Expert: Sandra - 4/25/2011

Question
What are the normal laws surrounding divorce in Brazil?  For a married couple with no children, who bought a house together, what proceedings must they go through?  Division of property of course...  what about spousal support?  Is that a common thing in Brazil?  Are the laws similiar to the US, depending on the state?  Is there a site from the state of Ceara that details this?  Please advise...

Answer
You need to discuss these questions in detail with your lawyer in Brazil. However, if you were married in Brazil, on the marriage certificate it should state the regime de bens. Under Brazilian law, if you did not choose the regime de bens, you married under comunhão parcial de bens. (Civil Code: Art. 1.640. Não havendo convenção, ou sendo ela nula ou ineficaz, vigorará, quanto aos bens entre os cônjuges, o regime da comunhão parcial.)
If the divorce is consensual, it should go fairly quickly and smoothly.
Best wishes for a happy future.