---
title: "Legal Separation vs. Divorce in Quebec: The Difference ✦ Goldwater Droit"
canonical_url: "https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/faqs/difference-between-legal-separation-and-divorce-quebec"
last_updated: "2026-09-15T20:48:41.030Z"
locale: en
meta:
  description: "In Quebec, a legal separation (separation from bed and board) doesn't end the marriage; only a divorce dissolves it. Learn which fits your situation."
  "og:description": "In Quebec, a legal separation (separation from bed and board) doesn't end the marriage; only a divorce dissolves it. Learn which fits your situation."
  "og:title": "Legal Separation vs. Divorce in Quebec: The Difference"
---

# What is the difference between a legal separation and a divorce in Quebec?

The key difference is whether the marriage ends. A legal separation in Québec—separation from bed and board, governed by articles 493 and following of the Civil Code of Québec—relieves the spouses of the obligation to live together and allows the court to settle support, parenting, and property, but it does not dissolve the marriage. Legally separated spouses remain married and cannot remarry. A divorce, under the federal Divorce Act, ends the marriage entirely, freeing both spouses to remarry. Some couples choose separation first—for personal, religious, or financial reasons—and divorce later, while others proceed directly to divorce. The property and support consequences can be similar, but only divorce dissolves the marital bond.

Civil Code of Québec, arts. 493–515 (separation from bed and board) Divorce Act (dissolution of the marriage)