4th July 2009
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French Law Zone

Welcome to the French Law Zone. The French legal system is very different from that in the UK, especially when it comes to buying a house. The aim of this law zone is to explain how French law works, including buying property in France, the work of the French legal officials the notaires, the planning process, divorce and property, and inheritance law. For information about the French tax system please visit our tax zone.

The FrenchEntrée team

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Looking for a property in France? Visit our Property search. Are you already living in France? Sorted out you tax returns? Visit our guide to French tax or our top French tax tips.
Or perhaps you want to know whether your British pension will be taxed in France? Or, maybe you want to find out how other people have found the process of buying a house in France?

Key French legal vocabulary

An avocat combines some of the functions of both a barrister and a solicitor and is best translated as lawyer. The French word for a court of law is un tribunal. Un testament is a will. The deed of sale in a property transaction is the acte de vente. A speeding ticket is une contravention pour excès de vitesse while une amende is a fine.

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Latest French Law articles

Notaire, estate agent and solicitor fees in the purchase of a property in France

Legal feesSolicitor Marie Antoinette Bassini of Kingsfords, looks at the fees involved in using an estate agent, notaire and UK solicitor when buying French property. more...

French Property Ownership Solutions

French PropertyThere are a few simple steps you can take before you become the owner of French property and sometimes afterwards, to ensure that your French estate is dealt with in the way you wish during your lifetime and after death, explains lawyer Sue Busby of France Legal... more...

Dealing with Estate Administration in France

Sarah Bogard Sarah Bogard, Associate Senior Solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser with the law firm Furley Page, explains the key similarities and differences between probate England and Wales, and France. more...

The conditions in your Compromis de Vente

Compromis de Vente ConditionsThere are three types of conditions in a purchase contract. If you want to make changes to them or add other conditions into a contract, it is important to understand their effect and the difference between them. more...

Divorce and Tax

divorce illustration smallJulia Jones, of French-based law firm Bright Jones, highlights the tax considerations linked with certain aspects of Divorce, including capital gains tax, the split of assets and child support. more...

Who are Furley Page?

The France Show At The France Show the FrenchEntrée team decided to film some of the companies who were exhibiting. Solicitor Sarah Bogard, of Furley Page, was only too pleased to show us around the Furley Page stand. The Furley Page team are looking forward to helping their clients with the buying and selling of French property during 2009. more...

French homes without planning permission – beware

Building propertyHélène Mézin, a French qualified notaire at Sykes Anderson solicitors LLP in London, discusses the implications of purchasing a building that does not comply with French planning regulations. more...

Setting up a Trust in France

Trusted handsA trust is a good way to protect your estate during your life and after you pass away. It can provide financial security for your children and your spouse. It can also be used in the business world to provide security of
credit. Michel Attal of Bright Jones Law Firm tells us about setting up a French trust - a fiducie... more...

Is your UK Will valid under French law?

Indra ImageIf you own a property in France, you need to be aware that the inheritance of that property is subject to French law. In other words, French succession rules dictate to whom the property will be passed. An important question is whether your UK Will is valid under French law as explains French advocat Indra Balassoupramaniane.more...

Legal advice when hiring an artisan in France

toolsIf you're hiring an artisan or builder in France do as the French do and keep it official. Anne-Marie Gordon of Anglo-French Lawyers advises on what to do - and not do - to ensure you're legally protected when getting work done on your French homemore...

What can you do if your French contractor goes into bankruptcy?

signing a contractInsolvency status has always existed. Nowadays an increasing number of businesses are becoming bankrupt due notably to the current economic crisis. Michel Attal of Bright Jones law firm discusses what to do if your French contractor goes into bankruptcy... more...

Baffled by French legal terms?

French law termsFinding your way around French legal terminology is not always easy. Here is a glossary of some of the most commonly used phrases and terms... more...

Owning a Property in France: Anticipating & Solving Difficulties

divorce law France FrenchMichel Attal, of Bright Jones Law Firm, explains how you can anticipate and solve some of the difficulties occasionally encountered by foreign owners, including the difficulties in obtaining information from French Banks, what to do in a forced sale procedure and if you are charged for the early reimbursement of a mortgage... more...

Why use a UK solicitor as well as a French notaire?

handing over the keysExperts from the International Law Partnership explain why the use of the Notaire is no substitute for your own independent legal advice on interbnational aspects when buying a property in France... more...

Civil partnerships or PACS in France: how they work

French civil partnerships If you have a UK civil partnership (CP) and are planning to move to France, this is not recognised in France, and, on top of this, you will not be able to enter into the French equivalent known as PACS (Pacte Civil de Solidarité) unless the UK CP is dissolved first...
more...

French Marriage Contracts

Who gets what?

marriageThe concept of a marriage contract is not known to English or Common Law jurisdictions for the most part. The French, however, from the Civil Code of 1804 onwards have a system of marriage contracts... more...

Divorce and money - the French perspective

french law divorceFrench-based avocat Julia Jones, left, takes a close look at the divorce law in France and also examines how it can affect property and other financial issues for both parties more...

Legal implications of driving in France

Indra ImageBefore setting off onto the French roads, it is vital to acquaint yourself with some basic principals concerning driving in France as well as the road network and administrative requirements relating to Driving Licences, as explains French lawyer Indra Balassoupramaniane. more...

French planning laws for building and renovating homes

house plans largeIf building a new home in France or renovating an existing one it is important to make sure what planning permission, if any, is needed. We get specialists from the International Law Partnership to explain how the planning process works... more...

French and British Law - Vive la difference!

french flag and crowd France and Britain may be close neighbours separated by just a narrow stretch of water. But their approaches to the law and their respective legal systems are very different, and it is a good idea to understand those differences... more...

British lawyers and French notaires discuss sterling transactions for French property deals

French legal system The Entente Cordiale is alive and well between lawyers from the UK and notaires in France. They have met in the Dordogne to discuss the purchase process, including the possibility of sterling transactions where both the buyers and sellers are British more...

Modern families and the French legal system

Law FranceFamilies can be quite complicated these days, especially when people remarry and there are children involved. Lawyer Sue Busby gives some advice on how to deal with complex arrangements when it comes to French law more...

Trying to get on the housing ladder in France?

Tfrench home ownershiphe market in France can offer a good chance for first time buyers to get into property where prices are often much lower than in Britain. But as lawyer Graham Platt from The International Law Partnership illustrates, you have to be careful how you go about it... more...

Using a French lawyer

lawyers franceIt is a good idea to seek independent and impartial advice from a lawyer who will protect your sole interests and, says French Advocate and UK solicitor Fabien Cordiez, it is perfectly possible to use a French lawyer... more...

Sarkozy’s legal changes at a glance

Bright Jones avocatsSarah Bright Thomas of French-based law firm Bright Jones looks at the new laws brought in by President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 and how they might affect Britons living in or owning property in France more...

Do I need a survey when buying in France?

house surveys FranceUnlike in the UK for example, having your property surveyed is not compulsory with French banks and building societies, and only a very small minority of property buyers in France get a survey carried out on their house.                                                                                                               more...

Beware of French succession law

It can override your will

One thing that any Briton buying property in France needs to be aware of is French succession law... more...

How not paying French social charges could land you in court

French social chargesWhether you are becoming self-employed or setting up a small business in France, it pays to understand the laws about social and employee contributions says lawyer Julia Jones – otherwise you could end up being prosecuted more...

Unmarried and buying in France? An SCI could be the answer….

Law FranceLawyer Susan Busby examines a way that unmarried partners purchasing a property together in France can reduce their potential inheritance tax liability – using what is called a Société Civil Immobilière Tontinière more...

Buying off-plan in France – a cautionary tale

Perils buying off-plan France Most purchases of French property usually go off with barely a hitch. But Barbara Heslop of law firm Fox Hayes and French lawyer Paul Salvisberg highlight one case where buying new homes off–plan didn’t quite go to plan more...

The Clause Tontine

What it is and how it works

British buyers are sometimes advised to buy a French property with a Clause Tontine to avoid inheritance tax ... more...

Selling your French property – the hidden costs

When a non-French resident sells a property in France they can face additional costs on top of the capital gains tax payable. Solicitor and chartered tax adviser David Anderson, and Helen Belle, assistant solicitor, explain how to try to get some of the money back more...
Legal French spoken here
Tee France - French Legal AdviceThe Tee France team includes two bilingual French Avocats to help you with all your property related requirements. Find out more
French Legal Experts
Mayo WynneMayo Wynne Baxter's French Property Team has first hand experience and knowledge of French and English Legal systems and provides helpful and effective advice. Learn More

Fed up of high UK taxation?
Blevins Franks tax meetingSpeak to the tax experts at Blevins Franks to explore your tax saving options in France.

Purchasing Luxury Property in France
Ince Co Law SpecialistsYour dream purchase with the assistance of our dual-qualified solicitors/avocats. We are an international law firm specialised in buying and selling luxury French property
Save a fortune on currency exchange
Moneycorp Financial TradersIf you need advice or a currency exchange quote, make a no obligation enquiry to Moneycorp, FrenchEntrée's Currency Partner Apply now to open a currency account


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