Nope. And this one trips a LOT of people up.
A quitclaim deed changes who legally owns the home on title. It doesn't change who owes the loan. Same house. Two very different pieces of paper.
Title vs. the loan
Title is legal ownership. It's recorded with the county, and a quitclaim deed is one way to change it: one person gives up whatever ownership interest they have in the property.
The mortgage is the debt. When you got the loan, both of you (if you were both on it) signed a promise to repay it. The lender holds you to it, and a deed between the two of you doesn't change a thing for them.
So after a quitclaim, you can end up with one owner and two borrowers.
Why it matters, even if the decree says your ex pays
Your divorce decree can say your ex is responsible for the mortgage. That's an agreement between the two of you. The lender didn't sign your decree, and the original loan still holds everyone on it responsible.
Which means:
If a payment is late, it hits both of your credit reports.
If the loan goes into default, the lender can come after any borrower on it.
While your name is on the loan, it can affect what you qualify for next. Many loan programs let the lender leave that payment out when your decree assigns it to your ex, but it (and its risk) still shows up on your credit report.
Does signing over the house trigger the loan coming due?
This is a super common question. Most mortgages have a due-on-sale clause, which lets the lender demand immediate full repayment when ownership changes. Federal law carves out exceptions, including ownership changes resulting from a divorce decree or separation agreement (for homes with fewer than five units). So a transfer between spouses as part of a divorce won't trigger it.
How someone actually gets off the loan
Basically, you've got 3 options:
Refinance. The person keeping the house refinances in solely their name, and the prior joint loan gets paid off.
Assumption. Some mortgages, including many FHA and VA loans, can be assumed with the lender's approval. That means keeping the existing rate AND releasing the other borrower from the loan. If you go this route, make sure the release of liability is in writing.
Sale. The house sells and the loan gets paid off.
A quitclaim deed often goes hand in hand with one of these. On its own, it isn't one of them.
The timing piece
The best time to figure out which of these works for you is sooner than later (before you sign off on the agreement). Can the person keeping the house actually qualify to refinance or assume the loan solo? By when? What happens if they can't?
Those answers belong in the agreement, not in a bummer surprise six months later. I certainly don't replace your attorney or mediator. I just make sure the mortgage part gets sorted before it becomes future-you's problem.
If you're in the middle of this, my Divorce + Mortgage Planning page walks through more of the questions that come up.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Loan program rules vary, and every situation is different.