In Brazil, the referral of autopsies occurs in police stations, with bodies going to the Death Verification Service – SVO (natural causes) or to the Medical–Legal Institute – IML (violent causes), generating transfers in doubtful situations. The analysis of 564 transfers in between the two institutions in Ribeirão Preto/SP, from 2009 to 2017 was done. Amongst the 362 cases transferred from SVO to IML, 65% were due to violent causes and 35% due to natural causes. Amongst the 202 cases transferred from IML to SVO, 98.5% were due to natural causes and 1.5% due to violent causes. Controversies occurred mainly in cases of broncho aspiration, falls, prisoners and putrefied. The transfers were inadequate in 45 cases (8%), meaning an inappropriate necropsy request every 6.32 days. This exposes the paradox of the Brazilian medico–legal model for autopsy requests that attempts to define the legal cause of death before the procedure, distorting national public health statistics.