Brazil Senate passes Pix Pensão law for automatic alimony payments

The Brazilian Senate approved a bill creating the "Pix Pensão" system, which will allow automatic monthly transfers of alimony through the Pix payment network. Under the bill, a judge must first order the automatic debit from the obligor’s account and specify the beneficiary’s account details. Financial institutions will execute the transfers on the dates set by the court. If the payer’s account lacks sufficient funds, the banks must notify authorities so the debtor’s assets can be frozen or converted into a lien. The measure, authored by Deputy Tabata Amaral (PSB‑SP) and reported in the Senate by Senator Ana Paula Lobato (PSB‑MA), aims to reduce repeated court actions, decrease arrears and give children and adolescents more reliable financial support. It also requires the National Council of Justice to publish anonymised statistics on alimony cases. The bill now moves to presidential sanction, after having passed the Chamber of Deputies.