Expat Community > Costa Rica

Augusto
Joined 2010
Posts: 74

How to hire the right attorney, engineer, accountant, etc in Costa Rica?

12 years ago

It's actually no secret to Costa Rican citizens, however it is an enigma for foreigners. Here's the answer: Just find out if the professional is an alumnus of the Universidad de Costa Rica. I am going to explain you why: The Universidad de Costa Rica is a public institution of excellence which has the only serious admission (SAT type) test in the country, every year it welcomes only the best local talent to study in its campus. Every single high school student takes the exam in hopes of having the prestige of studying there. If they don't make it then it's easy they are admitted into any career they want with NO Admission exam just paying for their career!!!! So can you imagine careers that require so much attention to detail such as Law, Medicine or Engineering are open to anyone!!!
The UCR alumni are known for obtaining the highest and best paid positions in both public and private companies. If you hire a professional that attended the UCR you have 2 clear facts: 1. That person was able to enter a career in which he or she competed against the best brains in CR.
2. That person really studied during his or her career as the UCR has no lucrative ends its students only graduate after going through normally at least 7 years of study.
The Law School of the UCR has more than 150 years of experience and 17 presidents of the Republic versus less than 40 years of the oldest private law school and with zero presidents.

Private education has created a serious damage to Costa Rican professional reality as it allows into critical careers individuals who at times are not fit for such serious professions, if in the UCR you have to undergo 7 years at a private one its only 4 years at maximum, so you will get a professional who does not know many times what real sacrifice is. So it's very simple ask your attorney where did he or she study law, you can even ask for the lawyer id and you will find something very curious, if the attorney attended the UCR I will guarantee you 100% that the id will show the UCR while if the lawyer did not attend the UCR it will be blank.
Again I am not going to say that all UCR lawyers are great and that all other lawyers are horrible, because it's not true, but it sure is an initial key consideration, if you know that the professional is from the UCR you will know what type of person you are talking to. After you confirm that he or she is from the UCR you should look for foreign postgraduate education from top US or international schools and memberships in prestigious associations, in the case of lawyers a simple verification is to see if at least the lawyer is featured in the list of attorneys of the US.
In my law firm I have lawyers from the UCR and from private ones and I can tell you that for complex legal work I will always select UCR material as they are used to serious and in depth investigation.
The same is true for almost all the other careers, because of private interests Bar Exams have not been allowed in the past making the private university business tremendously lucrative. All the Costa Rican understand this but explain all this to a foreigner! As an experienced foreign advisory attorney I feel that it is my duty to once again bring this up and save expats and retirees some headaches. If you are coming to Costa Rica you should give this detail some thought.

It's not about a nice website, a fancy car, a montblanc pen or elegant suit it's all about the serious legal training.

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

Living in Costa Rica Guide

Our Living in Costa Rica Guide is a primer on everything about living in Costa Rica: best places to live, cost of living, pros and cons, healthcare and insurance, and more.

Costa Rica Forum
Join our Costa Rica forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Costa Rica.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Costa Rica.

Best Places to Live in Costa Rica

If you're dreaming about living in Costa Rica, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Costa Rica in 2023.

Healthcare in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has both public and private healthcare systems. When you become a resident, you must enroll in the public healthcare system (CAJA). Many expats use the public system for routine healthcare and have private expat health insurance for specialists, surgeries and emergencies.

Cost of Living in Costa Rica

If you're moving to Costa Rica, you'll want to understand the cost of living in Costa Rica. Lifestyle, location and health insurance are part of the formula.

Moving to Costa Rica Guide

Moving to Costa Rica has become more popular among expats. Making this choice requires a lot of research to ensure the expat experience you hope for will be realized.

Real Estate in Costa Rica

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Costa Rica.

Pros & Cons of Living in Costa Rica

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Costa Rica.

Retiring in Costa Rica

Advice for people retiring in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Visa & Residency Guide

Applying for residency in Costa Rica can be a daunting process. Which type of residency is right for me? Do I need an attorney? Do I have to leave the country every 90 days? What is a cedula? This article answers these and many other questions.

10 Tips for Living in Costa Rica

If you've recently arrived in Costa Rica, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Costa Rica.

Additional Information:

Visit our Costa Rica Index for a Full List

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in Costa Rica by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Costa Rica.

Login

Or, Send Login Link

Expat Community > Costa Rica

How to hire the right attorney, engineer, accountant, etc in Costa Rica?

Login