Frequently asked questions about Succession

Article 917 of the French Civil Code allows the reserved heirs, if their reserved share is encumbered by a legacy in usufruct, either to accept it or to request that the disposable portion be allocated to the legatee. This second option creates joint ownership between your partner and your children…

Yes, if the time limit for appealing against the decision had not expired on the day of death. The divorce takes effect on the date on which the decision pronouncing it acquires the force of res judicata, which means, no longer subject to appeal. The time limit for appeal is…

No. A landlord cannot himself recover the accommodation and get rid of the furniture of his deceased tenant. When there is no known heir and if the rental contract has ended, the owner must first obtain a court decision (article 1324 of the Code of Civil Procedure). The costs of…

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. Article 764 of the Civil Code provides for the benefit of the surviving spouse a right of habitation to the accommodation which he occupied as his principal residence at the time of death, and a right of use to the furniture within the latter. It can only be deprived…