Legal glossary
Objective definitions of the most-used legal terms in Costa Rica — notarial, family, and corporate law. Educational resource in plain language.
- Apostille General
- Certification that validates the authenticity of a public document so it has legal effect in countries party to the Hague Convention, without requiring consular legalization.
- Authentication Notarial
- Notarial act by which the notary attests that a signature or copy corresponds to the original or to the person signing it.
- Beneficial Owner (RTBF) Corporate
- Mandatory annual declaration before the Central Bank of Costa Rica identifying the individuals who ultimately control a legal entity.
- Cadastral plan Notarial
- Technical document that graphically and mathematically describes a plot of land, registered with the National Cadastre, required for many real estate acts.
- Capital quotas Corporate
- How the capital of an S.R.L. is divided — equivalent to shares of an S.A. but with transfer restrictions.
- Cédula jurídica Corporate
- Unique identification number assigned by the National Registry to a legal entity upon registration.
- Decedent (causante) Family
- Deceased person whose assets become the subject of an estate proceeding.
- Estate (caudal hereditario) Family
- Set of assets, rights, and obligations left by a deceased person, distributed among the heirs.
- Marital agreements Family
- Written agreement in a public deed between spouses (before or during marriage) on the property regime governing their union.
- Marital property (gananciales) Family
- Assets acquired for value during marriage that, absent agreement, are distributed equally upon dissolution.
- Mortgage Notarial
- Real security right created by public deed over real estate to secure performance of an obligation, typically a loan.
- National Registry General
- Costa Rican public institution that maintains the country's real estate, commercial, legal entities, intellectual property, and other registries.
- Notarial protocol Notarial
- Official physical book in which the notary chronologically records the original deeds (matrices) they authorize, kept under specific custody and preservation rules.
- Parental rights (patria potestad) Family
- Set of rights and duties recognized by law to parents over their minor children, including upbringing, education, and representation.
- Power of attorney — "generalísimo" Notarial
- Broadest notarial power, authorizing the attorney to dispose of and encumber the grantor's assets, including sale of real estate.
- Power of attorney — general Notarial
- Document granted before a notary authorizing another person to act on behalf of the grantor for general matters within stated limits.
- Protocolization Notarial
- Act by which a private document is incorporated into the notarial protocol through a public deed, giving it authenticity and enabling registration where applicable.
- Public deed Notarial
- Document authorized by a Public Notary within their protocol, granting notarial faith to the legal act, the identities of the parties, and the date.
- Public Notary Notarial
- Legal professional authorized by the State to grant notarial faith to acts celebrated before them; in Costa Rica every notary must also be an attorney.
- Real estate registration study Notarial
- Research the notary performs at the National Registry to verify ownership, liens, and conditions of an asset before a legal act.
- Registration (filing) Notarial
- Recording of a legal act with the National Registry — necessary step for the act to take full effect toward third parties.
- Settlement agreement (divorce) Family
- Document in which parties to a consensual divorce agree on the effects of the divorce regarding assets, children, and support.
- Sociedad Anónima (S.A.) Corporate
- Corporate vehicle with capital divided into shares, governed by a board of directors and statutory fiscal officer, commonly used for outside investment and multi-partner firms.
- Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (S.R.L.) Corporate
- Corporate vehicle with capital divided into quotas, simpler governance, often used for smaller or family-run ventures.
- Succession proceeding Family
- Process to determine the heirs of a deceased person and adjudicate the estate assets to them; may be judicial or, in certain cases, notarial.
- Support payment (pensión alimentaria) Family
- Legal obligation to cover the beneficiary's basic needs (food, housing, health, education, clothing, recreation), set based on needs and the obligor's financial capacity.
- Testimonio Notarial
- Certified copy issued by the notary of an original deed (matriz), with the same evidentiary value as the original for the purposes it is issued.
- Trust (fideicomiso) Corporate
- Contract by which a settlor transfers assets to a trustee to manage for the benefit of a third party (beneficiary).
- Will — open testament Notarial
- Will granted before a Public Notary and witnesses, in which the testator declares their will, recorded in the notarial protocol.
Definitions are orientative and educational. They do not constitute legal advice. For specific cases please consult directly.
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