French Law News
The following articles first appeared in various French publications and websites will be regularly updated or replaced. Readers should consult a member of the Group or another qualified avocat to learn of updates to the laws discussed in these articles.
Twelve Points to Remember When Buying a House in France
Written by Anne-Marie Gordon for http://www.amb-cotedazur.com
Thursday, 03 January 2008
With Spring on the horizon, many new readers will be on their way to France in search of their first home abroad. It is an exciting time and there are few moments more rewarding then the waking up the first day in your own home in France. [...]
French Divorce and the Matrimonial Home
We know all too well how much time, effort and money goes into our French homes. So it is not surprising that one of the most heated issues in French divorce is the matter of who gets the keys to the Matrimonial Home. In a divorce this happens twice. First, there is the question of [...]
The Ultimate Judge in French Wills - French News - December 2007
Few people like to talk about French wills and taxes, but if you are a French property owner and have children under 18, this is a good time to open the conversation.
First the basics. Under French inheritance law the transmission of real estate located in France follow French rules as to heirship and the obligatory [...]
News Bulletin: November 2007
Pacs and Others to Benefit Under New French Inheritance Tax
At last there good news for couples with Pacs with changes in inheritance legislation already underway. ( A Pac is a civil union for unmarried couples registered formally in a French court.)
The new law, known as TEPA (Loi du 21 aout 2007 en faveur du Travail, [...]
Le Divorce
Previously, we explained how to get married in France. Here we will try to answer the many letters asking for the reverse ‘Le Divorce.’
So, sadly for all the unhappy couples out there here goes. In France there are four types of divorce proceedings. They range from proceedings by mutual consent (with minimal judicial interference) to [...]
Just how much do you love animals?
MOST of us love animals, and enjoy seeing ponies, hens, cows… even pigs, running loose in the fields. We especially love them when the old-lady-nextdoor comes in with a dozen fresh eggs, straight from the henhouse on the other side of the wall.
But do you still love it when the pony’s shed is never cleaned, [...]
Second thoughts on SCIs
IF you are like many British people who have bought or are about to buy a French property you will have seen the acronym SCI for Société Civile Immobilière. An SCI offers one of the many ways to own a farmhouse and to ensure it is not inherited by your spouse’s children; they are really [...]
Buying Property? Look before you sign
The expat dream is to buy a little, or not so little, stone house in France for the cost of a garage in Knightsbridge and enjoy the sunshine and still moderately low prices. In many cases, the estate agents say, couples arrive in Bergerac, fall in love again at the local bistro and buy a [...]
Getting Married in France
In ‘the Ballad of John and Yoko’, John Lennon immortalized the difficulty of getting married in France. He told the world of how the French authorities refused to allow him to marry Yoko on their one day trip to France. They ended up getting married in Gibraltar, a British Protectorate and spending their honeymoon in [...]
Tempted by the ‘tontine’?
Better know what you are stepping into…
The Tontine is an old funding system, originally set up by an Italian banker long ago, in the 17th century, in France, but hardly in use now… except by English people buying property in France and for which the system is very much in fashion.
In a Tontine, two (or [...]