Who owns what in a marriage in Latvia?
Latvia's default is a community of the property acquired during the marriage.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
What applies by default
Property acquired during the marriage is joint, apart from personal property, gifts and inheritances.
When the marriage ends in divorce
The joint property is divided between the spouses, in principle equally, with account taken of the children and of unequal contributions.
A marriage contract
A marriage contract can set another regime and must be notarised.
What stays your own, and gifts
Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.
If one spouse is a foreigner
In member states that take part in the EU Matrimonial Property Regulation, common rules decide which law governs the spouses' property. Check whether this country takes part.
Understand the legal system first
Latvia belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the Latvia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Official sources
Take it further
Inheritance, marriage, children, property and arrest rules in one PDF, with questions for a lawyer.
Set the property rules before the marriage, in your own terms.
For couples who live together without marrying.
Marriage, divorce, custody and support, step by step.
Divide property and settle the terms in writing.
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
