| Notaires de France

No. The law states that the usufructuary can enjoy “rights of servitude, of passage, like the owner himself.” You should remind your neighbour of Article 597 of the Civil Code.

Yes. According to Article 15 of the law of July 6, 1989, the landlord can give you notice at the end of the lease with proper notice and justification, particularly for the purpose of housing a close relative (such as descendants, ascendants, or a PACS (civil union) partner. Article 13…

Yes. The law does not set any time limit between writing a will and the day of death. However, to be valid, the testator must be of sound mind (Articles 414-1 and 901 of the Civil Code). Therefore, a person cannot make a will after the opening of guardianship without…

You can contact a notary to check the FICOVIE database or reach out to the AGIRA organization (https://www.agira.asso.fr/) which will contact various institutions managing life insurance policies. This way, you will know if you are a beneficiary and which institution holds the policy.

No. The right of the surviving spouse to limit their acceptance to certain assets (known as "cantonment") is only legally possible if there is a joint will between spouses (Article 1094-3 of the Civil Code). In the absence of such a provision, you can only accept or renounce the entire…

It depends. By default, the law does not provide for solidarity between roommates. This means each person is only responsible for paying their share of the rent. For the landlord to be able to turn to you in case your roommate fails to pay, the lease must explicitly include a…

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…

International inheritances

Read more about International inheritances

No. The surviving spouse who co-owns the deceased's property can request the preferential allocation of the main residence if it was already their home at the time of death (Article 831-2, 1° Civil Code). If requested, this allocation is automatic and binding on the other co-owners (Article 831-3 Civil Code).

Like married couples, PACS partners are subject to joint taxation (Article 6, 1 CGI and 7 CGI), including for the income earned in the year the agreement is concluded (Article 6, 5th CGI). However, you can opt for separate taxation of the income you personally received during the year of…

I have a life estate on a property that belonged to my late husband. The property benefits from an easement of passage on the adjoining land. My neighbour is preventing me from using it, arguing that I am only a life tenant. Is he right?

I am a tenant, and my landlord is a SCI (real estate investment company). Can the partners give me notice to move out in order to house a relative?

Is it legal to make a will one month before passing away?

How can I find out if I am the beneficiary of a life insurance policy?

My spouse passed away, and we did not have a joint will. Since he had children from a previous marriage, I receive 1/4 of his estate. Can I accept only part of his inheritance?

I am a student and, along with a friend, we plan to become roommates. I know he is very extravagant. If he doesn’t pay his share of the rent, will I be held responsible for his part?

My widowed mother passed away 15 years ago, and my brother and I never went to a notary to settle her estate. We want to sell her house, but a friend told me that we no longer have the authority to do so. Is this true?

International inheritances

My spouse has passed away. He owned the apartment where we were living at the time of his death, which he bought before our marriage. I have a ¼ share of his estate. I want to become the owner, but his children do not agree. Can they prevent it?

My partner and I have an appointment with the notary on February 10, 2024, to sign a PACS (civil union). What will be the tax declaration procedures for the income we will earn in 2024?