This is why you should use an avocat for a French property purchase

If you’re buying a French property then don’t overlook the importance of using an avocat to advise you and protect your interests

As you may well know, other than the seller and the buyer, there are usually two people involved in a real estate purchase: the agent and the notaire. But what you may not know is how important it is to be also assisted by an avocat.

Indeed, the process to buy a property is very specific and filled with legal implications that may have major repercussions for you during the transaction and in the future.

Under French law, the purchase of a property is a two-step legal process; you first sign a compromis de vente – your intention to buy – and then, a few months later, you sign the final purchase deed with a notaire.

So, even if one of the notaire’s responsibilities is to help you understand the legal terms in the act, it is always wise to have a second opinion from a different legal professional: an avocat. This is all the more appreciable when you consider that notaires don’t act for clients – their duty is ‘to the transaction’ and to make sure everything is done and recorded properly. An avocat however, acts for their client and protects their interests.

In other words, you cannot expect the same level of advice from a notaire as you would from a French avocat. For example, if you buy a property through a real estate agent, the notaire is only involved at the last stage of signing the final purchase deed.

Having an avocat with you at this stage will guarantee that you ask the right questions and receive the correct answers.

If a problem arises, more often than not, your avocat will have encountered them in previous transactions and will be able to give you the best possible advice on how to resolve the matter.

As it is important that you understand everything that is happening, your avocat will take the necessary time, to help you understand the documents you are signing which are usually only in French.

At BRIGHT AVOCATS we have worked with many clients looking to purchase properties in France. As we have both a counsel and a litigation department, our firm can deal with every aspect of your purchase.

In our extensive experience assisting English clients with their French property purchase, it is often the presence of an avocat that facilitates the process for all involved parties. Notaires especially appreciate our involvement, as we make sure that you have all the information and documents required in order to be ready for the final signature.

The intervention of an avocat when purchasing property can also save you a great deal of money and heartache in the future too. As BRIGHT AVOCATS also deal with inheritance law, as well as property rights and marital regimes, we will also be able to advise you on the best way to buy the property, based on your own personal situation and your desires for the future.

Lastly, as we appreciate how important it is to be able to react quickly BRIGHT AVOCATS will answer any and all the questions you may have, usually within 24 hours of receiving them.

Bright Avocats are French-trained bilingual avocats that practice throughout the south-west of France. They advise on real estate transactions, but also practise construction law, inheritance, tax planning, family law, corporate and commercial law, labour law and criminal law.

16 place Saint-Georges 31000 Toulouse – 05 61 87 90 86

www.brightavocats.com – [email protected]