Family Law – Divorce, support and custody matters.  Correction of errors on birth certificates.  Conservatorships and guardianships.

Probate – We can advise you on estate planning techniques to avoid probate and save time and money as well as with probate in the court system whether or not the deceased left a will.  Inheritance rights for surviving spouses in same sex marriages. We work with bilingual notaries who can prepare wills in a dual column format in both English and Spanish so heirs and parties here and abroad can easily read and understand your wishes.  Administrative or judicial probates conducted as well as handling of special procedures for adjudication of assets such as stocks in the United States, bank accounts or other assets that have a special procedure where a normal probate case is not the proper method to change title/ownership from the deceased to the next of kin / spouse / heirs.

Real Estate Law – We perform due diligence prior to your tendering a deposit to the seller and can check tax office records, the public property registry and other places to find hidden debts or problems.  If there is a problem with the property purchased then we can help with claims against the seller after closing.  We also can handle disputes with neighbors and related issues of encroachment and landlord tenant disputes. We can do title searches to find family property or property that a spouse is trying to hide or not declare in foreign divorce proceedings.

Notarial Law – We can prepare and advise on estate planning, wills, real estate closings, property transfers, administrative probate processes, powers of attorney and advance health care and medical directives (DNR).

Contracts – Preparation and Review for rentals and purchases of real property as well as for construction and other matters. We have access to a paid system to check names to alert you if the opposing party has a history of being sued or had past criminal charges here in the State of Jalisco. Drafting of Powers of Attorney for use in litigation, property sales or for aging relatives affairs.

Collection – Collection of monies owed to condominiums and on promissory notes as well as for professional services rendered.

Representation.- We can represent you in front of any governmental agency whether municipal, state or federal.  Many times you are served papers and have no idea what they mean.  Waiting can prejudice your rights.  We can review the papers and advise you on options and strategies to protect your rights and then respond timely and in the proper format.  We can also accompany you to any hearing in our capacity as attorneys or translators so that you fully understand the proceedings and your rights are protected.

Labor Law – Preparation of termination contracts and calculation of severance pay.  Representation of employers to defend frivolous charges by ex employees.  Compliance audits to make sure you have all the correct documentation for audits by IMSS and to prevent future post separation problems.

Criminal Law – Defense and prosecution of minor criminal matters such as car accidents, fraud and similar matters.  Representation of victims and defendants.  Detentions by the municipal police for violations of municipal administrative laws.  We can also help you make the complaint at the ministerio publico if you lost your visa or license plate or your home or business was burglarized.

Our attorneys have undergone and are currently doing training for the recently implemented oral trials in Jalisco for criminal law and business law and the soon to come oral hearings for civil and family law.

Municipal Law – Help with new / renewal / transfer of municipal business licenses, representation at municipal hearings and litigation in the State and Federal Administrative Tribunals for denial of permits and licenses, business closures as well as any other matter.  Protests and opposition of fines and penalties.

Administrative Law – Representation (prosecution and defense) with Federal and State governmental administrative agencies such as INAI, PROFECO, CONDUSEF, CONAMED, CONAGUA, COFEPRIS, COFECO, IMPI, Movilidad, Jalisco State Finance Secretary, IMSS, SAT, Aduana, Derechos Humanos, etc.   Contestation of fines and penalties.

Banking Law – Representation to fight against banks when they refuse to honor a beneficiary or POD designation, return funds debited or withdrawn due to cloning of credit and debit cards, forgery of checks or hacking into banking systems or outright fraud and theft by bank employees.

Corporate / Condominium / Trust – We can help set up your legal entity as well as maintain it and help you keep proper records of transactions, required meetings, amendments of bylaws and regulations as well as all types of transactions and their subsequent notifications and registrations with the federal, state and tax authorities.  We handle trusts (fideicomisos), condominiums, Sociedades Civiles (S.C.), Asociaciones Civiles (A.C.), fraccionamientos, LLCs (S de R.L.), Joint Ventures (Asociación en Participación), Corporations (S.A. de C.V.), FIBRAs, SIBRAs, SAPIs, consolidation of SOFOLEs, SOFOMES, among other legal entities.

If the matter needs to be litigated we can handle it in the Business or Civil Courts (Juzgado del Distrito / Juzgado Mercantil o Civil) or the Federal District Court.

Immigration – We help you to be able to live in Mexico.  We are experts in Mexican visas and all facets of immigration law.

Planning and advice on what visa type is right for you under your circumstances and qualifications.  Appointments made for Mexican Consulates in the USA / Canada / Europe and globally.  We can help prepare your package, print your bank statements and make your visa application quick and easy.  

Official Translations of Bank Statements and Birth / Marriage / Death Certificates and Judgments

Obtaining US and British Birth, Marriage or Death certificates, judgments and / or apostilles

We can get Mexican Birth / Marriage / Death records and apostilles

Representation at immigration hearings

Renewal of Residente Temporal visas from 1 to 3 year terms and permanent visas for minors.

Changing from residente temporal to residente permanente

Change from tourist visa to temporary / permanente for people with Mexican spouses or children / grandchildren without need to leave Mexico

Finalization of visas obtained at Mexican consulates (temporal and permanente)

Notifications of change of employment / address / marital status (Remember you have 90 days)

Work permission, new and renewal

Immigration Appeals (Recurso de revisión, juicio de nulidad, amparo contra leyes, amparo indirecto y directo)

Student visas

Humanitarian visas for the infirm and sick who cannot leave the country

Replacement of lost / stolen documents

Employer registration and registration annual renewals

Dual nationality / Mexican citizenship

Travel Permission to Leave / Enter Mexico while papers in process

Registering your new immigration document with Aduana to extend your temporary vehicle import permit (law gives you only 15 days)

Clarification of names where name is similar to one on a watch list so you aren´t hassled or denied entry into Mexico

We also do US Tourist Visas for Mexican nationals or people who are residents in Mexico who wish to travel to the US as tourists.  For American Citizens we can help with their passport renewal application as well as making an appointment at the consulate.

Be a dual national.  If you are married to a Mexican, have a Mexican parent, grandparent or child or have lived in Mexico for 5 years or more we can help you apply (2 years with a child or marriage to a Mexican and appropriate immigration document).  People who have a Mexican parent need not come to Mexico for us to do it!

We can help advise you on the procedures to have a Mexican born child acquire US nationality from US citizen parents or grandparents.

Extraordinary Constitutional Writs (Amparo)- We can help with extraordinary writs know as “Amparo”.  These can be used when the government violates your rights such as detains you or takes your property without following proper procedures.  These are also used to an appeal an unfavorable decision of a court or administrative agency or to address violations during the litigation process that if left would cause irreparable harm.

We can get court records as well as help out your attorneys if they do not have a permanent base in Guadalajara or Chapala to keep an eye on your court file and provide you with information whenever there is movement.

International Law – We help with matters of law between Mexico and other countries.  We can help your attorney outside Mexico with matters relating to issues inside Mexico and the gathering of evidence and its authentication for use at trial as well as depositions and helping with letters rogatory (carta rogatoria) as well as registration of foreign judgments and their collection inside Mexico.

We also have acted as expert witnesses in US trials preparing reports and testimony for use in Federal and State courts involving issues of Mexican law.

We have conducted depositions in Mexico for witnesses living here who were unable to travel to the United States to be deposed.

Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare- Should you become incapacitated you can name someone to make your healthcare decisions. We can prepare the proper document to be signed in front a notary so that in the event of unexpected, your wishes are complained with.

Insurance- IMSS renewals and new and renewals for Seguro Popular.   We can also fight against arbitrary denials of insurance companies who refuse to pay rightful claims for life, medical and car insurance policies.  We also can prepare complaints to present to the Insurance and Banking Commission when an insurance company does not pay like it is supposed to so that they will be forced to answer in writing and attend a hearing to explain their position.

Vehicles.- We can check the history of a vehicle before you buy it to make sure it has not been reported stolen and that there are no hidden fines or fees that the seller has not paid so you will avoid unpleasant surprises when you register it.  We check the chain of title to make sure that the seller has all of the proper documents to be able to legally register the vehicle.  We can also help you get Jalisco license plates for the first time when you nationalize a vehicle at the border.  We can also apply for an exclusive parking space for you outside your home or business whether you want it for clients or so that people do not block you when leaving your garage on a narrow street.

Document Services – We can help you get birth / marriage / death certificates as well as apostilles from any state in the US as well as copies of court judgments.

Tax Law – We help set people up with the State and Federal tax authorities to pay their taxes and be in compliance.   We also assist with changes and notifications to avoid fines and penalties.  In the event the tax authorities overstep their boundaries we can contest the matter in the Federal Tax Court or State Administrative Tribunal.  We help you get your CURP number and then RFC number as well as logins and password to file taxes and be able to print documents and receipts.

If the Spanish language or Mexican tax system puzzles you we can help you file your  tax returns for ISR and IVA taxes if you are a small business so you are in compliance and able to avoid fines and penalties.

Capital gains advising and planning to maximize deductions as well as raise tax basis for real estate to lawfully be able to lower or eliminate the payment of capital gains on primary residences and land or investment property.

We are Real Attorneys and Translators– We (5 of our people in the firm) are real licensed attorneys and not interns (pasantes) and have our professional licenses (cédulas) registered with the courts.  As such we have no restrictions on our ability to practice and represent you.  You may check that an attorney has their federal professional cédula here http://www.buholegal.com/consultasep/ or https://www.cedulaprofesional.sep.gob.mx/cedula/presidencia/indexAvanzada.action 

The Jalisco State site here https://serviciossgg.jalisco.gob.mx/profesiones/consulta/

Lic. Spencer Richard Mc Mullen has litigated in all levels and types of courts in the State of Jalisco and is also registered to litigate in the states of Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Colima, Michoacán and Quintana Roo.

We also are Official Translators (Perito Traductor) with approvals of the Municipality of Guadalajara, the Jalisco State Judicial Council and the Federal Judiciary.  We are also authorized to participate in judicial mediation with the Institute of Alternative Justice of the State of Jalisco.

The 2023-2024 Jalisco State Judicial Council list can be checked here http://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https://cjj.gob.mx/files/transparencia/peritos/Peritos_2020_2021.pdf

The publication of the Official Translators for the Federal Judicial Council for the year 2024 can be found here: www.dof.gob.mx/2023/CJF/listado_peritos_PJF_2024.pdf 

Beware of people who want to charge you money but who are not legally allowed to practice or who have restrictions.