Short answer. No. Article 1845 states that the contributions of a limited partner may be cash or property, but not services. A limited partner backs the firm with money or assets, not with his work — so if what you intend to bring is your labour or skill, you cannot bring it in as a limited partner's contribution.

What the law says

The contributions of a limited partner may be cash or property, but not services.

Civil Code, Article 1845 — Limited Partner's Contribution. Read the full provision →

Cash or property only

Article 1845 is a one-line rule with real consequences: the contributions of a limited partner may be cash or property, but not services. A limited partner's stake in the firm has to take the form of money or of property — tangible or intangible assets he transfers to the partnership. What he cannot contribute, in that capacity, is his services: his time, labour, skill or industry. This is a deliberate line. The limited partner is conceived as a passive investor who supplies capital and stands back, and 'capital' here means cash or property with an ascertainable value, not the harder-to-value and management-flavoured contribution of personal work.

Why services are excluded

The exclusion connects to what a limited partner is allowed to do. A limited partner is shielded from the firm's debts precisely because he stays out of running the business. If he could contribute services, he would be working in the firm — and working in the firm shades quickly into taking part in its control, which is exactly what a limited partner must not do if he wants to keep his liability shield. So the bar on contributing services and the bar on managing the business point the same way: the limited partner's role is to supply capital, not effort.

If services are what you bring

So what if your contribution really is your work — you are the one who will run or build the business? Then a limited partner's role does not fit you, and forcing your labour into that box does not work. The usual answer is to come in as a general partner instead: general partners can and do contribute industry, and they are the ones who manage. That comes with personal liability for the firm's debts, which is the trade-off — the person who runs the business bears its risks.

Deciding how to come in

Before you agree to join a partnership, be clear about what you are actually bringing. If it is money or property, a limited-partner role can suit — you get the returns and the liability shield. If it is your time and skill, you cannot be a limited partner for that contribution, and trying to be one anyway risks a role that does not hold up. Match the label to the reality: capital in, limited partner; work in, general partner. Getting this right at the outset avoids a contribution that the law will not recognise and a shield that was never properly yours.

Related provisions

Note. Statute text quoted on this page is reproduced from the official enactment and is linked to the full provision. The explanation around it is general legal information from Vivas & Nobles Law Office, not legal advice. Whether it applies to your situation depends on facts only a lawyer reviewing them can assess.