Brazil alimony law reforms

In late July 2026 Brazil’s legal framework for alimony underwent two rapid developments. On July 28, the country’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that overtime earnings—whether occasional or regular—must be included when calculating alimony based on a percentage of the payer’s net income. The decision emphasized that any increase in the payer’s financial capacity, even temporary, can raise the amount owed to the recipient.

Three days later, on July 31, Congress passed Law 15.479, known as “Pix Pensão,” which creates an automatic electronic system for transferring court‑ordered alimony directly between bank accounts. The law amends the Civil Procedure Code to allow judges’ alimony orders to be debited from the payer’s account and credited to the beneficiary on court‑specified dates. It also establishes enforcement mechanisms: financial institutions must alert supervisory authorities of insufficient funds, which can lead to asset blocks and eventual seizure. The system will be regulated by the Central Bank and overseen by the National Council of Justice.

Together, the court ruling and the new legislation expand the scope of what income is considered for alimony and introduce a streamlined, enforceable payment mechanism, marking a significant shift in how alimony is calculated and collected in Brazil.