Julie and Jim have been married for 16 years and decide to divorce. They draw up a list of property that will be partitioned based on the provisions of family patrimony: the family home, the cars, the RRSPs, and the benefits accrued with the RRQ during the marriage. What other items should be added to Julie and Jim's list?
Correct Answer: B
Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation: Under Quebec's Civil Code, specifically within the framework of family patrimony (Articles 414-426), the partition of property upon divorce includes assets acquired during the marriage that are designated as part of the family patrimony. The family home, cars, RRSPs (Registered Retirement Savings Plans), and benefits accrued under the RRQ (Regie des rentes du Quebec, or Quebec Pension Plan) are already listed, as they are explicitly included under Article 415.
However, family patrimony also encompasses other property used for the family's benefit, such as bank accounts that hold funds accumulated during the marriage for family use. TFSAs (Tax-Free Savings Accounts) are individual savings accounts, but if they were used for family purposes or funded with marital income, they could also be considered. The Ethics and Professional Practice (Civil Law) manual emphasizes thatadvisors must ensure clients fully understand the scope of divisible assets under family patrimony rules to avoid omissions. Life insurance cash surrender values (option C) are not automatically included in family patrimony unless designated for family use, and "nothing else" (option D) overlooks additional divisible assets like bank accounts. Option B, "Bank accounts and TFSAs," correctly expands the list to include other relevant marital property, aligning with the Civil Code's broad interpretation of family patrimony.
References: Civil Code of Quebec, Articles 414-426; Ethics and Professional Practice (Civil Law) Manual, Section on Family Patrimony.