WHY USE US
Legally qualified in both the UK & France, Our principal is a member of the Franco-British Lawyers Society. Naturally we are fully bilingual & perhaps as importantly bi-cultural. Years of experience assisting clients to realise their real estate ambitions in France whilst working as the 'in house'' French lawyers for UK based solicitors merge with hands on experience of working in France within the French system. All these factors combine to equip us with a specialist understanding of not only French & British law linked with French succession & tax issues but how these impact upon non-French purchasers, vendors and owners of French real estate. We pride ourselves on having refined tried and tested methodology designed to bring the best out of the individuals and mechanisms you will encounter as you travel through the French conveyancing process. This combination enables us to deliver a highly professional totally independent personalised service the first principal of which is to safeguard your interests.
Areas of legal specialisation
Our service includes
- Corresponding with the estate agent
- Reviewing mandat de recherche (agent's mandate to seek or sell property on you behalf)
- Liaison with surveyors
- Advice on the most suitable legal framework for your purchase & ownership in your individual circumstances
- Introduction to and liaison with the appointed notaire
- Searches into title, pre-emptive rights, charges, environment, & obtaining registered plan
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- Reviewing and submitting full written report on the initial contracts
- French succession advice/inheritance & tax planning with full written report
- Drafting suspensive clauses and negotiating insertion into initial contract
- Advice on payment of deposit
- Comprehensive liaison with notaire
- Arranging power of attorney should you not be completing in person
- Making completion arrangements
- Accompaniment on completion by special arrangement
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WHAT WE DO FOR YOU
For the benefit of our clients we bring the latest in technology to the legal & conveyancing process. This enables us to conduct searches and provide you with essential information in the most thorough & expeditious way possible whilst allowing you to track the progress of your transaction on line at your convenience. Notwithstanding these innovations we view technology as an aid and not a substitute for providing a hands-on approach, all our clients receive personalised and individual attention.
Below is a resumé of the legal process and what we do at every stage.
Stage 1
Pre-purchase advice & written report on the most advantageous vehicle for purchase & ownership of your French property, in the case of both sale and purchase, advice concerning capital gains tax.
Stage 2
Examination and written report on the content of the draft initial contract prior to signature, including negotiation with agent/notaire in respect of contractual queries or conditions precedent considering individual requirements.
Stage 3
We conduct independent local authority and charges register searches (separate to those to be carried out by the notaire at a later stage) examining particular planning questions as they arise.
Stage 4
We liaise with the notaire, forward personal details, copy mortgage offers where applicable, provide an on going conduit of relevant information, anticipating the notaires requirements to seamlessly speed the process through to a stress free conclusion. We have excellent working relationships with notaires throughout France and have dealt with many on a repeat basis.
Stage 5
Where appropriate, further examination of your tax & inheritance position, liaison with the notaire as to content of the deed of sale, arranging proxies where appropriate, commission of marriage contract/insertion of clause tontine/ constitution of SCI, insertion of clauses based on agreements arrived at between the parties, arranging the completion date, obtaining the completion statement, examination of and full written report on the deed of sale.(acte de vente)
Stage 6
Should there not be agent involved, we can arrange changeover of utilities and takeover of vendor’s existing insurance where applicable.
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About Us
We are a small specialist firm dealing exclusively with French law. Our dual legal qualification LLB (U K) Maitrise en droit in Notarial law (France) combine with our linguistic skills and experience to position us strategically to look after the interests of clients seeking advice on French legal and property related matters.
Your project is unique, our services tailor made. We will examine your objectives, explore your options, thoroughly explain the French legal procedures, and work out the most effective way of protecting your interests.
Satisfied clients are our greatest asset. Therefore we work hard to ensure that you get the service you want. We deliver the peace of mind that you are engaged with a pro-active & specialist French property law firm whose aim is to turn your aspiration into realization.
Our comprehensive French legal advice provides in depth written reports at every stage of your transaction and is coupled with an individualised, friendly service delivering the highest level of specialist expertise. We aim to provide efficient solutions to both potential difficulty and new opportunity alike.
Our guarantee: no member of our small highly qualified team delegates to junior staff and only at extremely busy times will you diverted to voice mail during office hours. even then our system will alert us to your call and we will ring you back, usually within the hour. We offer an independent personalised service harnessing advanced technology to deliver the swiftest possible responses and on line access to your personal file. We will be with you every step of the way.
At AFL we take our duty of care very seriously. For this reason and for your total peace of mind and ultimate protection we carry professional indemnity insurance to cover any individual claim of up to £1,000.000
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PROBATE
Regardless of where the deceased was domiciled we can advise on matters of the French estate and liaise with the domestic lawyer acting in the matter.
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BUSINESS START UP/ ACQUISITION OF EXISTING CONCERN
Each proposed enterprise is very individual and has by definition to be bespoke tailored for you in consideration of the French legal system and the particular project.
We would be pleased to examine the enterprise with you in conjunction, if appropriate, with our French advocate associates in Paris, Toulouse or near our offices in Montpellier
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COMPANY FORMATIONS
The S.C.I (société civile Immobilière) is a French property owning company. Please refer to the ' Legal process ' page under ' Best vehicle for purchase and ownership '.
All companies are by legislation custom built in France the S.A.R.L. & E.U.R.L are common forms of private limited liability companies individually formed to cater for specific commercial needs on many occasions linked to the ownership of realty. We would be pleased to act on this type of company formations in connection with commercial acquisition, or as a separate issue, each case will need to be examined individually.
Historically France has not always been perceived as an attractive investment opportunity, relatively high corporation tax and social security contributions coupled with an alternative approach to labour laws have not endeared themselves to some foreign investors yet there have always been opportunities for S.M.E's with the right idea, indeed only recently changes have enabled private investors to set up limited companies with nominal share capital further expanding the potential to reap the rewards of entrepreneurial endeavour whilst benefiting from French life style and ambiance. Should you be considering business start up or acquisition you should be aware of all the implications and statutory obligations. We would be pleased to talk you through the processes and examine the proposed enterprise with you.
CAPITAL GAINS TAX
Non-French vendors and/or prospective vendors of French real estate should plan the disposal with care as there are numerous legal and taxation pitfalls to be avoided in the process please do not hesitate to call for a preliminary discussion.
