Our child was born before June 30, 2025 — are we in a parental union?
Short answer
No. In Quebec, the parental union applies automatically only if you become the parents of a common child after June 29, 2025. Spouses whose children were all born before that date can still opt in voluntarily, by notarial act en minute or by written contract signed before two witnesses.
In detail
This is the most frequent question since the regime came into force. The official answer from the ministère de la Justice (Quebec's justice department) is a qualified yes: “de facto spouses who have children born before June 30, 2025 may, if they wish, opt into the parental union by notarial act en minute or by written contract before two witnesses”.
Watch out for one very common situation: if you already had children before June 30, 2025 and you have a new one after June 29, 2025, you are in a parental union from that moment. The official FAQ confirms this for a couple with two children born before and a third born after.
Conversely, a blended family where each parent has children from a previous relationship, but with no child in common, is not in a parental union. There has to be a common child.
What to document
The dates of birth of each of your children and which ones are common to both spouses. If you choose to opt in voluntarily, keep the original of the notarial act or of the contract signed before two witnesses, with the date and the witnesses' contact information.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
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Official sources
- Gouvernement du Québec — The parental union: frequently asked questions (official PDF)
- JuridiQC — Tool to help you decide whether to opt into the parental union regime
Related questions
- What is included in the parental union patrimony?
- Does the house I owned before meeting my spouse get divided?
- How do you withdraw from the parental union patrimony?
- Can my spouse sell the house without my consent if it is in their name?
- Can I ask for support for myself if we were not married?
See all the answers · the full guide collection · Lire en français
What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.