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Bill 4802/2024 Simplifies Inheritances in Brazil and Allows for Estates of Up to R$ 1.5 Million to Be Done at Notary, Reducing Time and Costs.
One of the biggest changes in Brazilian succession law may be about to happen. The Bill 4802/2024, currently under discussion in the Chamber of Deputies, proposes that inheritances and asset distributions of up to one minimum wage, around R$ 1.5 million — can be resolved directly at notary, without the need for judicial process.
The text aims to simplify and expedite the process of transferring assets after death, reducing bureaucracy, costs, and the time that today can drag on for years in court. According to the author of the bill, Deputy Jonas Donizette (PSB-SP), the goal is to “free families from slow and expensive processes that often last longer than the value of the inherited assets.”
What PL 4802/2024 Changes in Practice
Today, under the rule of the Civil Procedure Code (Law No. 13,105/2015), the inventory can only be done at a notary if all heirs are adults, capable, and in agreement, and if there is no will.
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Your neighbor is undergoing construction and debris has fallen on your property? This could lead to compensation and make the owner, responsible party, and construction company pay for the damages.
Even so, the procedure requires a lawyer, public deed, and payment of notary fees, which makes the process slow and costly.
The new bill changes this scenario:
- The summary inventory would become the only form of inventory for estates of up to one minimum wage;
- Costs and fees would be reduced, allowing lower-income families to resolve the process in an affordable manner;
- The notary would have full authority to issue a deed of distribution with immediate validity;
- And, in case of disagreement, access to the Judiciary would still be guaranteed, but only if an heir disputes the outcome.
A Process That Today Takes Years Can Last Weeks
According to data from the CNJ (National Justice Council), Brazil registers about 1 million inventories opened per year, and a good portion of them takes more than two years to be completed. In many cases, the assets remain paralyzed, preventing sale, use, or transfer of ownership.
With PL 4802/2024, the simplified inventory could be completed in up to 30 days, according to the draft of the bill.
This timeframe would become possible because all documentation would be analyzed by the notary, without the need for judicial dispatch or expertise.
Facilitated Access and Less Bureaucracy
The proposal also brings significant social benefits. Low-income families inheriting modest properties, small plots of land, or savings often refrain from doing the inventory due to lack of resources for fees and lawyers — which blocks the use of the asset for years and accumulates taxes.
With the new format, these families will be able to resolve the succession without intermediaries, provided they prove consensus among the heirs and the absence of debts preventing the distribution. Additionally, the text paves the way for the procedure to be 100% digital, following the model of electronic notaries established by the CNJ in 2025.
Expected Impacts on the Judiciary
Experts point out that, if approved, PL 4802/2024 could reduce the demand for inventory lawsuits in court by up to 40%. For the notary sector, the measure represents an advancement similar to that which occurred in 2007, when Law No. 11,441 first authorized extrajudicial inventories.
At that time, the change caused a immediate drop in the number of lawsuits, relieving civil and family courts.
Now, with the raising of the value limit to R$ 1.5 million, the expectation is for an even greater impact.
Discussion and Next Steps
The bill was presented in the Chamber of Deputies in August 2024 and forwarded to the Commission on Constitution and Justice (CCJ), where it awaits a report. If approved, it will proceed to the Federal Senate before presidential sanction.
The text has received support from representatives of the Anoreg (Association of Notaries and Registrars), who consider the proposal “a decisive step in the de-judicialization of the country.”
The Ministry of Justice is also monitoring the debate, as the measure is expected to change the logic of asset transmission in Brazil.
A Change That Can Transform Succession Law
If approved, PL 4802/2024 will mark a watershed moment in family and succession law.
For the first time, the inventory will stop being a symbol of bureaucracy and judicial headache, becoming a fast, accessible, and electronic administrative act.
For millions of families, especially those from middle and low-income backgrounds, the project can represent the difference between having an asset blocked for years or legally receiving the inheritance in weeks.
In summary: PL 4802/2024 is still awaiting a vote but is already considered one of the most transformative projects of the decade in the field of inheritance. It promises not only to reduce costs but also to humanize and modernize the succession process — making inheritance something closer to the reality of the average Brazilian.
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