Patrimony of affectation

In certain civil law jurisdictions, including France, Quebec and Mexico, the patrimoine d'affectation is property, assets or a legal estate that can be divided off for a fiduciary purpose and treated as distinct from a person's general assets. It resembles in some respects the way property is held, managed or invested in trust by a trustee for the benefit of beneficiaries under the common law. The affected property stays outside the grantor's assets, so it remains untouchable and can continue to benefit the intended beneficiaries even if the grantor goes bankrupt or incurs liabilities. The concept was first put forward by the French jurist Pierre Lepaulle, who based it on the German Zweckvermögen, as a way of explaining the common law trust.