Property lawyers in France for seamless real-estate transactions

How property law works in France

Key legal facts for property matters in France

French property law sits at the intersection of private-law formalities and public-law obligations. The dual judicial and administrative court system, mandatory notarial deeds, and specific limitation periods all shape how property matters are handled. Below are the key points you should know before you instruct a property lawyer in France.

Two parallel court systems

France maintains two distinct court orders: the judicial order (tribunal judiciaire, cour d’appel, Cour de cassation) for private matters, and the administrative order (tribunal administratif, cour administrative d’appel, Conseil d’État) for disputes involving public authorities. A property dispute against a local authority or public body may belong to the administrative order, while a private sale or lease dispute belongs to the judicial order. The Tribunal des conflits settles jurisdictional conflicts.

Mandatory representation in civil proceedings

In most civil claims above €10,000 before the tribunal judiciaire, and in all appeals before the cour d’appel, parties must be represented by an avocat (ministère d’avocat obligatoire). Before the Cour de cassation only specialised avocats aux conseils may act. By contrast, parties may appear in person before the tribunal de commerce or tribunal de proximité. Property disputes often exceed the threshold, making a lawyer essential.

Notarial deeds and land registration

Any transfer of real property must be evidenced by an authentic deed drawn up by a notary practising in France to be registered in the land registry (publicité foncière). Notaries are public officers with a monopoly on real-estate conveyancing and collect transfer taxes. A property lawyer can negotiate the contract, conduct due diligence and coordinate with the notary, but cannot replace the notarial deed.

Matrimonial property and forced heirship

Couples who marry without a prenuptial contract are subject to the community of acquests: assets acquired during marriage are community property, while pre-marriage assets remain personal. French succession law also protects descendants through forced heirship, reserving half to three-quarters of the estate depending on the number of children. Property lawyers help structure purchases and inheritance plans within these constraints.

Taxation of non-resident sellers

Non-residents selling French real estate are liable to a 19% income-tax levy on the net capital gain (Article 244 bis A), collected at source by the notary. Social levies of 17.2% apply to non-residents outside the EU/EEA, the UK or Switzerland, while residents of those countries pay 7.5%. Progressive taper relief reduces the taxable gain with each year of ownership.

Key time limit — Property & Real Estate Law

Rental lease actions (unpaid rent and charges) — 3 years. Actions for unpaid rent and charges under a lease are limited to three years.

The data in this page is drawn from official French sources (justice.gouv.fr, legifrance.gouv.fr, impots.gouv.fr, cnb.avocat.fr) and reflects the legal framework as at 2025.

• Organisation of courts and tribunals – justice.gouv.fr
• Conditions of access to the legal profession – CNB
• Limitation periods for employment claims – Code du travail
• Civil and commercial limitation periods – Legifrance
• Consumer debt limitation period – Legifrance
• Succession option period – Legifrance
• Unpaid rent and charges limitation – Legifrance
• Administrative appeal time limit – Legifrance
• Divorce no limitation period – Legifrance
• Court costs and legal aid – justice.fr
• Notary mandatory for real-estate transfers – Legifrance
• Taxation of non-residents on French real-estate gains – impots.gouv.fr