How does the false marriage contract in Don Pasquale give Sofronia power over Don Pasquale’s property?

In the opera Don Pasquale, the false marriage contract serves as the primary mechanism for the deception orchestrated by Dr. Malatesta and Norina. To manipulate Don Pasquale into submission, Malatesta includes a specific clause in the contract that grants "Sofronia" (the role played by Norina) legal rights to half of Don Pasquale’s property.1

By signing this document, Don Pasquale unwittingly provides the legal leverage Norina needs to assert authority over his household. Once the sham ceremony is complete, Norina drops her initial facade of a shy, submissive bride and assumes a domineering persona. She uses her status as his "wife" to take control of his finances and lifestyle, ordering expensive new furniture, carriages, and staff at his expense. When Don Pasquale attempts to protest or restrict her behavior, she uses her position to override his authority, asserting that she is the boss and that he must pay for her extravagant demands. Ultimately, the contract is a tool of psychological and financial warfare designed to make Don Pasquale so miserable that he becomes desperate to dissolve the marriage.12