Guatemala Government Services

The main portal is portal.oj.gob.gt. The OJ operates several specialized sub-portals: OJ Virtual (electronic case files at portal.oj.gob.gt/oj/login/PortalServicios/), CAPE for Judicial Clearance Certificate (cape.oj.gob.gt), External Inquiries, Administrative Services, Electronic Filing Cabinet for notifications, Court Directory. PBX: 22904444. Address: 21 Calle 7-70 Zona 1, Centro Civico, Palacio de Justicia, Guatemala City. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00-15:30. Justice of the Peace courts (Juzgados de Paz) operate 24/7 for flagrancy and emergencies.

They are TWO DIFFERENT documents and many processes (foreign residency, government jobs) require BOTH. The MINGOB Police Record certifies that the Police/Penitentiary System has no convictions registered against you. The OJ-CAPE Judicial Clearance certifies that no judge has issued a conviction against you. Each costs about Q30 (La Hora, January 2026; the gratuity bills 6696 and 6409 were still in congressional committee in April 2026). CAPE is obtained online at cape.oj.gob.gt — immediate. See guide: OJ-CAPE Judicial Clearance.

No. In Guatemala every divorce is declared by a judge. A mutual-agreement divorce is requested before the judge of the marital domicile (Civil and Commercial Procedure Code, Art. 426), only after more than one year of marriage (Civil Code, Art. 154), with a draft settlement on the children, support and guarantees (Civil Code, Art. 163) and a conciliation hearing where each spouse appears with a different lawyer (Procedure Code, Art. 428). The law that lets notaries handle voluntary-jurisdiction matters (Decreto 54-77) does not include divorce. Without agreement, divorce is requested on a specific cause (Civil Code, Arts. 154-155) before the Family Court. See guide: Judicial Divorce OJ.

The child support lawsuit is filed in the Family Court with jurisdiction over the defendants address. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the USAC Bufetes Populares (Legal Aid Clinics) provide FREE legal representation. If you can pay, a private lawyer charges Q500-Q2,000. The judge sets PROVISIONAL support immediately upon receiving the lawsuit — the defendant must start paying before trial. If they do not pay, assets and up to 50% of salary can be attached (Civil and Commercial Procedure Code Art. 214; Labor Code Art. 97) and, with a final judgment or agreement, a criminal complaint for negación de asistencia económica is possible (Penal Code Art. 242). There is no court fee to file for support (Judicial Branch Law Art. 57). See guides: Child Support Lawsuit and Oral Child Support Proceeding.

If you have a credit document (promissory note, invoice, loan contract, bounced check), you can file Executive Lawsuit (Juicio Ejecutivo) in Civil Court. It is faster than ordinary lawsuit because the document already proves the debt. Lawyer fees: Q1,500-Q15,000 depending on amount; there is no court fee to file (“La justicia es gratuita” — justice is free, Judicial Branch Law Art. 57), except the court costs (costas) a judge can order the losing party to pay. Time: 8-24 months. Judge can attach assets, bank accounts and salaries. See guide: Civil Debt Collection Lawsuit.

Quite a lot. You can get your CAPE (judicial clearance) online at cape.oj.gob.gt and download from the USA. You can check case status in OJ Virtual. You can receive notifications via Electronic Filing Cabinet. To sue (divorce, support, debt collection), you grant POWER OF ATTORNEY before a notary at a Guatemalan consulate in the USA — the power is sent to your lawyer in Guatemala who handles everything. US courts that need to summon witnesses or serve documents in Guatemala use INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL REQUESTS (exhortos) via the OJ. See guides: Exhortos OJ and CAPE.

After joining the College of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala (CANG bar), you must SEPARATELY register as a NOTARY before the Judicial Branch to practice notarial functions (authorize deeds, protocolize acts, give public faith). Cost: Q500 + annual CANG dues. Time: 30-60 days. Requirements: Lawyer & Notary degree from USAC or recognized university, current CANG membership, oath before Supreme Court. See guide: Notary Registration OJ.

The Electronic Filing Cabinet (Casillero Electronico) is the OJ official notification system. It replaces physical paper notifications. If you are a party to a judicial process (plaintiff, defendant or attorney), you can request that notifications arrive in your electronic cabinet — faster, automatic receipt confirmation, and available 24/7. Mandatory for attorneys practicing before tribunals. Access: portal.oj.gob.gt → Casillero Electronico. Support: 22904444. See full guide: Casillero Electrónico OJ.