A lot of Quebec couples are living together, having kids, and building lives without ever getting married. What many of them may not realize is that a law already on the books has significantly changed their legal situation.
Since June 30, 2025, a law called the “parental union regime” has been in effect in Quebec, automatically applying to common-law couples who become parents. It gives unmarried partners many of the same protections as married couples when it comes to separation, property and inheritance, none of which existed before. The reform is part of Quebec’s broader overhaul of family law, aimed at closing the legal gap between married and unmarried parents.
Here’s what it means for couples across the province.
What is a parental union and who does it apply to?
If you and your partner are living together and had a child by birth or adoption on or after June 30, 2025, you were automatically placed under the new regime. This applies regardless of whether you are married, in a civil union, or simply living together.
For couples who already had children before that date, the law does not apply automatically. But you can still opt in by mutual agreement through a legal document signed before witnesses or a notary.
What rights do couples get?
The law introduces a concept called parental union patrimony, meaning certain family assets are shared equally if you separate or one partner dies. That includes the family home, household furniture and vehicles used by the family, even if they are officially owned by just one partner. Couples can choose to exclude certain assets or opt out of the regime entirely by signing a notarized agreement.
The law also introduces new protection for the family residence specifically. If a couple separates, a judge can allow the parent with custody of the children to remain in the home temporarily, even if the property legally belongs to the other partner.
What happens if the couple separates?
Before this law, common-law parents in Quebec had very little legal protection if they split up. That has changed. Parents who had a child after June 30, 2025 now have access to many of the same protections as married couples, including rules around who stays in the family home, how shared property gets divided, and the right to seek compensation if one partner earned significantly less while contributing to the other’s financial success.
One important caveat: according to the Chambre des Notaires de Quebec, things like RRSPs, pensions and QPP earnings are not automatically divided under the new regime. Both partners would need to specifically include them in a notarial agreement for those to be covered.
What if you already have a child with your partner?
The law applies automatically only to births or adoptions after June 30, 2025. Existing common-law parents can voluntarily opt in through a notarized deed or a signed contract. And if you choose not to opt in now but have another child down the line, the regime will apply automatically from that point forward.
More information is available at educaloi.qc.ca.