Who owns what in a marriage in Sri Lanka?

Property acquired during the marriage is joint by default

In Sri Lanka a marriage under the general law is in community of property unless the spouses sign an antenuptial contract, while Kandyan and Muslim law have their own rules.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

What applies by default

Under the general law, which comes from Roman-Dutch law, the spouses' property is merged into one community unless they exclude it by contract. Kandyan and Muslim personal laws differ.

When the marriage ends in divorce

The community is divided, and separate property goes back to its owner.

A marriage contract

An antenuptial contract can exclude the community and must be in a formal document.

What stays your own, and gifts

Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.

If one spouse is a foreigner

Which law applies depends on the spouses' community, so get local advice.

Understand the legal system first

Sri Lanka belongs to the Mixed: civil and common law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Sri Lanka legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

Official sources

Ministry of Justice of Sri Lanka

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.