 Since January 2007, Brazilian couples can request a divorce at a notary's office if couples have no property issues and have no minor or special-needs children.The divorcees need only present their national IDs, marriage certificate, and pay a fee to initiate the process, which is completed in two or three weeks.However, as is common in other areas of interaction with the government in Brazil, an expert agent ("despachante"), for a fee, expedites the process, and a brief intervention of a lawyer, to finalize the documents, is required.