Marriage Agreement Spain (Capitulaciones Matrimoniales)

A Marriage Agreement Spain (Capitulaciones Matrimoniales) is a formal notarial contract governed by Articles 1325 through 1335 of the Código Civil español, under which prospective spouses (before marriage) or married spouses (during marriage) choose, modify, or replace the matrimonial property regime (régimen económico matrimonial) that governs the financial and property relationship between them throughout their marriage. Article 1325 CC establishes that in capitulaciones matrimoniales, future or current spouses may stipulate, modify, or replace the economic regime of their marriage, as well as include any other dispositions related to their property under the conditions established by the Código Civil.

Spanish family law under the Código Civil recognises three principal matrimonial property regimes available to spouses under Articles 1316–1444 CC: (1) the sociedad de gananciales (community of gains — Articles 1344–1410 CC), the default regime if no capitulaciones are signed, under which assets acquired during the marriage through labour or investment are common property; (2) the régimen de separación de bienes (separation of property — Articles 1435–1444 CC), under which each spouse retains exclusive ownership and management of all assets acquired before and during the marriage; and (3) the régimen de participación (participation regime — Articles 1411–1434 CC), a hybrid system under which each spouse administers their assets separately during the marriage but upon dissolution receives a share in the gains generated by the other spouse during the marriage. Capitulaciones may adopt any of these regimes or create a custom regime combining elements of each, subject to not being contrary to law, good morals, or limiting the equal rights of spouses under Constitución Española 1978 art. 32 and Código Civil art. 66.

Article 1327 CC establishes that capitulaciones matrimoniales must be executed in a notarial public deed (escritura pública notarial) — no other form is valid. Capitulaciones executed before marriage are effective from the date of the marriage; those executed during marriage are effective from the date of execution, subject to registration requirements. Under Article 1333 CC, capitulaciones must be inscribed in the Registro Civil where the marriage is registered, and — where they affect real property — in the Registro de la Propiedad. Capitulaciones that are not inscribed in the Registro Civil are not enforceable against third parties acting in good faith under Article 1317 CC.

Article 1326 CC establishes that capitulaciones may be executed at any time before or after the celebration of marriage. Pre-marital capitulaciones (antes del matrimonio) are subject to the condition that the marriage takes place — if the marriage does not occur, the capitulaciones lapse. Post-marital capitulaciones (durante el matrimonio) require the liquidation of the previous regime before the new regime takes effect — this typically involves executing the capitulaciones and a simultaneous liquidación del régimen anterior before the same Notario.

In regions of Spain with their own civil law (derecho foral), matrimonial property regimes differ significantly from the Código Civil: Cataluña applies separació de béns as the default under Codi Civil de Catalunya (CCC) Art. 232-1; Aragón applies the consorcio conyugal; the Basque Country applies the comunicación de bienes under Ley 5/2015 de Derecho Civil Vasco; and Navarra applies the sociedad de conquistas. Spouses in these autonomous communities should consult local foral law — the capitulaciones must comply with the applicable foral legislation.

Capitulaciones matrimoniales may also address matters beyond the matrimonial regime itself — donations between spouses (donaciones por razón de matrimonio) under Articles 1336–1343 CC, pactos de sobrevivencia (survivorship pacts) in regions permitting them, and the regulation of the vivienda familiar (family home) under Article 1320 CC which requires both spouses' consent for any act of disposition over the habitual family home regardless of ownership.

A Marriage Agreement Spain is needed when two people about to marry in Spain want to choose a matrimonial property regime different from the default sociedad de gananciales — most commonly, they wish to opt for separación de bienes so that each spouse retains exclusive ownership of all assets acquired before and during the marriage, avoiding joint ownership of debts and business risks.

Capitulaciones matrimoniales are required when one or both spouses are business owners (empresarios), self-employed professionals (autónomos), or shareholders in companies — operating under separación de bienes prevents the business debts and liabilities of one spouse from encumbering the other spouse's personal assets, which would occur under gananciales where business debts incurred in the interest of the family are common obligations under Article 1362 CC.

A Marriage Agreement Spain is needed when spouses from different countries marry in Spain and want to elect Spanish law and a specific regime as the governing law of their matrimonial property — under EU Regulation 2016/1103 on matrimonial property regimes, spouses may choose the applicable law of their common habitual residence or the national law of either spouse, and this choice must be made in the form of an agreement.

Capitulaciones are required when married spouses want to change their existing regime mid-marriage — for example, switching from gananciales to separación de bienes following a business restructuring, a separation agreement, or a change in financial circumstances. The change requires simultaneous liquidation of the existing gananciales regime.

A Marriage Agreement Spain is also needed when spouses wish to make pre-marital donations (donaciones por razón de matrimonio) under Articles 1336–1343 CC — gifts between prospective spouses in contemplation of marriage that are regulated separately from ordinary inter vivos donations and have specific revocation rules.

Capitulaciones matrimoniales are required when high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) marrying in Spain want to protect pre-marital wealth — real estate portfolios, investment accounts, art collections, and business shares — from becoming gananciales or subject to claims in a future divorce, by expressly identifying private assets (bienes privativos) and establishing documentation protocols for future asset acquisitions.

Parties in Spain should prepare a Marriage Agreement Spain (Capitulaciones Matrimoniales) proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under Spanish law, the Código Civil governs marriage (Article 66), divorce (Article 81), custody (Article 92), and maintenance (Article 142). The Ley Orgánica 1/1996 (LOPJM) protects minors. The Registro Civil records births, marriages, and deaths. The Ley 15/2015 de Jurisdicción Voluntaria governs non-contentious proceedings. The Ley Orgánica 1/1982 protects fundamental rights including image and privacy. Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.

A valid Marriage Agreement Spain (Capitulaciones Matrimoniales) under Código Civil art. 1325 must contain the following essential elements to be effective and registrable in the Registro Civil and Registro de la Propiedad.

Identification of the Parties: Full legal name, DNI/NIE, date and place of birth, current domicile, and current marital status of both spouses or prospective spouses. If the parties are already married, the Registro Civil marriage entry data (tomo, sección, folio, número) must be included. If the capitulaciones are pre-marital, the expected marriage date and location must be stated.

Chosen Matrimonial Property Regime: A clear declaration of the chosen regime — sociedad de gananciales (if reverting from a modified regime), separación de bienes under Articles 1435–1444 CC, or régimen de participación under Articles 1411–1434 CC. Alternatively, the parties may create a custom regime (régimen pactado) specifying which assets are common and which are private, within the limits of the Código Civil and without impeding the exercise of either spouse's rights under Article 1328 CC.

Inventory of Current Assets (for mid-marriage capitulaciones): Where the capitulaciones are executed during marriage and involve changing an existing regime, an inventory of current private assets (bienes privativos) of each spouse and existing gananciales (if applicable) is essential — this inventory forms the basis of the liquidación del régimen anterior that must accompany the capitulaciones under Articles 1397–1404 CC.

Donations Between Spouses (Donaciones por Razón de Matrimonio): Any donations made by one spouse to the other in contemplation of marriage under Articles 1336–1343 CC — these have special revocation rules (revocación por ingratitud, sobreveniencia de hijos) different from ordinary donations. Donations of real property must be executed in a separate deed to comply with Article 633 CC formalities.

Treatment of the Family Home: Express provisions on the vivienda familiar — which spouse has the right of use in case of separation; whether the family home is private or common; and the consent requirement for any act of disposition under Article 1320 CC. For real property already owned by one spouse, the capitulaciones should reference the Registro de la Propiedad inscription data.

Private Asset Documentation Protocol: A procedure for documenting future private asset acquisitions — receipts, bank statements, inheritance certificates — to confirm clear evidence of private character in case of future dispute. Article 1361 CC presumes assets of uncertain character to be gananciales — proper documentation prevents this presumption from applying incorrectly.

Applicable Law (for international couples): Where the spouses have different nationalities or habitual residences in different countries, a governing law clause under EU Regulation 2016/1103 on matrimonial property regimes specifying the chosen applicable national law — either the law of the habitual residence of either spouse or the law of a nationality held by either spouse at the time of the agreement.

Notarial Execution and Registration: The agreement must be executed as a notarial escritura pública before a Notario del Colegio Notarial under Article 1327 CC. The Notario will inscribe the capitulaciones in the Registro Civil (Sección de matrimonios) of the Juzgado de Paz or Registro Civil where the marriage is or will be registered, and — for real property implications — notify the Registro de la Propiedad under Article 1333 CC. The parties bear the AJD stamp duty (Actos Jurídicos Documentados) on the notarial deed.

Modification and Revocation: A declaration that the capitulaciones may be modified or revoked by mutual written agreement of both spouses at any time during the marriage, executed in the same notarial form, subject to the rights already acquired by third parties under Article 1317 CC.

Forms-legal.com provides this Marriage Agreement Spain template as a practical planning resource. Every capitulaciones matrimoniales must be executed before a Notario and registered in the Registro Civil. Prospective spouses should consult a qualified abogado especialista en derecho de familia and a gestor fiscal to assess the tax and succession implications of their chosen regime under Código Civil, the applicable Autonomous Community foral law, and Ley 35/2006 del IRPF.

Under Spanish law, the Código Civil governs marriage (Article 66), divorce (Article 81), custody (Article 92), and maintenance (Article 142). The Ley Orgánica 1/1996 (LOPJM) protects minors. The Registro Civil records births, marriages, and deaths. The Ley 15/2015 de Jurisdicción Voluntaria governs non-contentious proceedings. The Ley Orgánica 1/1982 protects fundamental rights including image and privacy.