Section 2: Extradition procedure under ordinary law

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Article 696-10

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

Any person apprehended following an extradition request must be brought before the territorially competent public prosecutor within forty-eight hours. The articles 63-1 to 63-7 are applicable during this period.

After verifying the identity of the person claimed, the Public Prosecutor shall inform him, in a language he understands, of the existence and content of the extradition request against him and advise him that he may be assisted by a lawyer of his choice or, failing that, by a lawyer appointed by the President of the Bar Association, who shall then be informed without delay and by any means. The President of the Bar Association will inform the person concerned that he or she may immediately confer with the appointed lawyer. Mention of this information is made, on pain of nullity of the procedure, in the minutes.

The lawyer may consult the file immediately and communicate freely with the wanted person.

The Public Prosecutor also informs the person claimed that he has the option of consenting to or opposing his extradition and indicates the legal consequences if he consents. He shall inform him that he has the option of waiving the rule of speciality and shall indicate the legal consequences of such waiver.

The Public Prosecutor receives the statements of the person claimed and, if applicable, of his counsel, a record of which is drawn up.

Mariela Petrova

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Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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