Does adding a spouse's name to a pre-marital property deed give them ownership rights in China?

Yes. Under Chinese property law, adding a name to the deed constitutes a gift of property rights. Unless a separate agreement specifies otherwise, the spouse gains legal ownership of the corresponding share, and in divorce proceedings this is treated as joint property subject to division.

What happens to parental loans given to a married couple with no written IOU in China?

Without a written IOU, the loan may be treated as a gift under Chinese law. However, bank transfer records, WeChat messages acknowledging debt, and witness testimony can establish the existence of a loan relationship. The key is proving both parties understood it was a loan, not a gift.

Can a spouse legally transfer family business shares during a Chinese divorce?

Under Civil Code Article 1062, shares acquired during marriage are generally joint property. If the transfer occurred before divorce and consideration was nominally fair, the transaction may be upheld unless the other spouse proves malicious collusion under Article 154.

How is a social media account divided in a Chinese divorce?

A social media account combines personal rights (tied to the creator) and property rights (revenue generated during marriage). Under Civil Code Article 1062, income earned during marriage is joint property. The account is divided based on actual contribution — who created content, who managed operations, who drove growth.

Yangxi Li - Yonglun Law Firm

Chinese Civil Code

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Chinese Civil Code

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Chinese Civil Code

Why a One-Signature IOU from Your Parents Is Legally Worthless in a Chinese Divorce

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Chinese Civil Code

The Three Chinese Characters That Turn a ¥1,000,000 Gift Into a Loan

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Chinese Civil Code

You Added Your Spouse's Name to the Deed. Congratulations — You Just Gave Away Half Your Parents' Money.

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Chinese Civil Code

You Bought the House After Marriage — But It's Still Not 50/50. Here's Why.

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Chinese Civil Code

Your Family's Demolition Compensation Got You Two Apartments. Your Ex-Spouse Claims One.

In the Yangtze River Delta, demolition and resettlement (拆迁) has created more overnight millionaires than any other economic phenomenon. Families whose ancestral homes sat on suddenly valuable land receive compensation apartments — sometimes two, sometimes three. The children, only children under China's former one-child policy, are the natural

Chinese Civil Code

Adding Your Spouse's Name to Your Pre-Marital Home in China: The Rules Just Changed

The 2025 SPC interpretation rewrote the playbook. If you last checked the law in 2024, you are working with outdated information. When Liu bought his Beijing apartment in 2019, he was single and the sole owner on the title deed. Three years later, he married. At his wife's

Chinese Civil Code

Title: Is a Prenuptial Agreement Actually Enforceable in China? The 3 Conditions You Must Know

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Chinese Civil Code

Title: Your Spouse Is Secretly Moving Money. Here's What Chinese Law Actually Lets You Do

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Chinese Civil Code

Title: Your Parents Bought You a House After Marriage. Under China's 2025 Rules, Who Actually Owns It?

Tags: China, Real Estate, Family Law, Marriage, Property Here's a scenario that plays out across China every day — especially in regions like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, where parents pour their life savings into their children's homes. You get married. Your parents buy you a house — full

Chinese Civil Code

Title: You Paid a 300,000 RMB Bride Price. The Wedding Never Happened. Can You Get Your Money Back Under Chinese Law?

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