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What happens if you divorce in France?

France, like many European countries, applies a doctrine of property regimes to marital property. If married in France, the couple will elect one of these regimes, which affects how they hold their property during the course of their marriage. The type of regime will be determinative of how property is divided upon divorce, as well as impacting upon issues of bankruptcy and inheritance.

If you are considering or going through a divorce in France, click below for a free initial consultation with one of our expert divorce solicitors.

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Whats the difference between divorcing in England and in France?

The English court has a wide discretion to investigate assets and divide them between the couples. The French courts have no such discretion.

Capital will be divided along the rules of the marital property regime adopted by the parties at the time of their marriage. This is most likely to be separation de biens, in which all property is owned by the person who acquired or earned it, or communauté universelle in which property earned during the marriage is owned equally. There are some variations on these which affect pre-marital assets, but it is most likely that such property would be excluded.

In England, such an agreement will carry some weight when dividing the capital, but may be disregarded or deviated from by the court.

The French courts also very rarely award ongoing spousal maintenance. Though they have the power to order a compensatory payment of capital to balance the difference between the parties earning power, this is a one off payment and will not be designed to keep the financially weaker party at the same standard of living as that enjoyed during the marriage.

Vardags team of top divorce lawyers serving clients in France delivers a bespoke legal service to HNW and UHNW individuals, their families, and businesses.

The information on this website is intended as a guide and does not constitute legal advice. Vardags do not accept liability for any errors in the information on this website, nor any losses stemming from reliance upon the statements made herein. All articles and pages aim to reflect the legal position at time they were published, and may have been rendered obsolete by subsequent developments in the law. Should you require specialist advice, tailored to your situation, please see how Vardags can help you.

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