Policies | ecuaassist

The EcuaAssist team is made up of people who have experienced being expats, both in Ecuador and abroad. Because of this, we treat each case as if it were our own life. We employ a team approach to case evaluations, and our results reflect our commitment and passion. We assist hundreds of people each year and pride ourselves on our ability to provide our clients with affordable, effective, and lasting solutions.

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm. Evening appointments are available upon request. If a phone or email inquiries are made during non-working hours, EcuaAssist staff will respond at their earliest convenience, but no more than 2 business days after the initial inquiry. Clients living outside of Ecuador (-05H00 GMT) can coordinate with staff to find meeting times that work across different time zones.

How much do EcuaAssist services cost?

At EcuaAssist, we take great care to provide the highest level of service possible to all clients. Although our fees reflect the superb quality of our work, we do our best to make our rates affordable for our clients.

Our fees range based upon the nature and complexity of your case. To discuss your case with a member of the EcuaAssist staff, please send us a message in the “Contact Us” portion of our website. We will get back to you within 2 business days to schedule a consultation.

For legal reasons, we do not provide verbal estimates. All estimates will be provided through a written transaction.

Does EcuaAssist offer free consultations?

Given the in-depth, personalized nature of our consultations, we do charge for our time. However, a client can schedule a FREE OF CHARGE 15 MINUTES online consultation.

The standard consultation fee is $35 for 30 minutes or fraction thereof and applies equally to Skype, phone, and in-person exchanges.

Note: if a client hires us to assist with an immigration or real estate matter within 10 business days of the consultation, the consultation fee will be deducted from the final bill.

I don’t live in Ecuador. How can I schedule a consultation with EcuaAssist?

We are happy to schedule Skype and phone consultations. To schedule a consultation, please fill out the form, and our friendly user consultation appointment calendar will guide you, or send an email to info@ecuaasist.com. A member of our team will get back to you within 2 business days to schedule your appointment.

Payment Policies

Consultations: For consultations, you may choose whether you would like to schedule an in-person, phone, or Skype conversation. For in-person consultations, payment must be made directly to the EcuaAssist office in the form of cash or check at the time of the scheduled appointment. For phone and Skype consultations, EcuaAssist must receive your payment through wire transfer, direct deposit, Western Union, or Xoom no less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time.

The consultation fee is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend your consultation on the scheduled date and time, please provide us with at least 24 hours notice of cancellation and we will coordinate with you to reschedule your appointment. If you do not provide us with 24 hours notice of cancellation, we will be unable to guarantee that we can reschedule your consultation and you will not be issued a refund.

If there are internet connectivity problems at the time of your Skype meeting, we will reschedule the meeting at no extra cost.

Legal Fees: After the initial consultation, EcuaAssist staff will send you an invoice that details all expected costs. Complete payments for all services must be made up front, with the exception of payments for residency visas, which can be paid 50% upfront, 30% at the application date and the remaining 20% when the visa is approved. Clients who do not have an email address will be issued a printed invoice in person by a member of the EcuaAssist team.

NOTE: If the visa is processed with the EcuaAssist office in Quito, the payments for residency visas can be paid 50% upfront and the remaining 50%, 48 hours before of the visa application appointment coordinated by EcuaAssist.

Refunds: If a client wishes to discontinue using EcuaAssist’s services, they must promptly notify EcuaAssist via email at info@ecuaassist.com within 48 hours of the payment of their invoice. If this notification is received after 48 hours, EcuaAssist will refund the payment minus any incurred expense and EcuaAssist legal fees.

Payments can be made via:

Wire Transfer: Client must send an email to info@ecuaassist.com stating the date, amount, and service that was paid for. Once EcuaAssist receives the payment, it will be recorded in his file and an electronic receipt will be sent via email.
Deposit: Client must send an email to info@ecuaassist.com attaching the proof of deposit and stating the date, amount, and service that was paid for. The payment will be recorded in his file and an electronic receipt will be sent via email.
Western Union/Xoom: Client must send an email to info@ecuaassist.com stating the tracking code for the transaction, date payment was made, amount and service that was paid for. Once EcuaAssist receives the payment, it will be recorded in his file and an electronic receipt will be sent via email.
Cash: Client must send an email to info@ecuaassist.com stating the name of the EcuaAssist representative who received the money, the office where the money was delivered, and the service that was paid for. The payment will be recorded in his file and an electronic receipt will be sent via email.
Check: Client must send an email to info@ecuaassist.com stating the name of the EcuaAssist representative who received the check, the office where the check was delivered, and the service that was paid for. Once the check has been cleared in our account, the client’s payment will be recorded in his file and an electronic receipt will be sent via email.
PayPal or Credit card: Clients wishing to pay by PayPal or credit card must notify us via email to inf@ecuaassist.com in advance, before approving the final invoice. A processing fee of 3.1% will be added to the total invoice amount for clients who choose to pay by either of these methods. If the client pays outside of the United States, a processing of 5% will be added to the final invoice amount for clients who choose to pay by either of these methods.

Receipt of payment: EcuaAssist will issue an electronic confirmation of payment within two (2) business days of receiving the payment. Clients who do not receive a confirmation of payment should follow up with info@ecuaassist.com to ensure payment was received. Clients who do not have an email address will be issued a printed receipt in-person by a member of the EcuaAssist team.

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Policies and Processes for Legal Services

Below you will find descriptions of the policies, processes, and fees for the legal services EcuaAssist offers. Please note that all prices listed are estimates, and exact prices will be determined based on the circumstances of each individual case. Taxes are included in all listed prices.

APOSTILLE SERVICES

For apostille services, we will invoice the client according to the number of documents needed in Ecuador.

Note: The apostille process provided by EcuaAssist applies only to documents from the United States. To learn about the apostille process for documents from other countries, please contact info@ecuaassist.com.

RESIDENCY VISAS

A member of the EcuaAssist team will schedule a consultation to discuss the specifics of the client’s case. The client will receive a written estimate of the price by email and must pay 50% of the total invoice amount prior to the work commencing. The balance will be paid 30% at the application date and the remaining 20% when the visa is approved. For all other EcuaAssist services, full payment must be made upfront.

Disclaimers:

Once we successfully submit your file to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it takes about 8 weeks for a resolution to be issued. However, it may take longer.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may approve or deny the visa application at its discretion.
In order to submit your file, all information must be complete and accurate.
You must have a legal status in Ecuador at the moment of the visa application.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs may ask for additional documents when the application is submitted, or at any point before the visa has been approved.

Prices:

At the time of the initial meeting, the client must pay a $30 consultation fee. However, if the client hires EcuaAssist within 10 days of the initial meeting, the $30 fee will be deducted from the final bill.
EcuaAssist’s fee for residency visas is $700 for individuals and $1300 for couples.
The client must pay 50% of the total invoice amount prior to the work commencing. The balance will be paid 30% at the application date and the remaining 20% when the visa is approved. For all other EcuaAssist services, full payment must be made upfront.
NOTE: If the visa is processed with the EcuaAssist office in Quito, the payments for residency visas can be paid 50% upfront and the remaining 50%, 48 hours before of the visa application appointment coordinated by EcuaAssist.

NON-RESIDENCY VISAS

EcuaAssist will schedule an appointment for the client at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Manta, Quito, Cuenca. The client will also have the option to sign a Power of Attorney to minimize time spent traveling to the above mentioned cities. Once the visa is ready, an EcuaAssist representative will retrieve the visa at the Ministry and deliver it to the client.

Disclaimers:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs officer will evaluate the file and assign 90 days, 180 days or deny the visa application.
The estimated waiting time is 10 business days but it may take longer.
The bank statement must be printed in one of our offices the day of the application.
The client must be present at the time of the visa application.
Application appointments must be before 2pm.
Please see translations section if the application requires a translation.

Prices:

At the time of the initial meeting, the client must pay a $30 consultation fee. However, if the client hires EcuaAssist within 10 days of the initial meeting, the $30 fee will be deducted from the final bill.
EcuaAssist’s fee for non-residency visas is $150 for individuals and $250 for couples.
Expedited fee for applications is an additional $50.
Full payment must be made upfront.

TRANSLATIONS

Documents will be translated by a member of the EcuaAssist team, from English to Spanish or Spanish to English.

Disclaimer:

The client must verify with the EcuaAssist representative the estimated time and date of delivery according to the length of the document and availability of staff.

Prices:

$20 per full page and $10 per half page.
Expedited service is available for an additional $5 per full page or half page.
Full payment must be made upfront.

DIPLOMA RECOGNITION

The client must bring a notarized, apostilled copy of their diploma to an EcuaAssist office. EcuaAssist will submit the diploma to the Ecuadorian government, which will confirm the legitimacy of the diploma with the university and either approve or deny its recognition in their system.

Disclaimers:

Ultimately, the Ecuadorian government has the power to approve or deny recognition of the diploma. However, EcuaAssist will communicate with the client in the case that additional documents are required.
It usually takes about 3 months for the Ecuadorian government to register diplomas in their system. However, it may take longer. We have no control over this process once we submit the forms, although we do check in with the agency on a weekly basis to monitor each case’s progress.
In order for the Ecuadorian government to register the diploma, the university must be on a list of pre-approved universities. If it’s not on the list, the client will need to obtain and submit a notarized, apostilled copy of their university transcripts.

Prices:

$150 per diploma for registration with the Ecuadorian government.
In the case that the client does not have a notarized, apostilled copy of their diploma in Ecuador, EcuaAssist can request a copy of the diploma from the university, have it notarized and apostilled in the U.S., and have it sent to Ecuador for an additional $200, plus government expenses.
Full payment must be made upfront.

CLOSINGS

Once the client declares the purchase price of the property, EcuaAssist will issue an estimate. After the payment is received, a member of the team will deliver the deed.

Disclaimer:

Waiting time depends on the Municipality.

Prices:

Closing costs are roughly 3.1% of the purchase price of the property. Contact us for a more detailed estimate.
The client must pay the total price of the estimate upfront.

WILLS

In order for us to write a will on the client's behalf, the client must provide us with the birth certificates of the beneficiaries.

Disclaimer:

Wills in Ecuador require a certain amount of formality. They must be signed in front of a Notary and require a deed.

Prices:

$500 per grantor
Full payment must be made upfront.

ESCROW SERVICE

Contact an EcuaAssist representative for a personalized estimate. EcuaAssist reserves the right to accept or deny the availability of this service.

Should I hire EcuaAssist to assist with my immigration process?

This is a personal decision. As a company, our goal is to allow our clients to stop worrying and start living. This means that you must be able to place trust in the people you choose to represent you at this important time in your life.

STOP WORRYING

We have helped hundreds of clients over the years. We have a great deal of experience, and we are good at what we do.

START LIVING

Leave the stress to us! We will be with you each step of the way. We want to establish a relationship of trust between our team members and our clients. We will provide you with weekly email updates on the progress of your case, and will make ourselves available to answer your questions and address your concerns.

Questions, comments, or concerns about our policies? Contact us and let us know!

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Philosophy

Hours of Operation

How much do EcuaAssist services cost?

Does EcuaAssist offer free consultations?

How do I schedule a consultation with EcuaAssist?

Payment Policies

Policies and Processes for Legal Services

Apostille

Residency Visa

Non-Residency Visa

Translations

Diploma Recognition

Closings

Wills

Escrow

Should I hire EcuaAssist?