Brazil: Number Of Divorces Hits Record High

By Alana Gandra

In 2021 – the second year of the new coronavirus pandemic, 80,573 divorces have been registered in Brazil, a record number in the historical series that started in 2007. Access to the e-Notarial platform and videoconferences with the notary public are now the fastest way for those who want to divorce.

The number registered in 2021 reflects an increase of 4 percent compared to 2020, when 77,509 divorce deeds were drawn up in notary offices, a previous record of dissolution of marriages by notarial means in Brazil, which means 2,800 more divorces compared to 2020.

According to the Notary College of Brazil – Federal Council (CNB/CF), the largest increases in the number of divorces in 2021, compared to the previous year, were registered in the Federal District (40%), Amapá (33%), Acre (27%), Pernambuco (26%), and Roraima (19%).

Debureaucratization

As explained by CNB/CF president Giselle Oliveira de Barros, “divorces in notary’s offices called extrajudicial were growing year after year as people became aware of their advantages, such as agility, deadline, and price. The migration of notarial services to the electronic means has become very attractive, as many people were in isolation and managed to solve personal questions remotely”.

The e-Notarial platform – launched in July 2020, was nationally regulated by the National Council of Justice (CNJ) and allows the practice of almost 100 percent of notarial acts by electronic means, such as all types of deeds, powers of attorney, wills and notarial minutes.