Notary family law: union, separation, adoption

Updated on Wednesday 11 February 2026

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Alliance

Updated on Wednesday 20 March 2019

Marriage, Pacs, cohabitation: benefits and drawbacks

Today, couples have the choice between several unions: marriage , cohabitation and the Pacs. Each status has its own characteristics, to study carefully before embarking on a life of two.

Updated on Thursday 10 February 2022

Marriage contract : choose their matrimonial regime

A system of separation of property, a universal community, a system of joint ownership reduced to the property acquired after the marriage: the marriage contract makes it possible to prepare, together, one's matrimonial regime.

Updated on Thursday 5 May 2022

It’s easy to change a matrimonial regime!

The matrimonial regime is the set of legal rules applied to the heritage of the spouses. Are you already married? It’s possible to change your matrimonial regime, at any given time!

Updated on Monday 3 October 2022

Civil Union (Solidarity civil pact - PACS)

French civil partnership (PACS) is a contract, which provides unmarried couples the opportunity to organize their life together, with some social and tax advantages to boot.

Updated on Wednesday 8 March 2023

Cohabitation or Common law marriage

Cohabitation does not give any obligation to cohabiting partners, does not provide automatic protection of one another, or any solidarity for the expenses of everyday living.

Divorce

Updated on Thursday 10 March 2022

What procedure in case of a divorce in France?

In France, several divorce procedures exist divorce through mutual consent, accepted divorce, definitive alteration of conjugal relationship, divorce for cause…

Updated on Monday 10 October 2022

Divorce and distribution of property in France

Amicable or legal divorce leads to the settling of the matrimonial regime and sharing the property of the couple who is going to separate. The notary helps you settle the pecuniary and property interests of the spouses.

Updated on Wednesday 28 May 2025

Sell or buy a property during a divorce procedure

Often, upon separation, without waiting for the final divorce to be pronounced, you have to resettle. Renting or an accommodation through family or friends is one solution. But in some cases, a sale and/or a purchase is considered.

Updated on Friday 25 April 2025

Divorce: what happens to the debts and the loans undertaken during the marriage ?

Although divorced, each ex-spouse is required to settle all or part of the debts of the couple or their ex-spouse. Concretely, what is the fate of debts and credits contracted during the marriage?

Updated on Friday 12 December 2025

Taxes: how to declare income during the divorce year?

The marital status of each taxpayer is assessed on December 31 of the taxation year. During the year of a divorce, each person must complete a single declaration which includes their personal income for the entire year and the proportion of common income, accruing to the latter.

Updated on Friday 2 May 2025

What are the consequences of divorce for the children?

Divorce does not impact the rights and duties of parents with their children. Father and mother continue to exercise parental authority mutually.

Updated on Friday 25 April 2025

Divorce: fate of donations and other advantages from spouses

Donations between spouses (donation to the last living), manual gifts of money or changes to the matrimonial regime: what becomes of the advantages that the spouses have agreed to?

Protect a vulnerable loved one

Updated on Tuesday 9 July 2024

Future protection mandates

The lasting power of attorney allows any person to organize his future dependency through a tailor-made legal protection, without losing his rights and his legal capacity.

Updated on Monday 9 September 2024

Guardianship : definition

Guardianship is one of the three protection measures for adults , with curatorship and court protection. It is more restrictive than curatorship.

Updated on Friday 13 September 2024

Curatorship: definition

Curatorship is one of the legal protection systems for vulnerable people, through the supervision and protection of the court. Curatorship is a legal measure which intends to protect an adult who needs to be assisted during certain actions in life.

Updated on Tuesday 28 May 2024

Guardianship, curatorship or protection of the court: the differences

The biggest difference between the protection of the court, curatorship and guardianship these measures is the degree of hardship applied to the actions of the protected person.

Adoption

Updated on Tuesday 28 October 2025

Conditions for adoption in France

Adoption creates a genuine parent-child relationship between the adopter and the adoptee. However, this relationship will only exist if the adopter expressly asks for it and if it is made official by an order from the regional court.

Updated on Wednesday 29 October 2025

Simple adoption

Simple adoption creates a new kinship bond between the adopter and the adoptee but however doesn’t remove the kinship ties which exist between the adoptee and his biological family.

Updated on Monday 10 November 2025

Full adoption conditions and procedures

Full adoption creates a new bond of kinship between the adopter and the adoptee and cuts off all ties with the adoptee's original family (unlike simple adoption).

A question ? Need help ?

Yes . When the spouses are married under the regime of the legal community, three patrimonies are to be distinguished: the patrimony specific to each spouse and the common patrimony. During couple life, financial movements often take place between the different assets. The mechanism of rewards is intended to restore…

Yes . When a person is no longer able to express their will due to a medically confirmed alteration of their mental faculties, it is possible to request a family authorization from the guardianship judge. The authorization may be general or relate only to certain acts in regard to the…

No. To be able to benefit from a deferred salary claim, the descendants of the deceased farmer must be over the age of 18 and participate directly and effectively in the operation. However, they must not have been associated with profits and losses, nor received salaries in cash (L.321-13 C…

No, only individuals of legal age are permitted to enter a civil union (Art. 515-1 C. civ.). Additionally, as it involves a contract, one must also possess the capacity to contract. For persons of foreign nationality, their legal capacity is determined by the laws of their respective countries (Art. 3…

View our FAQ

Notary family law: union, separation, adoption

Alliance

Divorce

Protect a vulnerable loved one

Adoption

A question ? Need help ?

Before our marriage my husband owned a car which he sold during the marriage. The notary tells me that he received a reward equal to the sale price. Is this normal ?

My mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, lives in a retirement home. The latter no longer has enough cash to finance it. Is it possible within the framework of a family authorization to ask the judge to buy back the premiums of her life insurance contract?

My mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, lives in a retirement home. The latter no longer has enough cash to finance it. Is it possible within the framework of a family authorization to ask the judge to buy back the premiums of her life insurance contract?

My father owned and operated a farm. My brother participated in this activity without being paid but received the profits from the exploitation. Can he claim a deferred salary as part of our father's estate?

My boyfriend and I want to get married. We are 19 years old. He's a foreigner, and in his country the age of majority is 21. Can we still enter a civil partnership in France?