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.

Yes, singles can find happiness here. Why? Because there is so much to do. As one long-time single resident once told me, “In Costa Rica there is something for everyone and everything for someone.”

You can see that singles can find almost anything they want in Cost Rica to stay happy during their retirement years.

There is a wealth of both indoor and outdoor activities to stay busy and happy. Just pick up a copy of the Tico Times and check out their weekend calendar  section and you’ll find hundreds activities, movies and clubs from which to choose.

You won’t be lonely here unless you choose to be. You can meet people easily through any of the activities I just described. On top of that, foreigners tend to gravita.te  towards each other when they live abroad. Believe me you’ll have no trouble meeting people with common interests here. I have more friends and acquaintances in Costa Rica than I ever had in the U.S. Everywhere I go I seem to run into someone I know.

If you are looking for someone for romance, Costa Rica might just be the right place for you.  Ladies will find gentleman admirers if they so desire.  Due to machismo, Costa Rican men are more flirtatious and aggressive than North American men.  Most Costa Rican men think foreign women have looser morals and are easier conquests than ticas (Costa Rican women).  Be careful to take time to develop a long-term, meaningful relationship and do not rush things. Many single middle-aged women have a tough time finding a mate because they cannot compete with the young curvaceous ticas. As one expat woman put it,  ”We just happen to live in a country of traffic-stopping gorgeous women.” However, I do know numerous American women who have formed successful relationships with other Americans or Costa Rican partners.

Men of any age will have no problem meeting Costa Rican women.  The women in Costa Rica seem to like older, more experienced men. It is not unusual to see a wife who is 10 to 20 years younger than her spouse.  This practice may be frowned on in some countries but is accepted in Costa Rica.  Many retirees we know claim to feel rejuvenated and to have a new lease on life after becoming involved with younger women.  Costa Rican women have an unparalleled reputation as being the most beautiful and accessible women in Latin America, including Brazil. The ladies of Costa Rica are more warm-hearted and devoted than their North American counterparts.  They consider you a joy.  One retiree we know boasts,  “The women here really know how to treat you like a king!” A man doesn’t even have to be rich to meet women; a $1,500 to $2,000 Social Security check translates to a millionaire’s pay in Costa Rica.

Here is what one expatriate’s Costa Rican wife said about her relationship with an older American man.  “Most of the time when a young woman marries an older man, people think she’s doing it for the money. I like older men. They are experienced; they’ve had a lot of fun in the past, so they start to think, ‘I want to stay now with someone for the rest of my life.’ Plus they have their life set up, so they have time to spend with their woman. With Costa Rican men close to her age, she says, their behavior changes after marriage. With Costa Rican men, you are a princess, but when you get married the whole thing changes: “You are going to have my children. I’m working, so you should make my dinner, wash my clothes.” The women get submissive and the Costa Rican men get possessive.

So, you can see that singles can find almost anything they want in Cost Rica to stay happy during their retirement years. In fact, they can have a new exciting lifestyle here that they could never find in the States or Canada.

For the past few days it has rained incessantly. If you didn’t know where you were, you’d think you were in Seattle, Washington. Cold, rainy, wet and gray skies is the kind of weather we’ve had. You would never think that you were in the  tropical country. By the way, in Costa Rica they call this type of incessant rain a temporal.

Unfortunately, October is the worst month for weather in Costa Rica. It coincides with the peak of the hurricane season in the Caribbean and we get all of the rain but not the dreaded hurricanes. Thank god! Nevertheless the last three or four Octobers have really been wet  I guess weather patterns all over the world have changed because man has destroyed and polluted the environment. These extreme changes in the weather are probably Mother Nature’s way of warning us that we are destroying the planet.

There are malls, where you can have lunch, see a movie or window shop if you get too bored at home.

By the end of the October nobody wants to see any more water. All the rain puts a damper on the outdoor activities here. I like to visit friends or go out to eat but when it is pouring I find it hard to get motivated to leave the house. Fortunately, I work at home and always have something to catch up on. There is a mall about ten minutes away where I can have lunch, see a movie or window shop if I get too bored at home.

The rainy season usually lasts about six months. If it rained like it is doing now throughout the whole rainy season, all of the retired people living here would probably leave and come back in November much like the snowbirds do in the States because of the snow.  One can easily put up with one wet month and enjoy  the  spring-like weather of the Central Valley most of the year. I don’t know of one person who has cancelled their retirement plans or moved back  to the U.S. because of Costa Rica’s weather. Usually the places where most people come from have scorching summers and freezing winters, so it wouldn’t make sense to move back to even worse weather.

Footnote: I wrote this article and the following day was beautiful and sunny. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Luckily my teeth are in good shape and other than check ups and cleanings I haven’t had to have a lot of dental work. Every six months I have my teeth checked and cleaned. The cost is under $40. I once had a dentist on one of my monthly retirement relocation tours and asked how I could keep my teeth forever. He suggested a check up every six months. Since that time I have followed his advice and haven’t had any major problems.

Although a couple of years ago one of my molars started to hurt and went to see my dentist Doctora Ana Cristina Brenes in downtown Heredia. It turned out I needed a root canal. I ended up having visit to her six times  to complete the treatment. The whole series of treatments only cost me $140. I imagine the same process costs well over $1000 in the States.

My son had to have four wisdom teeth pulled at the suggestion of his orthodontist. The total price was $150.

Affordable dental work brings many tourists come to Costa Rica to have their cosmetic dental work done.  The quality of dentistry in Costa Rica is equal to that found in Europe, Canada or the United States. On the average, dental work costs about 25 to 30 percent less than in the United States.  Most dentists charge about $35 for an initial exam.   Check prices with the dentist of your choice, since rates vary.

Costa Rican dentists offer the following services: implants, gum treatment, root canals, whitening, oral surgery, crowns, bridges and nitrous oxide sedation.  Orthodontics for children and adults are available and affordable in Costa Rica. Our son has braces. The total cost for a two-year treatment is about $1,500  which can be paid in monthly installments of $45.

One word of caution for foreigners, some Costa Rican dentists  advertise in English-language publications and cater almost exclusively to foreigners.  Patients will sometimes pay more for the dental services these doctors provide.  The Costa Rican Surgeons and Dentists Association (Tel/Fax: 2256-3100, E-mail: dentista@racsa.co.cr, www.colegiodentistas.org) will give you a list of dentists practicing in Costa Rica. Check with other residents for recommendations.

When you read the title of this article you will probably think that it is impossible to live so cheaply and so well. This especially true if you reside in an expensive area of the U.S. like California. You could probably scrape by on a few thousand dollars a month up north but you certainly wouldn’t be living in luxury.

Let’s see why the title of this article is true. A couple who owns a $150,000 home (three bedrooms and three baths) free  and clear and has a car will probably have the following monthly expenses in Costa Rica.

Private medical insurance $200
Dental care $50 per month
A part time maid $100 to $150
Part time gardener $30
Beauty parlor $75
Food including inexpensive fruits and  vegetables form a
Farmer’s market and many imported American products $500 per month
Entertainment (movies, socializing) $200- $300
Dinning out a couple of times a week $300
Private gym $50 - $100 per couple
Country Club (after you pay initial fees) $100 to $200 per month
Car insurance for a relatively new car $100
Utilities (water and electricity) $100
Telephone (using Vonage or Skype for long distance) $75-$100
High speed Internet $50
Cable or satellite TV $50
Car repairs $50
Garbage $40 per year
Property taxes on your $150,000 home $20 per month

Misc. expenses $300

Other possible expenses
Travel to U.S. or other countries $3000-$5000 or more per year

Really your lifestyle determines what you will spend here. You can choose to spend a lot more money if you are a high roller or yuppie type  or substantially less if you wish to live modestly. I know single people who live for less than $1000 per month and others who have expensive tastes who spend what they would in the States. Nevertheless, you can live very well on the budget above. I should know because I have lived here almost 30 years and buy and do everything I want for under $4,000 monthly.