Cordiez French Lawyers and Solicitors - Frequently Asked Questions

I qualified as French lawyer ("avocat") in 1994 and re-qualified as solicitor of England & Wales in 2000. A member of the UK Law Society* and the Aix-en-Provence Bar, I am one of the very few Franco-British lawyers holding a dual-qualification whose main practice area is French Property law and inheritance matters. (*Law Society number 00331485 - solely practising as avocat).

Often, property purchasers do not seek legal advice until after they have already signed a purchase agreement. At this point, you may already be obligated. The best time to contact me is when you have made a purchase offer and been told it is accepted, or when you accept such an offer if you are selling your French property.

I will provide you with a quotation in respect of my fees, before forwarding you some directions on how to proceed. You can telephone me, or email me your instructions. I use my best endeavours to start acting for customers at short notice.

If you have not already done so, you can get a free quote to find out. My fixed fees start from as little as €299 for a pre-purchase contract inspection & report.

It depends on what work I am doing for you. Once you have instructed me you will receive an email from me telling you how to proceed. If you are buying a property, I will request an amount to cover the initial work that I need to undertake, this will usually be about half the total fee.

The fixed fee packages allow for a regular amount of correspondence. If for some reason your transaction or enquiry generates an excessive amount of correspondence, the right is reserved to charge on a time-spent basis for the extra work incurred.However, this will never be done without discussing the matter with you first. Costs can also be billed on a time-spent basis, to deliver a service tailored to your individual needs. My standard hourly rate is €350 and payment on account of costs is required. Costs are generally subject to VAT at the rate of 19.6%.

I accept personal cheques in all major currencies, credit/debit cards and bank transfers. Please read the online payments Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Where the sale is cancelled before I have had the opportunity to inspect the initial contract and telephone you to discuss the same, I will refund you in full or, if you prefer, carry over the fees which you have paid me to your next purchase.

If I have already inspected and commented to you the reservation contract and you decide not to proceed with your purchase, or the sale falls through due to no fault on your part, I will roll over my costs to your next French property purchase.

Yes, you should appoint your own solicitor to protect your interests. Buying property in France can be a risky business. Charges, encumbrances and other debts may never have been registered, a deposit may be paid to someone purporting to be owner who subsequently disappears, or completion cannot take place because the developer has run out of money and declares bankruptcy. It is therefore very much advisable to get independent and impartial advice. As an independent lawyer, I am obliged to comply with strict professional standards, and will get paid regardless of where and from whom the buyer buys. Conversely, the seller of the property will only receive his money if the buyer purchases his property and will therefore be unconcerned about what happens next. Almost identical situation happens with many property agents and notaires: they don't get paid unless a given property is sold and are therefore bound to let their impartiality slip to get a given property sold.

My assistance is independent of the Notary whose intervention is compulsory in the conveyance or inheritance process, as he is a mandatory legal officer who is responsible for drafting Deeds, obtaining the required certificates and statements with regard to charges on the property with Land registry, collecting stamp duty and registry fee for the Inland Revenue. I will assist you through the different stages of the transaction, explain the procedure, its meaning and effects, double-check the legal paperwork and make sure that your interests remain protected. Read more

What exactly should I check when instructing a French solicitor?

2. Is registered as such in France (this is compulsory for all French lawyers);

3. Holds Professional Indemnity Insurance specifically covering advice on French Law.

4. Can officially act for you as "French solicitor" when corresponding with French notaries, banks, etc.

It is indeed usually advisable to draw up a French Will when buying or owning French Property. Please note however that a French Will may not necessarily be suitable. Depending on your personal circumstances, a French Will may be ineffective if it contradicts French Inheritance law for example and it could be more advantageous for you to include a "clause tontine" in the Deed of Sale, or opt for the French matrimonial regime of "Communauté Universelle". This is something I can arrange for you. Read more

Being a qualified solicitor member of the French Law Society, I comply with strict rules of professional conduct and regulations. For your peace of mind, I am covered by full professional indemnity insurance up to € 2.5 Million.

You can expect a competent and efficient service at all times. Telephone messages and emails will normally be responded to within a few hours and letters/faxes within 1-2 working days. You will be advised of steps which need to be taken and informed of progress throughout the transaction. The office will usually be manned between 9 am and 5 pm.

I oversee property transactions across the Country, irrespective of the property's location. Customers are most welcome to meet me at my offices in Aix-en-Provence or Nice, but in most cases no meeting is necessary as all communication is conducted by email, telephone or fax.

In accordance with Article 27 of the Information Technology and Liberties Act, you have a right of access and rectification regarding your personnal data through Fabien Cordiez Avocat & Solicitor at 19 rue de Montigny, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France. Declaration of the site has been made to the National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties (CNIL).

For your information, you may contact us at the following Email address: fabien.cordiez@solicitor.fr