Dealing with a legal matter in a foreign country is stressful enough without a language barrier on top of it. I advise English-speaking clients on Brazilian family law, inheritance, contracts and criminal defence — clearly, and without legalese.
Raquel A. B. Marcondes
Attorney at Law — OAB/SP 391.373
Brazilian Bar Association, São Paulo
Most of my English-speaking clients arrive with the same underlying problem: something legal is happening in Brazil, and nobody has explained it to them properly.
Expats and their families — including professionals in the aerospace and technology sector in São José dos Campos — dealing with marriage, separation, property purchases or employment matters under Brazilian law.
You built a life in another country, but a divorce, an inheritance or a property matter still has to be resolved in Brazil — and you cannot simply fly back to deal with it.
Binational couples, children with dual citizenship, assets in more than one country. These cases need someone who understands where Brazilian law ends and the foreign one begins.
This is the single most common misconception among Brazilians abroad — and it costs people years of postponement, plus thousands in avoidable tax penalties.
A power of attorney signed at a Brazilian consulate — or notarised locally and apostilled under the Hague Convention — lets me act for you in Brazil. Most matters never require your physical presence.
A divorce granted abroad usually needs recognition by Brazil's Superior Court of Justice. But a purely consensual one, deciding nothing about custody, support or property, can be recorded directly at the civil registry.
Property located in Brazil is governed by Brazilian succession law, whatever the deceased's residence or foreign will provided. Probate must begin within two months of the death.
In São Paulo, opening probate late adds a penalty to the inheritance tax — 10% after 60 days and 20% after 180 days from the date of death. If a relative of yours died holding assets in Brazil, time is quite literally money.
Write to me on WhatsApp or by email, in English, in your own words. You do not need to know the legal terminology — that is my job. Everything you share is covered by attorney–client privilege from the first message.
Scheduled at a time that suits your time zone, including outside Brazilian business hours. We go through your situation, the realistic options, and what each one costs and takes.
Scope and fees in writing before anything is filed, following the fee schedule of the São Paulo Bar Association. Nothing proceeds without your approval.
Documents are signed electronically wherever the law allows. You receive updates in English at every relevant stage — not a link to a court website in Portuguese.
In most cases, no. A power of attorney signed at a Brazilian consulate, or notarised locally and apostilled under the Hague Convention, allows me to act on your behalf. Consensual divorces, probate proceedings and property matters are routinely completed without the client returning to Brazil.
A foreign divorce decree generally requires recognition by Brazil's Superior Court of Justice before producing full effects here. Since 2017, however, a purely consensual divorce — one that does not rule on custody, support or property — may be recorded directly at the Brazilian civil registry, with no court proceedings. Which route applies depends on exactly what the foreign judgment decided, so send me the decree and I will tell you.
Assets located in Brazil fall under Brazilian succession law, regardless of where the deceased lived or what a foreign will provided. Probate should be opened within two months of the death; in São Paulo, filing late adds a penalty to the inheritance tax. Where all heirs are adults and in agreement, the whole process can be done by public deed at a notary office, usually within 30 to 90 days.
By video call, scheduled at a time that works for you — including early mornings or evenings in Brazil. Documents are signed electronically, and you receive written updates in English throughout.
According to the fee schedule of the São Paulo Bar Association (OAB/SP), based on the complexity of the matter, the assets involved and whether it can be resolved out of court. You always receive the figure in writing, in a contract, before any step is taken.
Yes, and in cross-border matters that is usually the best arrangement. I handle the Brazilian side and coordinate directly with your local counsel so that the two legal systems produce a consistent outcome rather than contradictory ones.
Write in English, in whatever detail you can manage. I read every message personally and reply with a concrete next step.
Office hours 9am–6pm Brasília time (UTC−3) · Calls outside these hours by appointment
