Non equipment legal issue

Where would I post a non equipment related question? I'm in need of a Puerto rico based estate lawyer. Other then looking online and calling numbers off google maps I dont know how to go about finding a reputable lawyer

Um, TGIF????

Midnightmoon said:

Where would I post a non equipment related question? I'm in need of a Puerto rico based estate lawyer. Other then looking online and calling numbers off google maps I dont know how to go about finding a reputable lawyer

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New York would be a better place to look than North Dakota. Ask around, if you don't know anybody, call some accountants. Obviously I mean NYC.

An estate question may not be equipment related but can be industry related so here is as good as anywhere.

Tough question. Do you know anyone in PR or anyone who has ties/business/family living in PR? First hand knowledge is obviously the best but without that you are going to have to do your research and hope for the best.

Visit your library and get smart that way, that way you cut the middle man out who wants to cut you out much as he can. I have beat a divorce, child custody case and a restraining order/red flag law against me without a lawyer against an ex with a lawyer. Want to know a secret, wear them out and you will get what you came for.
There is a plethora of information in the county jail too along with a law library that will really get you some tools to make motions, file right documents and learn the jargon.
As the saying goes, cover your arse in paperwork!

Problem is it's essentially a foriegn country all legal documents are in Spanish, us laws dont apply, and the money spent to fly there and back would pay for a lawyer. Filling out proper papers and filing them is one thing. Doing it in another language changes everything.

Midnightmoon said:

Problem is it's essentially a foriegn country all legal documents are in Spanish, us laws dont apply, and the money spent to fly there and back would pay for a lawyer. Filling out proper papers and filing them is one thing. Doing it in another language changes everything.

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Is puerto rico not a US territory. Like the virgin islands?

cuttin edge said:

Is puerto rico not a US territory. Like the virgin islands?

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Yes it is. I'm confused as well why the US laws don't apply but then again have no clue how US Territories operate.

Us law doesnt apply. A us will is not legal there. You cant write out a son in a will. It's an odd place governed by spanish law written eons ago. All legal documents are entered into court in spanish.

I'm guessing, but isn't Puerto Rica in some ways like a U.S. state, with its own set of written laws that are subject to superior U.S. federal law? I'm not a lawyer and know little about Puerto Rica.

Better call Saul

I found this.....
My thought would be that the first thing to you need to determine is whether your legal issue falls under Common Law or Civil Law. If the former it will be similar if not identical to US law. If the latter it will be different.

Spanish translations are not difficult to get done. I translated documents in both directions when I was applying for UK residence for my wife, and for my Colombian residence. Heck I could translate documents if that's all you need done.

Puerto Rico Legal System

The Puerto Rico legal system differs greatly from the legal system utilized throughout the Continental United States (with some exceptions).

First of all, Puerto Rico’s legal system operates in Spanish. It is the only U.S. possession whose legal system operates in a language other than English.

Before becoming part of the United States, Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony for more than 400 years. Its legal system was developed and modeled under the Spanish civil code, known as civil law. The primary source of law of the civil law system is based on laws and codes. In contrast, the common law system used in the United States is based on the doctrine of judicial precedent (decisions made by the court) originated in the United Kingdom.

When Puerto Rico became a US territory, it incorporated the common law system. This created a mixed legal system in which common law and civil law are blended. This system is what prevails today.

Civil law is applied for family law, divorce, child custody, real property law, and contractual law, among others. Common law is applied to constitutional law, bankruptcy law, federal criminal procedures, etc.

Midnightmoon said:

Us law doesnt apply. A us will is not legal there. You cant write out a son in a will.

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Similar to Colombian Law, also derived from Spanish Law. When a person dies, irrespective of whether they left a will or not, 50% of their estate goes to their surviving partner, the other 50% is split between their children (the law always assumes a marriage will have produced children). No ifs, ands, or buts - unless the person who passed did some really good legal planning before their death and established companies or trusts or something similar to remove the money from their name and put it in the name of A N Other.

I am not sure how the distribution of assets would be done in the case of a child-less marriage or in the case where any children of the marriage had pre-deceased their parents.

That's pretty interesting. Civil law there would be similar to statutory law here. All that means is that the law was written by some form of government. Common law are those laws that have been interpreted by way of court rulings in the past. The issue of splitting assets after a death is handled the same way here in Washington State when there is no writings describing how the assets are to be distributed when a death happens. It is known at dying intestate. A judge then must divide the property usually assigning 50% to a wife and the other 50% by shares to the kids and the wife. That particular court is called a probate court.

The real problem with all this is having someone you trust drawing up and filing the paper work with the proper agencies under their rules. The language is the least of your problems. What and how it is written can have great potential to solve or distort what is wanted. I know of stories in the past of attorneys writing wills that gave all the assets to the attorney writing the will. Plenty of people couldn't read and didn't know what they were signing.

I don't know where you are in New York but I remember of there being a large population of people from Puerto Rico living in New York City. It shouldn't be too difficult to find an attorney through that community with contacts in Puerto Rico to someone who can be trusted.

I faced the same dilemma when my Aunt died in Florida many years ago. I was the executor of her estate.
I contacted the Catholic priest where she went to church there.
He recommended a super knowledgeable lawyer that he knew. He took care of all the legal matters including paying her bills and selling her house.
Hie fees were very reasonable.