documento legal

[do-ku-MEN-tu le-GAL]
nounmasculinepl: documentos legais
legal document
1. An official written instrument that has legal force and effect, serving as evidence or proof in legal matters
The contract is a legal document that binds both parties to the agreement.
O contrato é um documento legal que vincula ambas as partes ao acordo.
2. Any official paper or record recognized by law and government authorities as valid proof
You must present a legal document to prove your identity at the border.
Você deve apresentar um documento legal para provar sua identidade na fronteira.
3. Written evidence of rights, obligations, or transactions that can be used in court
The will is an important legal document that outlines the distribution of assets.
O testamento é um documento legal importante que descreve a distribuição dos bens.
In Brazil, legal documents are heavily regulated by the government and often require notarization (reconhecimento de firma) to be valid. The concept is central to Brazilian bureaucracy, where proper documentation is essential for all official transactions. Americans often encounter this term when dealing with contracts, wills, or immigration papers, reflecting the importance of written evidence in common law systems.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
documento jurídicoinstrumento legaldocumento oficialpapel legalato legal
Antonyms / Antônimos
documento ilegalfraude

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
documento legal
Standard term used throughout Brazil in legal and administrative contexts
Rio de Janeiro
documento legal
Commonly used in state legal institutions and courts
São Paulo
documento legal
Preferred term in business and corporate law contexts
Portugal
documento legal
Same term used, though 'documento jurídico' is also common in Portuguese Portuguese

Related Words

contratoescrituratestamentoprocuraçãocertidãonotarizaçãoassinaturavalidade legal

Related Idioms & Phrases

ter força de documento legal
reconhecido como documento legal
validar um documento legal
lavrar um documento legal
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →