Section 1: Definitions and scope of application

Articles in this section · 4

Article L221-2

French Consumer CodeIn force

Updated 8 Nov 2023

Excluded from the scope of this chapter are:


<1° Contracts relating to social services, including social housing, child and family support, with the exception of the personal services mentioned in article L. 7231-1 of the French Labour Code;


2° Contracts relating to health services provided by health professionals to patients to assess, maintain or restore their state of health, including the prescription, dispensing and supply of medicines and medical devices;


3° Contracts relating to gambling mentioned in the Article L. 320-6 of the Internal Security Code and transactions relating to betting;


4° Contracts relating to financial services;


5° Contracts relating to a tourist package, within the meaning of article L. 211-2 of the Tourism Code;


6° Contracts relating to timeshare contracts, long-term holiday product contracts and resale and exchange contracts mentioned in articles L. 224-69 and L. 224-70;


7° Contracts drawn up by a public official;


8° Contracts for the supply of foodstuffs, beverages or other everyday household goods, which are physically delivered by a professional on frequent and regular rounds to the consumer's home or place of residence or work;


9° Contracts for passenger transport services, with the exception of the provisions of Article L. 221-14 ;


10° Contracts concluded by means of automatic vending machines or automated commercial sites;


11° Contracts concluded with telecommunications operators for the use of public telephone booths or concluded for the purpose of a single connection by telephone, internet or fax, in particular value-added services and products accessible by telephone or text message;


12° Contracts relating to the creation, acquisition or transfer of real estate or rights in real estate, the construction of new buildings, the major conversion of existing buildings or the rental of a dwelling for residential purposes;

13° Contracts relating to property sold on seizure or in any other way by authority of law.

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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