Common French Terms - French Estate on Death

Administration of a French Estate on Death

Tthe administration of a French estate following a death can be a complex process, to help you we have translated the most common terms you are likely to encounter.  For advice on administering French estates contact a member of our French Property team. 

abattement (m) : “nil-rate band” allowance
acte (m) de décès : death certificate
acte (m) de notoriété : document prepared by the Notaire confirming the beneficiaries of a deceased’s estate
action (f) en réduction : right against a deceased’s estate where the deceased has gifted to other beneficiaries more than his quotité disponible
action (f) en retranchement : right of a beneficiary to make a claim against the deceased’s estate
attestation (f) immobilère : notarial document confirming to the Land Registry in France the passage of ownership of a property belonging to a deceased person
bénéficiaire : beneficiary
compte (m) bancaire : bank account
déclaration (f) de succession : inheritance tax account
droits de succession : inheritance tax
exécuteur (m) testamentaire : person nominated to oversee the administration of an estate for one year (not an identical role to that of an English executor)
forfait (m) mobilier : value attributed to movable items in the deceased’s estate (declared at 5% of the gross value of the whole estate brought into account for French inheritance tax)
héritier (m) : heir
héritier (m) réservataire : heir entitled by law to a portion of the deceased’s estate
l’assurance (f) vie : life insurance
légataire (m,f) à titre universel : legatee of a share in the estate of a deceased person
légataire (m,f) particulier/particulière : specific legatee (including a cash legacy)
légataire (m,f) universel/universelle : residuary legatee
legs (m) : legacy
nue-propriétaire (m,f) : interest in property in remainder, following termination of a prior interest (such as an usufruit)
prélèvement (m) d’organes : organ donation
quotité (f) disponible : portion of a deceased’s estate over which he has freedom to distribute as he wishes
quotité (f) réservée : portion of deceased’s estate which is reserved for inheritance by certain family members
rente (f) viagère : annuity
testament (m) : Will
testament (m) authentique : Will in notarial form
testament (m) holographe : handwritten Will
usufruit (m) : the right granted to someone to occupy a property or receive the rents from it. Similar, but not identical, to a life interest under English law
 

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