Notary family law: union, separation, adoption

Updated on Thursday 1 October 2026

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My brother has passed away. He was single and didn’t have children. My sister and I have conducted an inventory of his estate for the purposes of the tax inheritance declaration. I live abroad and was able to be represented. (...)

(...) Now the notary is asking us to personally sign the inventory closure deed. Why ? The purpose of closing the inventory is to confirm that all operations have been completed. On this occasion, those who were in possession of the deceased's assets before the inventory or who lived in…
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Can an adult under legal protection exercise their right to vote?

Yes. An adult under legal protection may vote. However, they cannot grant proxy voting rights to their court-appointed guardian or to any member of the medical or paramedical staff of the institutions providing their care (Article L72-1 of the French Electoral Code).
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My father is under a notarized future protection mandate. I am the agent. He intended to make a donation but could not do so before this measure was implemented. Is it still possible ?

Yes. A future protection mandate does not prevent the protected person from disposing of their property with the assistance of their agent. However, Article 490 paragraph 2 of the Civil Code requires the agent to obtain the authorization of the guardianship judge to "perform a disposition act for free." The…
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My cousin passed away. She was married but separated from her spouse. She had no children, no siblings and her parents passed away as well. In her will, she bequeathed all of her real estate to me. My notary tells me that if I give up (...)

... her property will revert to her spouse. Is it correct? Yes . Renunciation of a bequest has the effect of rendering the testamentary disposition null and void (art. 1043 C. civ.). The devolution of inheritance then takes place as if this provision had never existed. Since your cousin has…
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