The development of Vietnamʹs legal system has been heavily influenced by invasions from China (178 BC–939 AC), France (1858–1954) and the United States (1954–1975). These invading forces applied their own regulations and administrative models to establish neocolonialism. Aside from direct European influence on Vietnamʹs legislative system, Eastern European socialist ideology has also played an essential role in shaping Vietnamese laws. This paper aims to describe the significant formative influences that Europe had on the Vietnamese legal system between 1858 and 1975. Specifically, this study focusses on the development of matrimonial property law.