About the firm

Three people. One small practice.

ELG is a boutique Cuenca law firm for English-speaking expats. We handle visa, family, wills, and property matters in Ecuador. The current company structure was registered in January 2025. Three hundred-plus clients in, the practice is still three people working with each client directly.

01 — The practice

Why we exist.

Sabrina Candela, attorney at Expat Law Group — Sabrina Candela Attorney · Cuenca

E LG is a small Cuenca law firm. We help English-speaking expats with visa, family, wills, and property matters in Ecuador. Three hundred-plus clients in, the practice is still three people.

Most legal work for foreign-language clients in Cuenca follows the same pattern. Bill in full upfront. Hand the file to a paralegal. Stop returning calls. We were built as the opposite of that. Every filing is signed by a licensed attorney, fees are scoped in writing before we begin, and you work with the same person from the first call through completion.

Sabrina heads family, wills, and visa filings. Wolfram covers property, succession, and wills. Betsy runs visa coordination end-to-end. We have stayed deliberately small. We turn down work we cannot do well, and we have never employed a salesperson.

02 — What makes us different

Four things, in order of importance.

01

Licensed attorneys sign every filing

Not a paralegal, not a junior, not a sub-contractor. Sabrina or Wolfram personally signs every document filed under our firm name.
02

Clear fee structures

Visa work uses a 50/50 split (half on engagement, half on completion). The only firm in Cuenca with this structure for expat visa work. For other matters we use written estimates, retainer, or hourly billing depending on the type of work. Either way, you know what you are paying before we begin.
03

Bilingual by default

Every consultation, every document, every email is available in your language. Spanish is not a translation layer here. It is a first-class language of the firm.
04

Small on purpose

We turn down work we cannot do well, and we have never employed a salesperson. The same person you meet on the first call is the person handling your matter.

In the client's words VISA · GOOGLE REVIEW

Betsy Prado. An amazing lawyer and a caring human being. She made a difficult process bearable and always kept a calm and professional attitude. I recommend her highly.

Maxine Google review · 5 stars · ELG visa client

03 — Who you'll work with

Three people. The whole firm.

We are small on purpose. Every client works directly with one of the three of us. Never a junior, never a call-center.

01 / 03

Sabrina Candela

Attorney

Family · Wills · Visa

Colegio de Abogados del Azuay · Cuenca

02 / 03

Wolfram Palacio

Attorney

Property · Wills · Succession

Colegio de Abogados del Azuay · Cuenca

03 / 03

Betsy Prado

Visa lead & client liaison

Visa filings · EN/ES coordination

Paralegal · 3 years in visa work

04 — How we meet

Three people, many places.

Most matters start with a video call. In-person meetings happen where it suits you best. We arrange a location with you when we confirm the meeting.

By video

Most first conversations happen on Google Meet or WhatsApp video, whichever you prefer. We will send a calendar invite in your timezone.

With Sabrina, downtown

Sabrina meets clients at her office inside Corpolex, in downtown Cuenca. By appointment.

With Wolfram or Betsy

Wolfram and Betsy typically meet at agreed cafés in the city. They will suggest a spot near your accommodation.

Hours

Monday to Friday, 09h00 to 17h00 Ecuador Time (UTC-5). Closed Saturday, Sunday, and national holidays.

Get in touch

Send us your situation.

Two ways in. Both reach the same three people.

TIER 01 — FREE

Book a free 15-min call

Calendar in your timezone. A member of the team calls you back.

Pick a time →

ASYNC — 1 DAY

Send a written intake

Two minutes of context. We reply within 1 business day, EN or ES.

Open intake form →