Frequently asked questions about Succession

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My father has just passed away. I know he had taken out a life insurance policy naming me as beneficiary, but I don’t know the name of the insurer. Are insurers required to search for beneficiaries?

Yes. Insurance companies must check at least once a year whether insured persons have died (Article L.132-9-3 of the French Insurance Code); to do so they consult the National Register for the Identification of Natural Persons (RNIPP). If the insured has died, they must then search for the beneficiaries of…
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Both my grandparents died in a house fire. They were married without a contract. How will their estates be settled?

If two individuals die in the same event, and each was entitled to inherit from the other, as often occurs with spouses, each estate is settled according to the order of death (Art. 725-1 C. civ.). This order can be established by any means. If it is impossible to determine…
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I am in joint ownership (indivision) with my brothers over a real estate property located in Corsica, following the death of our mother. I understand that if my brother buys out our shares, we may be exempt from the partition duty. Is this correct?

Reminder: The partition duty is levied by the French tax administration when co-owners agree to terminate the joint ownership by allocating the jointly owned property to one of them. Except in specific cases, this duty is set at 2.5% of the net value of the assets being divided. Answer: Yes…
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Our father passed away. He had remarried and we are 3 children from the first marriage. Our mother-in-law refuses to disclose the information she has on our father's bank accounts. Can the notary in charge of the succession identify them?

Notre père est décédé. Il était remarié et nous sommes 3 enfants du premier lit. Notre belle-mère refuse de communiquer les informations qu’elle détient sur les comptes bancaires de notre père. Le notaire en charge de la succession peut-il les identifier ? Yes . Indeed, law n° 2014-617 of June…
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I am single with no children. I am considering appointing an animal protection association as the universal legatee of my estate. If it declines the bequest, can it choose who shall receive it instead ?

No. The will reflects the last wishes of its author. Therefore, if you appoint an association as the universal legatee, it has the option to accept or decline the bequest (Article 724-1 of the Civil Code). If it declines and you have not designated a secondary legatee, the rules of…
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