Guide to Costa Rican Spanish

If you plan to reside or do business in Costa Rica, sooner or later you will require the services of a lawyer to handle legal matters which can range from immigration problems to even a lawsuit. It is very important to choose a bilingual attorney if your Spanish is not up to par. Even if you have a bilingual attorney you will still be confused by the many Spanish legal terms which you will encounter.

Learning the vocabulary below is an important Spanish survival skill.

fallo - ruling
comparecencia - appearance in court
el tribunal - court
el tribunal de apelación - court of appeals
tribunal inferior - lower court
tribunal superior - higher court
audiencia - hearing
la corte - court
admitir - admit (evidence)
acusación - accusation
denuncia - accusation
testificar contra/declarar contra - testify against
testificar a favor de/ declarar - testify for
a favor de
testigo - witness
testigo ocular - eye witness
testigo falso - false witness
fianza - bail
pelear - fight a case
caso - case
abogado - lawyer
papel sellado - legal paper
multa - fine
defender - to defend
juzgar - to try a case or person
juicio - trial
culpable - guilty
inocente - innocent
el jurado - jury
el estrado - the stand
juez - judge
sentencia - sentence
pleito/demanda - lawsuit
custodia - custody
pensión alimenticia - alimony/support
procurador - prosecutor
veredicto - verdict
testamento - will
dueño - owner
propiedad - property
citación - summons
fraude - fraud
estafa - swindle
desfalco - embezzlement
El Colegio de Abogados - bar (lawyer’s association)

Tiquismo of the week: picado means to be drunk in Costa Rica.