Before you sign — and when things go wrong after — you need a Dominican attorney who knows this market from the inside. I practice at Guzmán Ariza — Legal 500 & Chambers Global ranked. And I answer directly, personally, every time.
⚡ Developer went silent or already in a dispute? Start here →
The pattern is almost always the same: a developer who stopped communicating, a contract signed without understanding what it allowed, a title that nobody checked before the wire transfer went out. By the time most international buyers call a lawyer in Punta Cana, the mistake is already made.
I'm an associate at the Dominican Republic's leading law firm — independently ranked in both Legal 500 and Chambers Global. I've spent years on the inside of this legal system, on Punta Cana transactions, Cap Cana developments, and cross-border estate matters. I know the patterns before you've even finished your sentence.
Caribbean Counsel exists for one reason: so that international buyers, investors, and heirs have direct access to institutional-grade legal counsel — without the institutional runaround.
10+ years. Consistent results. US, European, and Latin American clients.
Bilingual throughout. Every email, update, and strategy in the language you think in.
I measure success by outcomes, not billable hours. Your goals are my strategy.
You write to me. I respond. No paralegals, no assistants, no intake forms.
Most real estate mistakes in Punta Cana don't happen in court — they happen at the signing table. A title with unregistered liens. A contract clause that lets the developer disappear. A certificate of title that's been challenged. I find all of it before you commit a single dollar.
Developers go silent. Builders miss deadlines by years. Contracts get misrepresented at the sales table. When that happens, you don't need sympathy — you need someone who builds an airtight case, calculates exactly what you're owed, and pursues it without flinching.
Navigating a foreign legal system, in another language, from thousands of miles away — that's the baseline difficulty. Most attorneys make it worse. I make it simple: bilingual communication throughout, direct access to me personally, plain-language updates that actually tell you what's happening.
Buying property in Punta Cana is one of the biggest financial decisions of your life. I make sure you never sign a contract you don't fully understand — and that what you're buying is exactly what you're getting. No surprises after the wire.
When you're in a legal dispute in Punta Cana, waiting is the enemy. I build airtight cases, move decisively through La Altagracia courts, and hold the other side accountable — developers, sellers, and anyone else who didn't deliver what they promised.
Your family worked hard for what they have. When Dominican assets need to pass to heirs in New York, Paris, or Buenos Aires, I make sure every step of the succession process is handled correctly — without the years-long delays families usually face.
Most international clients come to Punta Cana with a referral, a Google search, or a recommendation from the developer's own sales team. None of those are your advocate. I am.
I practice at a Legal 500 and Chambers Global ranked institution — the methodology, standards, and professional discipline of the DR's top firm. But you deal with me directly, not an associate three levels down. That combination is rare. Use it.
Not 'I have a bilingual colleague.' Every email, every update, every strategy conversation is in the language you actually think in. Legal jargon is confusing enough in your own language — I make it clear in both.
Including when your case is weaker than you think. When a negotiated settlement is smarter than litigation. When cutting your losses costs less than fighting. I'm not here to sell you legal services — I'm here to protect your interests. Sometimes those are the same thing. Sometimes they aren't.
No intake forms, no questionnaires, no bots. Send me a message describing your situation. I read every inquiry personally — usually within a few hours.
Not a sales call. A consultation where I ask the right questions, assess your situation honestly, and give you an unvarnished read on your options.
No templates. A plan designed specifically around your case: your timeline, your budget, your risk tolerance, and what winning actually looks like for you.
I file, I negotiate, I appear in court. I keep you updated at every turn. Your matter doesn't close until everything is properly wrapped — signed, registered, and settled.
Or skip the form — message me directly on WhatsApp
I almost signed a contract on a Cap Cana villa with a title issue buried in the registry — something that would have put my entire investment in litigation with the previous owner's creditors. Esteban found it in the due diligence phase. I never signed. Six months later, that property was in court with four other buyers who didn't do their homework.
My mother passed away leaving a house in Bávaro and an apartment in Punta Cana Resort. I'm based in Paris and had absolutely no idea where to start. The notary I initially contacted told me it would take two to three years. Esteban handled everything — all in English. It took seven months. Every step was explained. I never felt lost.
Our developer in Bávaro went completely dark after 26 months of delays and partial construction. We had four units under contract. Esteban analyzed every clause, calculated the full penalties owed, and filed for rescission. We recovered our full investment plus $28,000 in contractual penalties. He doesn't just know the law — he weaponizes it for you.
I had used other attorneys before who would disappear for weeks and then send documents I couldn't understand. With Esteban it was the opposite — he explained every step before it happened. When something took longer than planned, he told me why. The outcome was good but what I valued most was never feeling lost in a foreign legal system.
Every case is different. Your situation may be simpler — or more complex. The first step is the same: a direct conversation.
Tell Me About Your CaseYour agent's incentive is to close the sale. Mine is to protect your investment. These are not the same thing. Dominican property law operates differently from US, European, or Canadian systems. Title defects, unregistered liens, and developer insolvency risks are real — and they're invisible without proper due diligence. A buyer who skips independent legal counsel in Punta Cana isn't saving money. They're assuming risk they can't see. I've spent years cleaning up the aftermath of transactions that "didn't need a lawyer."
Yes — with the right preparation. The Dominican Republic offers foreigners the same ownership rights as citizens, and the legal framework is well-established. 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.
It depends on scope. For real estate transactions, fees are typically a percentage of the property value — standard in Dominican law. For litigation, I work on agreed retainer or hourly structures depending on complexity. For succession matters, fees are tiered to the estate's value. What I can guarantee: no surprises, no hidden fees, and transparent pricing before we begin. Whatever the structure, legal counsel in Punta Cana is not a cost — it's an investment with a very clear return when it prevents a loss or recovers funds that would otherwise stay in someone else's pocket.
You don't — unless someone runs the search for you. In the Dominican Republic, title verification 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. That's exactly what I do before any client of mine signs anything.
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's in your contract. The first thing I do is analyze your contract in detail to tell you exactly what you're entitled to and what the realistic path to recovery looks like. If you have a failed development situation, don't wait — delays can complicate enforcement.
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 planning. I work through the structure that makes sense for your situation: direct ownership, Dominican SRL, foreign corporation, or a combination. The wrong structure can create complications that outweigh the benefits.
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. The first step is simply telling me what assets are involved — I'll map out the full process from there.
Caribbean Counsel is how international clients reach me directly. Your matter will be handled by me personally — under the institutional framework of Guzmán Ariza, the Dominican Republic's top-ranked law firm. Direct access to me, backed by the full weight of a Legal 500 institution.
How it works: You send a message here. I respond personally — usually within a few hours, always within 24. If your matter is the right fit, I take it on through the firm. No intake forms, no assistants, no runaround.