---
title: "Does a Marriage Contract Protect My Assets in Quebec? ✦ Goldwater Droit"
canonical_url: "https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/faqs/does-a-marriage-contract-protect-my-assets-quebec"
last_updated: "2026-09-15T22:03:41.258Z"
locale: en
meta:
  description: "In Quebec a marriage contract can set your regime (e.g. separation as to property) but cannot override the family patrimony. A real but limited protection."
  "og:description": "In Quebec a marriage contract can set your regime (e.g. separation as to property) but cannot override the family patrimony. A real but limited protection."
  "og:title": "Does a Marriage Contract Protect My Assets in Quebec?"
---

# Does a marriage contract protect my assets in Quebec?

A marriage contract protects some assets but not all. Under articles 431 and 438 of the Civil Code of Québec, a marriage contract can set or change your matrimonial regime—for instance, separation as to property, so that what each spouse acquires remains their own—which affects everything outside the family patrimony. What it cannot do is override the family patrimony: articles 414 to 426 C.c.Q. make the equal division of the family patrimony's net value a matter of public order that spouses cannot contract out of. A common and costly misconception is that a marriage contract shields the family home; it does not. A marriage contract is therefore a genuine but limited planning tool, best used with advice about exactly what it can and cannot achieve.

Civil Code of Québec, arts. 431, 438 (matrimonial regime by contract) Civil Code of Québec, arts. 414–426 (family patrimony cannot be excluded)