Having granted a Costa Rican Will following the Costa Rica Legislation can simplify the process, since the underlying document (the will) will comply with all the requirements by the local authorities and thus simplifying the execution. To grant a Costa Rican Will you will need to retain the services of a Notary Public to draft the will which needs to be signed in their presence and in the presence of witnesses.  If you do not speak or write Spanish then the law requires that you have three witnesses and two translator witnesses for a total of five witnesses. If you die with a Costa Rican will in place then the heirs duly identified can open the probate process with that will and a certified copy of the death certificate.   If there are no disputes with heirs or any minors as part of the estate the heirs can opt for a Notary Probate Process which is done before a Notary Public instead of through the court system. This is the simplest and quicker. Under certain circumstances this option may not be available but it is an option that you need to discuss with your probate attorney.