--- title: "Civil Code of Québec: Family Law Guide for Quebec | 2026 ✦ Goldwater Droit" meta: "og:description": "From marriage and filiation to successions and de facto unions — here's how Quebec's foundational civil law affects your family and your rights." "og:title": "What Does the Civil Code of Québec Actually Cover for Families?" description: "Plain-language guide to the Civil Code of Québec — marriage, family patrimony, de facto spouses, successions, and animal law." --- # The Civil Code of Québec: What It Is and How It Applies in Quebec # The _Civil Code of Québec_: What It Is and How It Applies in Quebec --- The [_Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35) is the foundational codification of Quebec's civil law governing the rights and obligations between individuals. The _Code_ is a comprehensive framework divided into ten books covering a wide range of subjects, including persons, family law, property, obligations, and successions, and extends well beyond family matters. For present purposes, the relevant provisions are those dealing with marriage, filiation, parental authority, division of property on separation, the rights of _de facto_ spouses, and the distribution of an estate after death, which are typically the first place to look when navigating separation, cohabitation, or the death of a loved one. --- ## What Is the _Civil Code of Québec_? The [_Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35) (the "CCQ" or the "Code") is Quebec's comprehensive code of private law, adopted by the National Assembly in 1991 and in force since January 1, 1994. It replaced the _Civil Code of Lower Canada_, which had governed Quebec private law since 1866. The CCQ contains nearly 3,170 articles organized into ten books covering persons, the family, successions, property, obligations, prior claims and hypothecs, evidence, prescription, publication of rights, and private international law. Quebec is the only province in Canada that operates under a civil law tradition — derived from French law and codified in the Napoleonic tradition — rather than the common law system that applies in every other Canadian province and territory. This means that the legal concepts, terminology, and rules governing Quebec families are often substantively different from those that apply in Ontario, British Columbia, or Alberta. A marriage contract executed in Quebec, a will drafted in Quebec, or a property dispute arising from a Quebec separation will be governed by the CCQ — not by any provincial legislation from elsewhere in Canada. The CCQ coexists with federal legislation. The _Divorce Act_ applies when married spouses seek a divorce and governs parenting arrangements and support obligations arising from that divorce. But the _Divorce Act_ operates on top of the CCQ's underlying framework — it does not replace it. Property division, matrimonial regimes, filiation, and succession are governed by the _Civil Code of Québec_ regardless of whether a couple divorces under the _Divorce Act_ or separates without divorce. > 💡 **Did you know?** Quebec is referred to as a _civil law_ system but it is actually a _mixed (or bijuridical) legal system_, meaning it draws from two distinct legal traditions. Its private law (e.g., family, property, contracts) follows the civil law tradition via the _Civil Code of Québec_, while public law—including criminal, constitutional, and federal matters—aligns with Canada's common law tradition. This duality stems from Quebec's French civil law heritage combined with English common law influences post-1759, making it unique within Canada. The only other state in North America with a similar system is Louisiana. Other examples of mixed legal systems are Scotland and South Africa. --- ## The _Civil Code of Québec_ in Quebec Family Law For most Quebec families, the [_Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35) defines their legal relationships — with their spouse, their children, their parents, and their estate. It determines whether a couple's property is shared on separation, who has the right to claim support, who inherits when there is no will, and what obligations flow from the parent-child relationship. What makes the CCQ particularly consequential — and particularly complex — is that it treats married spouses, civil union spouses, and _de facto_ spouses very differently. **If you are married or in a civil union**, the Code gives you a comprehensive suite of rights and obligations: mandatory family patrimony division, a default matrimonial regime, spousal support entitlements, and intestate succession rights. **If you are in a _de facto_ union** (commonly called a common-law relationship), most of these statutory protections do not apply under the CCQ, with notable exceptions introduced by recent legislative reform. This distinction is not an oversight. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld it in _Quebec (Attorney General) v. A_ (2013 SCC 5), where a majority found that Quebec's exclusion of _de facto_ spouses from the CCQ's family law regime did not violate the _Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms_ — though the decision was deeply divided and Justice Abella dissented forcefully, calling the gap a serious injustice. Quebec's legislature has since moved to address the most significant gaps, most recently through the _union parentale_ regime introduced in 2025 (discussed below under Legislative Evolution). > 💡 **Did you know?** Quebec has a higher proportion of _de facto_ couples than any other province in Canada. Statistics Canada data consistently shows that roughly 40% of Quebec couples live in _de facto_ unions — a rate more than double the national average. This demographic reality makes the CCQ's treatment of _de facto_ spouses one of the most practically significant — and most contested — features of Quebec family law, and the primary driver of legislative reform over the past decade. --- ## What the _Civil Code of Québec_ Governs ### Marriage and Civil Union The [_Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35) sets out the legal requirements for a valid marriage in Quebec (articles 365 to 521). Both spouses must be legally capable of consenting, must not be related within the prohibited degrees, and must appear before a competent officiant — either a civil celebrant or a religious officiant authorized under Quebec law. The CCQ recognizes both civil and religious marriages, provided the legal formalities are observed. A **civil union** (_union civile_) is a distinct conjugal institution created by the CCQ in 2002 (articles 521.1 to 521.19). It confers substantially the same rights and obligations as marriage under Quebec law — including family patrimony division, the default matrimonial regime, spousal support entitlements, and intestate succession rights. A civil union can be dissolved by mutual agreement before a notary if there are no children and no contested issues, or by court order where those conditions are not met. Unlike marriage, it cannot be dissolved by a divorce under the federal _Divorce Act_ — dissolution follows the CCQ's own regime. > ⚠️ A civil union is a creature of Quebec provincial law and is not recognized as a marriage for federal purposes, including immigration and certain federal benefit programs. If you are considering a civil union, confirm how it will be treated for any federal programs relevant to your situation before proceeding. The legal consequences within Quebec are broadly equivalent to marriage; the federal consequences are not. ### Filiation and Parental Authority **Filiation** is the legal bond between a parent and a child. The _Civil Code of Québec_ governs how filiation is established, contested, and recognized (articles 522 to 584). Filiation by blood is established automatically for the birth parent and by presumption or declaration for the other parent. The CCQ also governs filiation by adoption and filiation in the context of reproductive projects involving assisted procreation or surrogacy. Surrogacy in Quebec underwent a fundamental transformation with the amendments brought into force in 2022. The CCQ now permits altruistic surrogacy — arrangements where the surrogate receives no financial compensation beyond reimbursement of expenses directly related to the pregnancy. Filiation in favour of the intended parents can be established before birth by notarized parental project agreement, subject to court confirmation. Prior to 2022, surrogacy agreements were void under Quebec law; the reform placed Quebec at the forefront of reproductive law in Canada. **Parental authority** (_autorité parentale_) is the set of rights and obligations that parents hold toward their minor children (articles 597 to 612). Both parents hold parental authority jointly and must exercise it in the child's interest. Parental authority encompasses custody, supervision, education, and maintenance. In [parenting disputes](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/services/parenting-custody-access), a court may restrict or withdraw parental authority where the child's interests require it, but such orders are exceptional — courts prefer to maintain both parents' authority while regulating the exercise of parenting time. > ⚠️ Parental authority and parenting time are legally distinct concepts. A parent can hold full parental authority — including the right to participate in major decisions about the child's education, health, and upbringing — while the child primarily lives with the other parent. Conflating the two is a common source of confusion, and it can lead to significant strategic errors in separation negotiations and litigation. > 💡 **Did you know?** Quebec's filiation rules were among the first in Canada to address assisted reproduction comprehensively. The 2002 amendments to the CCQ introduced detailed provisions for reproductive projects involving assisted procreation — years before most other provinces had addressed the issue at all. Quebec's 2022 surrogacy reform built on this foundation, creating one of the most detailed and permissive altruistic surrogacy frameworks in the country, while continuing to prohibit commercial surrogacy. ### Family Patrimony and Matrimonial Regimes One of the most practically significant parts of the _Civil Code of Québec_ for married and civil union spouses is the **family patrimony** regime (articles 414 to 426). The family patrimony is a mandatory regime — it applies automatically to all married and civil union spouses in Quebec and cannot be contracted out of. It covers five categories of assets: 1. Family residences, including the family cottage if regularly used by the family 2. Household furnishings used in those residences 3. Motor vehicles used by the family for family purposes 4. Employer pension plan benefits accrued during the marriage or civil union 5. Registered retirement savings (RRSP and REER) accrued during the marriage or civil union On dissolution of the marriage or civil union — whether by divorce, separation, nullity, or death — the **net value** of these assets (after deducting any debts directly related to them) is divided equally between the spouses. The family patrimony does not create co-ownership during the marriage; it creates an entitlement to division on dissolution. A spouse who owns the family home entirely in their own name still owes the other spouse half the net value of that home on dissolution. > ⚠️ The family patrimony covers the _value_ of qualifying assets, not the title to them. This is frequently misunderstood, with significant consequences when the assets in question are high-value real estate or substantial registered retirement savings. It is also important to note that the family patrimony is calculated net of debts directly related to those assets — a heavily mortgaged property may generate little or no patrimony entitlement depending on the equity position. Beyond the family patrimony, married spouses are subject to a **matrimonial regime** that governs their respective property rights during and after the marriage. The default regime in Quebec is the **partnership of acquests** (_société d'acquêts_, articles 448 to 484). Under this regime, property acquired by either spouse during the marriage from their own efforts — called **acquests** — is shared on dissolution, while property owned before the marriage or received by gift or inheritance — called **private property** — is not shared. Spouses who prefer to keep their assets entirely separate may choose **separation as to property** (_séparation de biens_) through a marriage contract. A less common option is **community of property** (_communauté de biens_), which pools assets more broadly. The regime must be set out in a marriage contract before a notary; absent a contract, the partnership of acquests applies by default. _De facto_ spouses are subject to neither the family patrimony nor any matrimonial regime. There is no automatic property sharing on separation. Equitable remedies such as _enrichissement injustifié_ (unjust enrichment) may be available in some circumstances, but they require proof of specific legal conditions and are not equivalent to the statutory entitlements enjoyed by married spouses. > 💡 **Did you know?** The family patrimony was not part of the original 1994 CCQ — it was introduced in 1989, before the current Code came into force, in response to documented cases where long-married homemakers, predominantly women, were left with almost nothing on separation because all assets were registered solely in the employed spouse's name. The reform was designed to ensure that the economic partnership of marriage was recognized in its legal dissolution. Its mandatory character — the fact that it cannot be waived — was itself a deliberate policy choice, reflecting the view that weaker bargaining positions at the time of marriage should not determine outcomes decades later. ### Child and Spousal Support The _Civil Code of Québec_ establishes the legal foundation for **support obligations** in Quebec (articles 585 to 596). Both parents have a duty to provide for their children, regardless of their marital status. The quantum of [child support](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/services/child-spousal-support) is determined according to the Quebec _Child Support Payment Regulations and Tables_ (CQLR c C-25.01, r 0.4), not the federal _Federal Child Support Guidelines_, which apply in other provinces. Quebec's model is an income-sharing model: both parents' incomes are factored into the calculation, and the support obligation is allocated proportionally between them based on each parent's share of combined income. **Spousal support** under the CCQ is available only to married and civil union spouses (articles 392 and 521.6). It is not available to _de facto_ spouses as a matter of statutory right under the CCQ, though the 2025 _union parentale_ reform introduced limited support entitlements for qualifying _de facto_ couples. Courts assessing spousal support consider the claimant's needs and the other spouse's means, along with the length of the union, the roles played by each spouse, and the economic consequences of the relationship's breakdown. > ⚠️ For **periodic** spousal support — regular payments over time — the recipient generally includes the amounts in income and the payor generally deducts them, for income tax purposes. **Lump-sum spousal support does not receive the same tax treatment** and carries materially different consequences. The structure of a support arrangement, whether periodic or lump-sum, can have a significant impact on its after-tax value, and should be considered carefully when negotiating or drafting any agreement. ### Marriage Contracts and Cohabitation Agreements Married and civil union spouses in Quebec can enter into a **marriage contract** (_contrat de mariage_, articles 431 to 442) before or after the marriage to modify their default matrimonial regime, make gifts between spouses, or adjust certain financial arrangements. However, they cannot contract out of the family patrimony — it is mandatory regardless of what any marriage contract says. Marriage contracts must be executed before a notary and can be amended during the marriage, also before a notary. _De facto_ spouses can enter into a **cohabitation agreement** to define their respective rights and obligations — including how property will be divided on separation and what financial support, if any, each party will provide. Unlike marriage contracts, cohabitation agreements are not regulated by the CCQ in detail; their enforceability depends on general principles of contract law. A well-drafted cohabitation agreement can substantially reduce uncertainty and conflict on separation, particularly where one partner has taken on a primary caregiving role or made significant financial contributions to jointly used property. > ⚠️ A cohabitation agreement cannot give _de facto_ spouses access to the family patrimony, to the default matrimonial regime, or to statutory spousal support under the CCQ. It can create contractual rights that a court will enforce if the agreement is properly drafted, freely consented to by both parties, and not contrary to public order. These are different sources of legal protection and should not be confused. A [family law attorney](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/services/family-law) can advise on which instruments are appropriate for your situation. > 💡 **Did you know?** Quebec notaries play a role in family law that has no direct equivalent elsewhere in Canada. Marriage contracts, civil union dissolution agreements, wills, and many property transactions must be executed before a notary, and notarial acts in authentic form carry evidentiary weight that private contracts do not — they are presumed valid and cannot be attacked merely on the basis that one party claims they did not sign. This makes Quebec's notarial system a structural feature of its family law, not merely an administrative formality. Working with both a notary and a family law attorney is often advisable when negotiating complex family arrangements. ### Estates and Successions Book Three of the _Civil Code of Québec_ governs the distribution of a person's estate after death (articles 613 to 898). Quebec succession law distinguishes between **testate succession** — where the deceased left a valid will — and **intestate succession** — where there is no will and the estate passes according to the CCQ's default rules. On intestate succession, the estate passes to the deceased's legal heirs in a defined statutory order: first to the surviving married or civil union spouse and descendants, then to ascendants and collaterals. **Married and civil union spouses have statutory inheritance rights** in Quebec; _de facto_ spouses do not. A _de facto_ spouse of many decades has no automatic claim to their partner's estate unless explicitly named as a beneficiary in a valid will. Married and civil union spouses also benefit from the family patrimony on death: the surviving spouse is entitled to half the net value of the family patrimony assets before the estate is distributed — regardless of what the will says, and regardless of the matrimonial regime. This right takes priority in the distribution of the estate. Quebec does not have a dependants' relief doctrine in the same form as the common law provinces, which allows courts to override wills to provide for financially dependent family members. However, the CCQ provides for support obligations that survive death in certain limited circumstances, and a surviving spouse may have independent remedies through the matrimonial regime that are calculated separately from the succession. > 💡 **Did you know?** Quebec is one of the few jurisdictions in Canada where a holograph will — a will written entirely by hand, signed, and dated, with no witnesses — is legally valid (article 726 CCQ). This informality has practical consequences: many Quebecers die holding only a handwritten will — or no will at all — rather than a notarized will, and the resulting succession proceedings can be significantly more complex, slower, and costly than they would have been with proper planning. A will executed before a notary in authentic form is deposited in the Registre des testaments and can be located by the Chambre des notaires after death — a significant practical advantage. ### Animal Law The _Civil Code of Québec_ was amended in 2015 through Bill 54 (_An Act to improve the legal situation of animals_) to recognize animals as **sentient beings** with biological needs, rather than mere movable property. Before the amendment, animals were legally classified as _things_ under the CCQ and governed by the same rules as furniture or a vehicle. The amendment — introduced as article 898.1 — marked a fundamental philosophical shift in how Quebec civil law conceptualizes the human-animal relationship. In practice, the amendment has had its most notable family law effect when couples separate. The question of who keeps a pet — a dog, a cat, or a horse — is no longer determined purely by ownership records or who paid the purchase price. Courts now have authority to consider the animal's wellbeing, the nature of the bond between each party and the animal, and who has been primarily responsible for the animal's care. This has produced a growing body of Quebec jurisprudence on pet custody that treats these disputes as meaningfully distinct from disputes over household objects. > 💡 **Did you know?** Quebec was among the first jurisdictions in Canada — and one of the first in the world — to recognize animal sentience in its civil code. Several European civil codes, including those of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, had already made similar moves, and Quebec's 2015 reform aligned its law with a broader international shift in legal thinking about the status of animals. The reform also preceded significant amendments to Canada's _Criminal Code_ provisions on animal cruelty, and was followed by the enactment of a standalone provincial animal welfare statute, the _Animal Welfare and Safety Act_, which came into force in 2015. --- ## How the _Civil Code of Québec_ Has Evolved The _Civil Code of Québec_ came into force on January 1, 1994, replacing the _Civil Code of Lower Canada_ (1866) after a reform effort that lasted nearly four decades. The original CCQ reorganized Quebec private law comprehensively — removing provisions incompatible with the _Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms_, abolishing rules that had long since ceased to reflect how Quebec families actually lived, and creating a modern, internally coherent framework. Since 1994, the CCQ has been amended continuously to reflect social change, technological development, and evolving legal norms. The most significant amendments in the family law context are the following. **2002 — Civil unions and same-sex filiation.** The _Act instituting civil unions and establishing new rules of filiation_ introduced the _union civile_ as a new form of conjugal partnership under the CCQ, available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and extending to civil union spouses substantially the same rights and obligations as those available to married spouses. It also reformed filiation rules to recognize same-sex parents and establish rules for assisted reproduction. **2015 — Animal sentience.** Bill 54 amended the CCQ to recognize animals as sentient beings with biological needs, ending their classification as mere property (discussed in detail above). **2016 — Tribunal unifié de la famille.** The _Tribunal unifié de la famille_ (TUF) — the unified family court — was established to consolidate family law jurisdiction that had previously been divided between the Superior Court of Quebec and the Court of Quebec. The TUF hears matters governed by both the CCQ and the _Divorce Act_ in a single forum, reducing procedural fragmentation for families navigating separation. _Note: aspects of the TUF's jurisdiction have been subject to ongoing constitutional challenge as of April 2026. This page will be updated as developments occur._ **2022 — Surrogacy and filiation reform.** The legislation commonly known as Bill 2 (_An Act to amend the Civil Code regarding adoption, parental projects and surrogacy_) came into force in June 2022, legalizing altruistic surrogacy in Quebec and substantially overhauling the rules for assisted reproduction and filiation in the context of reproductive projects. This placed Quebec at the forefront of reproductive law in Canada. **2025 — Union parentale.** Among the most significant amendments to the CCQ in decades, Bill 56 (_An Act to improve the legal situation of de facto spouses_) introduced the **union parentale** — a new legal regime for _de facto_ spouses who have a child together and who meet certain qualifying conditions. Couples who qualify acquire certain support rights and limited property protections that the CCQ previously denied to _de facto_ spouses entirely. The _union parentale_ does not replicate the full statutory framework available to married or civil union spouses — the family patrimony, matrimonial regime, and full intestate succession rights remain unavailable — but it represents the most substantial legislative extension of family law protections to _de facto_ couples in Quebec's history, and a direct legislative response to the gap that the Supreme Court identified and upheld in _Quebec (Attorney General) v. A_. > 💡 **Did you know?** The _Civil Code of Lower Canada_ (1866), the CCQ's predecessor, was drafted in the years following Confederation and reflected the dominant social norms of mid-nineteenth century Quebec — a predominantly rural, Catholic society in which marriage was indissoluble, women had severely limited legal capacity, and the notion of _de facto_ unions as a recognized social institution would have been legally and culturally inconceivable. The 1994 CCQ kept the civilian legal structure that Quebec inherited from France, but transformed virtually every substantive rule that touched on gender, family form, and individual autonomy. The ongoing reform of the CCQ — from same-sex filiation to surrogacy to the _union parentale_ — reflects the continuing effort to align Quebec's foundational civil law with the society it actually governs. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does the _Civil Code of Québec_ apply to common-law couples? Partially, and with important limitations. The CCQ governs all residents of Quebec on matters such as contracts, property, and certain obligations — so in that broad sense, it applies to everyone. But many of the CCQ's specific family law protections — family patrimony, matrimonial regimes, spousal support, and intestate succession rights — apply only to married and civil union spouses, not to _de facto_ couples. The 2025 _union parentale_ reform introduced some new rights for _de facto_ couples who have children together and meet the qualifying conditions, but the gap between married and _de facto_ spouses under the CCQ remains significant. ### What is the family patrimony and who does it apply to? The family patrimony is a mandatory regime under the _Civil Code of Québec_ (articles 414 to 426) that requires the equal division of the net value of certain assets — family residences, household furnishings, family vehicles, employer pension benefits, and registered retirement savings — on the dissolution of a marriage or civil union. It applies automatically to all married and civil union spouses in Quebec; it cannot be waived or contracted out of, regardless of what any marriage contract says. It does not apply to _de facto_ spouses. ### Can _de facto_ spouses inherit from each other under Quebec law? Not automatically. The CCQ's intestate succession rules — which govern who inherits when there is no will — do not include _de facto_ spouses. A _de facto_ spouse of thirty years has no automatic legal claim to their partner's estate if there is no will. The only way to ensure that a _de facto_ spouse inherits is to execute a valid will explicitly naming them as a beneficiary. This is one of the most important practical distinctions between married and _de facto_ relationships in Quebec, and one of the most common points at which families discover that their legal position is not what they assumed it to be. ### What is the difference between a marriage contract and a will in Quebec? A marriage contract (_contrat de mariage_) governs how a married couple's property is managed and divided during and after the marriage — it can set the matrimonial regime (for example, choosing separation as to property over the default partnership of acquests) and make certain gifts between spouses. A will governs how a person's estate is distributed after their death. The two serve different legal functions: the marriage contract operates during the marriage and on dissolution; the will operates on death. Both are strongly advisable for married couples in Quebec, and both must be executed before a notary to be fully enforceable in their respective authentic forms. ### What is the _union parentale_ and who qualifies? The _union parentale_ is a new legal regime introduced by Bill 56, which came into force in 2025. It applies to _de facto_ spouses who have a child together and who meet the qualifying conditions set out in the amended CCQ — including a minimum period of cohabitation. Qualifying couples acquire certain rights, including some support entitlements, that the CCQ previously withheld from _de facto_ spouses entirely. The _union parentale_ does not replicate the full suite of rights available to married or civil union spouses — it is a targeted, limited extension of the CCQ's family law framework, not an equivalent substitute for marriage or civil union. ### Does the _Civil Code of Québec_ apply to divorces? The CCQ governs most aspects of a Quebec family's legal situation — including property division, matrimonial regimes, filiation, and parental authority — regardless of whether the couple divorces. However, divorce itself, and the parenting and support arrangements arising from it, are governed by the federal _Divorce Act_. The two statutes operate in parallel: a Quebec couple going through a divorce will be subject to both the CCQ (for property and patrimony matters) and the _Divorce Act_ (for the divorce decree and post-divorce parenting and support). Proceedings are heard before the _Tribunal unifié de la famille_. ### What rights do I have over a pet if my partner and I separate? Since the 2015 amendment to the _Civil Code of Québec_, animals are recognized as sentient beings, not mere property. In a separation, a court is not limited to asking who paid for the animal or whose name it is registered in — it may consider the animal's wellbeing and the nature of each party's bond with the animal. Quebec courts have developed a growing body of case law on this issue. If you and your partner cannot agree on who keeps a pet, a family court can adjudicate the matter under the CCQ's animal sentience framework. ### What happens if I die in Quebec without a will? Your estate will be distributed according to the CCQ's intestate succession rules (Book Three). The estate passes first to your surviving married or civil union spouse and descendants, then to ascendants and collaterals, in proportions set out in the Code. If you have a _de facto_ spouse, they receive nothing automatically — the estate passes to blood relatives or your married or civil union spouse. If you have no heirs at all, the estate escheats to the Quebec government. A notarized will is the only way to ensure your estate is distributed according to your actual intentions. ### Can I contract out of the family patrimony if I am getting married? No. The family patrimony is mandatory for all married and civil union spouses in Quebec and cannot be waived, modified, or contracted out of — whether before the marriage, in a marriage contract, or after the marriage. Spouses can choose their matrimonial regime (which affects property acquired during the marriage) but cannot change or eliminate the family patrimony entitlement. On dissolution, the net value of the qualifying assets will be calculated and divided equally regardless of any agreement to the contrary. --- ## Speak with a Family Lawyer The _Civil Code of Québec_ is Quebec's most comprehensive statute, and how it applies to your situation depends on factors that no general explainer can fully anticipate: whether you are married, in a civil union, or in a _de facto_ union; whether your matrimonial regime was modified by a marriage contract; whether you have children and how filiation has been established; whether the _union parentale_ regime applies to your relationship; and how the CCQ interacts with any applicable federal legislation. The stakes — in property, in support, in succession — are significant, and the rules are not always intuitive. The CCQ's complexity is especially pronounced when you face a major family transition: marriage, the birth of a child, separation, death, or property disputes. A consultation with a family lawyer can clarify which provisions apply to your circumstances, what rights and obligations you have, and what strategies are available to protect your interests. Goldwater Droit's attorneys have deep experience navigating the CCQ's nuances across family patrimony disputes, matrimonial regime selection, filiation matters, and succession planning. We are here to help. [Contact Goldwater Droit](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/contact) to schedule a consultation with one of our family law attorneys. --- ## Official Resources **Full Text of the _Civil Code of Québec_** - [_Civil Code of Québec_](https://canlii.ca/t/z35) --- _This page provides general legal information about the Civil Code of Québec and is not legal advice. Every situation is different. If you have questions about how this law applies to your circumstances, consult a qualified family law attorney._ Written and reviewed by [**Émylia Morin**](https://goldwaterdroit.com/en/our-team/emylia-morin) Published on **April 1, 2026** Last reviewed **April 1, 2026**