowledge, proper perspective and contacts to make the move successfully and experience our great country in all of its spender.

These properties are found in the new growth areas of Costa Rica that allowing people to buy large lots and build affordable homes.

I just found out about a great retirement option for people who have been affected by recent events in the States. The people at Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties have come up with something that is the answer. I am usually quite stingy when it comes to endorsing other companies, but in this case I feel it is my duty as a relocation retirement expert to share this information with you.

Their unique program will show you how to live comfortably here on a monthly budget as low as $1500. You can do this without sacrificing your current lifestyle. Once you have your home and transportation needs taken came of, living for a lot less than you did at home is indeed possible.

They offer several property tours that really cover the whole gamut of what’s available for potential retirees taking all budgets and lifestyles into consideration. All this is showcased through their unique approach to using a new Lifestyle Property Tour format. This encompasses a 6 pack project tour that shows you all you could ever want to see.

I have been asked to personally endorse these projects included in the Lifestyle Tours by way of a stiff questionnaire and disclosure. To meet the criteria established, the properties will all have to show:

1    financial capability (disclosure)
2    Engineering infrastructure quality handled by capable firms
3    Area and amenities relative to cost
4    Location relative to needs
5    Property management capability when finished
6    control of what will be built

What I really like is the personalized attention they provide. They even offer a very thorough orientation and seminar option for all of their clients and are 100% customer oriented. I feel perfectly comfortable placing anyone who contacts me in their hands. This service really compliments my own business. I don’t know of any other company which provides this level of support to the client. They provide these services every day and their experience can make the difference between your success and failure here.

Over the last 25 years I have personally helped 1000s of people move here successfully. I have had the chance to see what works here and what doesn’t and know how much money it takes to live live here. Best of all you don’t have to sacrifice your quality of life or dignity by moving to other “so-called retirement destinations” like Nicaragua, Panama, the Philippines or Thailand where you really get what you pay for.

Costa Rica is and will continue to be the buzz word and Latin America’s retirement haven due to all of the amenities it offers. Recently, I had a woman on one of my monthly retirement tours who had been living in Panama. I asked her why she decided to take my tour if she was a Panamanian resident. She stated, “Costa Rica offers far more options and the quality of life is better here.” This is straight from the horses mouth.”