The Portuguese Official Journal (Diário da República) published last 30 May Act no. 32/2014, approving the new pre-enforcement out-of-court procedure.

The above referred procedure will come into force on 1st September 2014 and will be available to creditors with enforceable instruments that may be relied on in summary enforcement proceedings (judgments, orders for payment and extrajudicial instruments regarding overdue pecuniary obligations).

The automatic stay is one of the most fundamental bankruptcy protections. It enjoins the initiation or continuance of any action by any creditor against the debtor or the debtor’s property, including causes of action possessed by the debtor at time of the bankruptcy filing. The automatic stay offers this protection while bringing all of the debtor’s assets and creditors into the same forum, the bankruptcy court.