Legal

Protecting your interests
 

Buying a property or establishing a business in any country requires the specialist legal assistance of highly-trained professionals suitably experienced in such matters. Though at Baguette we are not authorised to provide this assistance we have though, over the years, accumulated a list of thorough professionals. We can put Baguette clients in touch with such a professional and we will of course translate and/or interpret as needed.

Investors require clear, impartial advice prior to, and during, the acquisition process to avoid potential and costly mistakes. It makes sense and it gives confidence. In other countries, both vendor and acquirer engage their own legal advisor to act in their interests, yet many non-indigenous acquirers of a French property fail to insist on having their own advisor. Why is this ? Often, because they have been purposely misled (being told that it is the custom in France) or they allow themselves to be carried away on a wave of false bonhomie. It is not just permissible to have your own legal advisor, it is definitively encouraged (both vendor and acquirer can nominate their own notaire, at no extra cost.

♦ Notaires (notaries)- highly-trained state officials authorised to accomplish the preparation and authentication of all acts of property purchase, plus any other act requiring registration, such as donations, life-time transfers, acts of adoption and rent contracts. Their secondary, but no less important, role is to advise in respect to inheritance tax planning and French succession law. Their remuneration is calculated according to a scale of charges established by parliamentary decree.

♦ Avocats (solicitors) – equally highly-trained professionals and similarly authorised to accomplish the same as a notaire, plus further to the notaire, they represent a client in court. They are not regulated in their fee structure.

♦ Fiscalistes (tax & business lawyers) – similar to and sharing avocat status, fiscalistes are vital for the sure-footed establishment of any business enterprise. Similar to the avocat they can represent a client in court.

♦ Experts Comptables (chartered accountants) - as elsewhere, can advise business creators as to how best to go about starting up :

The type of company to establish Project financing Budget and cash-flow forecasts Employment regulations TVA (VAT) registration Optimising tax relief and of course preparation of year-end results.

Similar to notaires and avocats, comptables can prepare company statutes and accomplish the business registration formalities.

We are able to put entrepreneurs in touch with competent accountants.

Baguette as Registered Translators & Interpreters
♦ As accredited English-French-English translators and interpreters we are authorised to operate within all French courts of law and appeal.

Please contact us at info@baguettesolutions.com for the full description of this & other services, plus our terms.