Whether you're an international buyer closing on a Cap Cana villa, a family settling an estate in Bávaro, or a couple trying to recover what a developer owes: every matter handled personally, every message answered within hours.
A developer who stops communicating. A contract signed without anyone reading what it actually allowed. A title that nobody checked before the wire transfer went out. By the time most people reach a Dominican lawyer in Punta Cana, the mistake is already made. Caribbean Counsel exists so that doesn't happen to you, whether you're investing $50,000 or $5,000,000.
Every matter handled personally, regardless of size. Scope and fees agreed in writing before any work begins.
A five-layer review before you wire any money: title at Registro de Títulos, developer standing, regulatory permits, contract terms, and tax structuring. Most losses in this market aren't bad luck; they're missed signals.
Properties in approved tourism zones, including most of Cap Cana, Bávaro and Punta Cana, qualify for fifteen years of property-tax exemption and waived transfer tax. Structured right, the savings are substantial. Structured wrong, they disappear.
When a developer goes silent, a deadline is missed by years, or a contract was drafted to protect the seller alone. Every clause read, every penalty calculated, the case built from filing to close.
Dominican assets passing to heirs, whether they live in Bávaro, Bonao, Buenos Aires or Paris. Bilingually, start to finish. What families are usually told will take two or three years routinely closes inside twelve months.
I grew up watching the Dominican coast become an investment destination, and watching, just as often, how foreign buyers, my own neighbors, and Dominican families got hurt by the process. Bad contracts. Vanishing developers. Estates frozen in court for years.
I studied law to do something about that. After graduating from UCADE in 2016, I joined Guzmán Ariza, the only Dominican firm ranked by both Legal 500 and Chambers Global. Ten years later, I've handled hundreds of international matters from the firm's Bávaro–Punta Cana and Cap Cana offices. I've seen the patterns close enough that I can usually name what's wrong with a contract before I finish reading it.
Caribbean Counsel is how clients reach me directly, without an intake desk, without an assistant in between. The standard is simple: every inquiry read by me, every matter handled by me, every reply within twenty-four hours. Whether your purchase is $50,000 or $5,000,000, the work is the same.
Plain-language guides written from inside the Dominican legal system, for first-time buyers, families settling estates, and investors in active disputes.
Names redacted. Outcomes factual. From a Santo Domingo family settling an estate to a New York buyer walking away from a defective title. What working with me has looked like.
Buried encumbrance from a prior owner's creditors uncovered at Registro de Títulos before signing on a luxury villa. Client never signed. Same property entered litigation six months later with four other buyers who had.
Three siblings, two of them abroad, inheriting a home in Santo Domingo and a small commercial property. The notary they'd been working with had stalled for over a year. Handled start to finish, including inheritance tax.
Developer non-responsive after twenty-six months of partial delivery. Every clause read, every penalty calculated, rescission filed and prosecuted to judgment.
Mother passed leaving a house in Bávaro and an apartment in Punta Cana Resort. Notary initially quoted two to three years. Court filings, title transfers and tax compliance handled bilingually, start to finish.
Every matter begins with a fee letter: scope, timeline and fees agreed before any billable hour. The first conversation is complimentary, always. If we're not a fit, I'll tell you. If we are, no surprises.
Founded in 1927, Guzmán Ariza is the Dominican Republic's first and only national law firm, with ten offices nationwide, ranked by both Legal 500 and Chambers Global. Esteban practices from the firm's Bávaro–Punta Cana and Cap Cana offices.
What happens after you reach out. No mystery, no waiting in the dark.
No intake forms. No questionnaires. No bots. Send me a message describing your situation. I read every inquiry personally, usually within hours.
I reply with a plain-language assessment: what the legal options are, what realistic outcomes look like, what I would do in your position. No obligation.
If we're a good fit, I send a clear engagement letter: scope, timeline, fees. Everything committed before any billable hour. No surprises later.
Diligence, filings, court process, registration. Handled start to finish. I keep you informed at every step and don't stop until your matter is resolved.
Your agent's incentive is to close the sale. A Dominican attorney's incentive is to protect your investment. Dominican property law operates differently from US, European, or Canadian systems. Title defects, unregistered liens, and developer insolvency risks are real and invisible without proper due diligence. A buyer who skips independent legal counsel is assuming risk they cannot see.
Yes, with the right preparation. The Dominican Republic offers foreigners the same ownership rights as citizens, and the legal rules are clear. The risk is not the law itself; it's the gaps in how it's applied. An unverified title, a developer with undisclosed liabilities, a contract drafted to protect the seller. These are addressable problems when you have experienced local counsel conducting proper due diligence before you commit.
Due diligence for property purchases: 1.5% of purchase price, minimum $2,000 USD. Confotur structuring: from $1,500. Litigation and succession matters: quoted case-by-case, based on complexity, amounts and timeline. All pricing is confirmed in writing before we begin. The first 20-minute conversation is always complimentary, no obligation.
You don't, unless someone runs the search for you. Title verification in the Dominican Republic involves a search at the Registro de Títulos for the certificate of title, any registered liens or encumbrances, ownership history, and pending legal actions. This is not something a real estate agent can do. It requires someone with access to the registry and the legal training to interpret what they find.
In most cases, yes, and you may be entitled to more than just your investment. Under Dominican law, a developer who has materially breached a purchase contract is generally liable for rescission plus contractual penalties. The strength of your claim depends on what is in your contract: specifically whether it includes a delivery date, penalty clauses, and termination rights.
Yes, and for many international investors, holding Dominican property through a corporate structure has meaningful advantages: simplified succession, potential liability protection, and sometimes favorable tax treatment. However, structuring this correctly under Dominican corporate and tax law requires careful legal planning.
Take a breath. This is manageable. Whether there's a will or not, whether heirs are in three different countries, Dominican succession law provides a clear process. I handle every layer: court filings, title transfers, inheritance tax calculation, and cross-border coordination. What most families are told will take years routinely takes under twelve months when handled proactively.
Almost never, but timing matters. The sooner you engage counsel, the more options you have. I take over existing matters regularly: reviewing what has been filed, identifying procedural vulnerabilities, and building the strongest possible position from wherever the case currently stands. If you are in an active dispute, a stalled development, or any real estate matter in Punta Cana, reach out now, not after the next court date.
No intake forms, no assistants in between. Tell me what is happening. I respond personally, usually within a few hours, always within twenty-four.
