Dying Without a Will in France (Succession Sans Testament)
How a French estate passes with no will: the four orders of heirs, the surviving spouse under Articles 757 to 757-2, and why PACS partners inherit nothing.
8 min read
France Wills and Probate
10 articles
Forced Heirship in France: The Reserved Share Explained
Forced heirship in France: how the reserved share protects children, the freely disposable share by number of children, and the cross-border rules.
10 min read
French Inheritance Tax (Droits de Succession): 2026 Rates and Allowances
How droits de succession works in France in 2026: allowances by relationship, the full tax scale, filing deadlines, and a step by step worked example.
11 min read
How Inheritance Works in France: Heirs, Spousal Rights, and Succession Rules
How inheritance works under French law: the order of heirs, spousal rights, succession options, key deadlines, and the reserved share protecting children.
11 min read
Joint Ownership in France: Indivision, the 2/3 Majority, and When a Sale Can Be Forced
How indivision works in France: what a 2/3 majority can decide under Article 815-3, and how Article 815-5-1 lets a court authorize selling a jointly owned home.
14 min read
Life Insurance and French Succession Tax (Assurance Vie Succession)
How assurance vie is taxed on death in France: the 152,500 EUR allowance before age 70, the 30,500 EUR global allowance after 70, and why gains stay exempt.
9 min read
Lifetime Gifts in France (Donation de Son Vivant): Allowances and the 15 Year Rule
How lifetime gifts are taxed in France: the 15 year rappel fiscal, the 31,865 EUR cash gift allowance, the two 2026 housing gift windows, and donation-partage.
9 min read
Notaire Fees on a French Estate (Frais de Notaire Succession)
Frais de notaire on a French estate explained: the regulated émoluments, débours and taxes, the 2026 tariff scale, and why it is not inheritance tax.
9 min read
Wills and Estates in France: Inheritance, Forced Heirship, and Succession Tax
French succession law explained: the reserved share, who inherits by default, wills, lifetime gifts, life insurance, droits de succession, and indivision.
10 min read
Wills in France: The Three Legal Forms of a Testament
How a will is valid in France under the Code civil: the handwritten, notarial, and rare mystic forms, the FCDDV register, and what a will cannot override.
13 min read