The Civil Code of Québec contains the rules and regulations that apply in most civil matters in Quebec. It contains provisions that govern various aspects of life in society, including persons, relations between persons, and property.  

The Civil Code of Québec provides the rules that govern such matters as property, including buying, selling, leasing movable or immovable property, successions, obligations and evidence. It also addresses family matters, such as matrimonial regimes and the payment of alimony.

The scope of the Civil Code of Québec is summarized in its preliminary provision:

"The Civil Code of Québec, in harmony with the Charter of human rights and freedoms and the general principles of law, governs persons, relations between persons, and property.The Civil Code comprises a body of rules which, in all matters within the letter, spirit or object of its provisions, lays down the jus commune, expressly or by implication. In these matters, the Code is the foundation of all other laws, although other laws may complement the Code or make exceptions to it".

The Civil Code of Québec came into effect on January 1, 1994. It replaced the Civil Code of Lower Canada, which had been in force in Quebec since August 1, 1866.

Contents

The Civil Code of Québec comprises over 3,000 sections and is structured into major divisions and subdivisions called books, titles, chapters and subsections. The Civil Code of Québec is composed of ten books:

1. Persons
2. The Family
3. Successions
4. Property
5. Obligations
6. Prior Claims and Hypothecs
7. Evidence
8. Prescription
9. Publication of Rights
10. Private International Law