Paragraph 2: Exercise of the reduction

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Article 924-4

French Civil CodeIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

After prior discussion of the assets of the debtor of the indemnity in reduction and in the event of the latter's insolvency, the heirs with reserve may bring an action in reduction or revendication against the third party holders of the immovables forming part of the gifts and alienated by the donee.The action is brought in the same way as against the donees themselves and according to the order of the dates of the alienations, starting with the most recent. It may be brought against third party holders of movable property where article 2276 cannot be invoked.

Where, on the day of the gift or subsequently, the donor and all the presumptive reserved heirs have consented to the alienation of the property given, no reserved heir, even one born after the consent of all the interested heirs has been obtained, may bring an action against the third-party holders. In the case of bequeathed property, this action can no longer be exercised when the heirs subject to the reserve have consented to the alienation.

Mariela Petrova

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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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