International probate in Brazil for heirs living in the United States.
Probate and division of assets in Brazil with heirs abroad, including apostille, sworn translation and estate tax. Our team files and follows it in person, without you travelling.
Situations we handle
If your case fits one of these scenarios, our team runs the whole procedure in Brazil with no need for you to travel.
- A relative died in Brazil leaving property, bank accounts or a company
- The heirs live in the United States and cannot travel to sign documents
- There is a will, or minor heirs, and you do not know which route applies
- The estate has been open for years and the tax penalty keeps growing
The cost of waiting: the penalties and freezes caused by delaying probate
Missing the legal deadline after the death triggers a penalty on the estate transfer tax. Meanwhile, the property cannot be sold, bank accounts stay frozen and shares in a company remain locked, while maintenance costs keep running.
From your first call in the United States to delivery in Brazil
Service in your own time zone in the United States (in Portuguese, English or Spanish) and execution in person at registries and courts in any Brazilian state.
Review and drafting
We review your documents and build the legal strategy that best fits your case.
Translation and apostille
We arrange the sworn translation and the Hague Apostille with no hassle.
Execution in Brazil
Our team files and follows the case in person at registries and courts.
Document delivery
You receive the certificate or recorded document digitally and by physical mail.
The right route depends on your case
Each route carries different requirements and costs. Reviewing your documents we determine which applies — and the estimated timeline goes in writing in the proposal, before any payment.
Out-of-court probate at a registry
Heirs in agreement. With a will or an under-age heir, it depends on the registry's reading.
Court probate
Where the heirs disagree, probate runs as a court case and the judge decides the division.
Inheritance tax (ITCMD)
Common to both routes: the state inheritance tax is assessed and paid before the transfer.
What you will normally need
A simplified list of the documents usually required to start the procedure.
- Death certificate, with apostille if issued abroad
- Identity documents and CPF of all heirs
- Deeds and registry records of the properties
- Statements of bank accounts, investments and company shares
The exact list for your case comes with the initial review — we ask only for what is needed, with no pointless paperwork.
Lawyers licensed by the Brazilian Bar, with a life in both countries
Service in your own time zone in the United States — and execution in person at registries and courts in any Brazilian state.
Aline Guedes
14 years in Private International Law and more than 2,000 Brazilian and foreign clients served. Law degree from PUC Minas, MBA from FGV, international training in Belgium (Louvain) and Australia (Newcastle), and a professor in the chair of Private International Law.
Reinaldo Deschamps
19 years of practice and more than 2,500 cases in Brazil, in civil, contract, administrative and real estate law. Former court-appointed defender for the Bar of Santa Catarina, a Brazilian and American citizen, he has lived in Florida since 2016 and serves clients in three languages.
Regina Deschamps
Law graduate with advanced training in International Family Law. She is the one who receives and organizes your case in the United States: document review, liaison with Brazil and service in your own time zone, from first contact to the conclusion of the case and the delivery of your documents.
Frequently asked questions about international probate
Do the heirs living in the United States have to sign in person in Brazil?
No. A public power of attorney drawn up from abroad allows our team to act for each heir throughout the procedure.
How does the estate tax work from abroad?
The tax is due in the Brazilian state where the assets are, calculated on their value. We handle the calculation and the payment as part of the procedure.
Do death or marriage certificates issued in the United States need an apostille?
Yes. Any foreign document must be apostilled in the issuing state and then sworn-translated in Brazil.
Can we sell the property directly to a third party?
Only after probate transfers ownership to the heirs. Before that, the property cannot be transferred.
What if one heir does not speak Portuguese?
It changes nothing in the procedure. Our team serves the family in Portuguese, English or Spanish, and the documents are sworn-translated.
Your probate in Brazil, settled from here.
It takes two minutes to fill in. A Brazilian lawyer reviews your case and replies in writing with what can be done, how long it takes and what it costs.
- A written proposal within 48 hours
- Scope, timeline and fees agreed before we start
- You travel neither to Brazil nor to the consulate
- Bar-licensed lawyers, serving you in your own time zone
Received. We take it from here.
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