Notary services - from divorce to inventories to prenups to wills - are now being performed electronically throughout Brazil. The National Council of Justice recently launched an online platform (e-Notariado) that every notary office must use.

Arranging a time at a notary office to close a real estate transaction is a thing of the past. With the new system, there’s no more waiting in line for hours because nearly everything can be done remotely. And, better yet, there are no additional costs.

For example, signing deeds (escrituras) is allowed through a live video conference with the parties and the notary. Even extrajudicial divorces can be completed at a distance.

So, how does it work?

Say you’re ready to sell your condo. You and the buyer will log in to e-Notariado and the notary will show you the draft deed. Then, if it looks good, you’ll sign using a digital certificate, which you can get for free.

The new system is designed to help everyone involved. For notaries, it facilitates the exchange of documents and information among the notary offices countrywide. The process is also safer for the parties as all digital documents are encrypted.

The impact of Covid-19 on Brazil has been devastating, but there’s a silver lining. Stay at home orders have forced government institutions to use technology to become more efficient and provide remote services.

So the next time you need to go to a notary office, consider whether you can do it online instead. You might just save yourself a giant headache.