Litigation & Dispute Resolution in Brazil

Litigation and dispute resolution in Brazil for foreigners

Whatever your dispute in Brazil, this is the place to start. Below, our litigation and dispute-resolution services are grouped by the situation you are in — from understanding how a Brazilian lawsuit works, to the specific fight you are facing, to enforcing a judgment across borders. Pick the lane that fits, or reach out and we will point you to the right one.

Reviewed by Luciano Oliveira, Esq., LL.M — licensed in Brazil, Texas, and California. Last reviewed July 2026.

This page is general information about litigation and dispute resolution in Brazil, not legal advice, and reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Only a consultation with a lawyer licensed in Brazil, reviewing your facts, can tell you how the law applies to your situation.

Start here: how litigation works in Brazil

Before you commit to a fight, it helps to know the terrain. These pages explain, in plain English, how a Brazilian lawsuit actually works — what it costs, how long it takes, what your realistic chances are, when it is smarter to settle than to sue, and how long you have before a deadline closes the door.

Choosing a lawyer & protecting yourself

Hiring the right lawyer from another country is its own challenge — and it is where many foreigners get burned. These pages help you vet counsel, understand why some cases get turned down, spot the cheap-lawyer and scam red flags, and keep an eye on a case or a company from abroad.

Business & commercial disputes

When a deal, a partner, or a contract in Brazil goes wrong, these are the actions that put it right — from a straightforward breach-of-contract claim, to forcing a partner or manager to open the books, to bringing a group of claimants together.

Real estate & property disputes

Property is where foreign owners are most exposed — a seller who will not transfer title, a developer that vanished, a squatter you cannot remove. These pages cover recovering, defending, and fighting over real estate in Brazil, run from wherever you live.

Family & inheritance disputes

Cross-border families face disputes that Brazilian and foreign law both touch. Whether an estate has shut you out, a will needs challenging, or a paternity question has to be settled, these pages explain how to fight for — or defend — your rights from abroad.

Deciding whether to negotiate or sue in Brazil? We can help.

Schedule a Consultation

Or write to [email protected]

Consumer disputes

Brazil’s consumer code is powerful — a shield if you have been wronged as a consumer, and a real threat if your company is the one being sued under it. These two pages cover both sides.

Debt recovery & collection

If someone in Brazil owes you or your company money, recovery is a process, not a single lawsuit. These pages walk through collecting consumer and commercial debt, the pressure tools that actually work, how the debtor’s location changes the strategy, and when it is smarter to sell the debt than to chase it.

Cross-border enforcement & litigation support

A win — or a claim — in one country does not automatically travel to Brazil. These pages cover the machinery that makes it cross the border: recognizing a foreign judgment or arbitral award at the STJ, serving process, letters rogatory, and where a Brazilian court even has jurisdiction over a foreign dispute.

Alternatives to court (ADR)

Court is not the only way — and often not the fastest. Arbitration and mediation can resolve a Brazilian dispute privately and, for arbitration, with an award that is enforceable across borders.

Personal injury

If you or a family member was hurt in Brazil — a hospital’s mistake, a traffic crash, an accident on a tour, or a death far from home — these pages cover pursuing compensation and, where needed, bringing a loved one home.

Deciding whether to negotiate or sue in Brazil? We can help.

Schedule a Consultation

Or write to [email protected]

Every dispute turns on its own facts and deadlines. Nothing here is a prediction about your case — please treat it as a starting point and confirm your position in a consultation.

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