The main change is the possibility of blocking occurring on the same day as the court decision, in addition to monitoring accounts for 1 year
Debtors with charges in court need to pay extra attention. The (National Council of Justice) put into practice a pilot project to reformulate the (Judiciary Asset Search System), a system used by the courts to locate and block money from debtors in legal proceedings.
The main change is the possibility of blocking occurring on the same day as the court decision, in addition to continuous monitoring of accounts for up to 1 year.
Until now, financial institutions took 1 to 2 business days to fulfill orders. With the new system, which began operating last week, execution time fell to two hours after the court ruling, with courts sending orders twice a day: at 1pm and 8pm.
In the testing phase for 18 months, the new system is valid for 5 banks that signed an agreement with the CNJ: , , , and . The CNJ intends to gradually expand the measure to the entire financial system.
Measure will be gradually applied to the entire financial systemIn addition to reducing time, the new system increased the duration of blockages. Previously, the block only affected the balance available at the time of the court order. Now, the determination may remain active for up to one year, allowing new deposits received by the debtor to also be automatically retained until the debt amount is reached.
The new version of the system expands the Judiciary’s tracking power over bank accounts and financial applications. The CNJ states that the objective is to make debt recovery faster and more efficient and prevent transfers to third-party accounts after the court order is issued. To achieve this, the system started to automate communication between courts and financial institutions, reducing banks’ response time to a few hours.
Quick reaction
Despite the expansion of blockades, the legislation continues to protect salaries, retirements, pensions and part of the amounts held in savings. Even so, experts warn that the new model requires a quick reaction from the debtor if protected funds are unduly affected.
In collection actions, blocking is normally determined by injunction. In this case, the debtor does not receive prior notice, a practice authorized by the Civil Procedure Code.
The objective is to prevent the movement of amounts to third-party accounts, preventing the debtor from having time to withdraw or transfer the funds before complying with the court order. Because of this, it is common for debtors to only become aware of the block when trying to carry out everyday operations, such as using a credit or debit card.
Recommendations
After blocking by injunction, the Code of Civil Procedure determines that the defendant must be summoned by a court official. From then on, the debtor has up to 5 days to file a review action and request unblocking.
However, it is necessary to prove that the value withheld compromises survival or that the restriction reached values protected by legislation. In theory, the change in Sisbajud can help the debtor because he realizes the blockage faster. On the other hand, the agility of the new model requires a faster search for a lawyer.
The recommendation is to follow legal proceedings regularly, keep proof of income organized and seek immediate legal advice in the event of a blockage. This is because continuous monitoring can cause wages and other deposits to be automatically withheld as soon as they enter the account.
What changes
- Blocks may occur on the same day as the court decision;
- Banks will have up to two hours to start restricting values;
- Monitoring may last up to 1 year;
- New deposits may be automatically blocked;
- The system will have two daily processing windows: 1pm and 8pm;
- Justice and banks will exchange information directly through the system.
How it works
Previously, the block only affected the balance available in the account at the time of the court order.
Now, the so-called “permanent block” keeps the order active for up to 1 year. This means that future salaries, transfers or other deposits can be automatically withheld until the debt is paid off.
Participating banks
Lasting 18 months, the pilot project started with five financial institutions:
- Caixa Econômica Federal;
- Banco do Brasil;
- Itaú Unibanco;
- Nubank;
- XP Investimentos.
After testing, the expectation is that the model will be expanded to the entire financial system.
What to do?
If the account is blocked, the advice is to act quickly:
- Seek a lawyer immediately;
- Check which process caused the blockage;
- Identify the amount withheld;
- Gather documents that prove the origin of the money;
- Request the release of values protected by law.
Required documents
The main documents used to request unlocking are:
- Bank statements;
- payslips;
- INSS extracts;
- Retirement vouchers;
- Rent receipts;
- Medical expenses and essential expenses.
Protected values
Brazilian legislation protects part of debtors’ income. In general, they cannot be blocked:
- Salaries;
- Retirements;
- Pensions;
- Other INSS benefits;
- Values of up to 40 minimum wages in savings.
Expected exceptions
Protection is not absolute. The Court may authorize blocking in specific situations:
- Alimony debts;
- Consigned loans;
- Assets above 50 minimum wages.
Originally, the legislation allowed blocking of wages only above the limit of 50 minimum wages. However, in April 2023, the STJ admitted the partial garnishment of wages below this limit, as long as it does not compromise the family’s subsistence.
Preventative care
Experts recommend some measures to reduce risks:
- Monitor legal proceedings in the CPF;
- Try to renegotiate debts before execution;
- Separate salary account from account used on a daily basis;
- Keep proof of income and transactions;
- Avoid transfers to third parties after learning of the legal charge.
Transferring money to other people to escape blockages can be interpreted by the courts as execution fraud, which can worsen the debtor’s situation.
This text was originally published by , on May 20, 2026. The content is free for republication, citing the source, and was adapted to the standard of Poder360.
