We will explain the process of purchasing in France to you in English (whether it be an off-plan purchase, the purchase of existing property or a leaseback , the purchase of shares of a property holding company….), and draw your attention to the specificities of French conveyancing. The draft deeds can be tailor-made to suit your individual requirements and we can liaise with your estate agent on your behalf.

We also review contracts which you have been asked to sign (offer d’achat, promesse de vente, compromis de vente, contrat de reservation/booking contract, or any kind of precontract, and of course the acte de vente authentique) and liaise with the other party’s notaire to discuss any amendments which we deem necessary. A power of attorney (POA) can be prepared if you are not able to come to France yourself to sign the definitive deed, an electronic remote signature is also open to us. This can be prepared in a bilingual form and will enable a third party (usually one of our firm’s paralegals) to execute deeds on your behalf. Legal research is carried out either with regards the compulsory searches and enquiries or at your specific request.

We propose a highly personal service and can advise you on a number of issues concerning your transactions (purchases, sales, gifts, setting up of a French company, planning applications and regulations, structure of ownership, inheritance…) which require the intervention of a notaire in France. We are sometimes referred to as French solicitors.

After discussing your project with you in detail, we will explain the options available with regards the structure of your purchase. There may be several alternatives (Setting up of companies, PACS a French civil solidarity pact, specific matrimonial regimes and more specifically marriage contract, tontine clauses…) and we will guide you through them outlining the advantages and disadvantages so that you may then make an informed decision.

French Tax (wealth tax, inheritance tax, income tax, capital gain tax) is of of course a primordial issue and we will endeavour to organize your purchase in such a way so as to reduce your liability and where possible avoid French tax completely. Estate planning is of the essence and we will help you to decide on how best to organise your assets.