Frequently asked questions about Succession

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…

Yes. Upon a person’s death, their heirs have 10 years to declare whether they accept or reject the estate (Article 780, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code). After this period, they are considered to have renounced the estate (Article 780, paragraph 2 of the Civil Code) and therefore no longer…

No. If you do not specify in your last will and testament that it cancels any prior arrangements you may have made, these will be enforceable insofar as they do not conflict with your last will and testament.

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Yes. The original of a will is kept by the notary who has custody of it, meaning the one who received it and filed it among his official records (Article 1007 of the French Civil Code). The notary you have appointed to handle the estate therefore only has a copy.