English speaking french lawyer in Normany

[EGisvold]

Hi,

 

We are looking for a good englih speaking french laywer in Normandy to help us set up all legal contracts etc. when we buy our house there. Do anyone have an email address to one they have usedand have good references for?

 

Kind regards

Espen Gisvold

 

[Causette]

Depends where you are buying/have bought, but I know of a couple of English speaking notaires in eastern Calvados.  There are also a couple of people (English with fluent French,and fully registered and insured to do the work) working as translators where the notaire isn't English speaking.

E-mail me if you are interested,

Judy M (14)

[Will]

I know of one in southern Manche.

The French system isn't the same as the English system where buyer and seller use their own lawyers - in France the notaire handling the transaction is an independent government-appointed official and thus impartial. There's no reason why two notaires cannot share the work, but this only adds to bureaucracy and can be interpreted as a lack of trust in the originally-appointed notaire.

If you buy through a decent agent immobilier then translation should be included in the fees. In another topic people are wondering what the agent does for the 7% (paid by the buyer, usually included in the selling price, so the agent is working for you rather than the seller) - translation is just one of those things.

[Cheron]

[quote]I know of one in southern Manche. The French system isn't the same as the English system where buyer and seller use their own lawyers - in France the notaire handling the transaction is an independe...[/quote]

To protect the buyer, many notaires will not accept translation by anyone involved in the sale of the property, and often insist on a sworn translator appointed by them.  Rules out the agency doing a translation, free or otherwise!

[Scarlett]

" in France the notaire handling the transaction is an independent government-appointed official and thus impartial."

Don't you believe it!!  Most of them have a more than nodding acquaintance with the local politicians, architects, etc.  You won't pay any more by appointing your own notaire (preferably someone outside of the other one's canton), and it might avoid a "conflict of interest" shall we say, where the commune / maire's son / daughter / second cousin once removed etc etc might want to buy what you're interested in ... 

As for translation, you have every right to invite a third party to a signing (compromis, acte authentique etc), as long as the seller doesn't object to the person in question .. make sure you get someone perfectly bilingual and not shy of asking possibly awkward questions!

PS: Don't believe a word anyone tells you if they won't confirm it in unambiguous writing.

[Will]

I stand by what I wrote in reply to the original post.

We have all heard the horror stories, and many people love a conspiracy theory. But the vast majority of French notaires and agents immobiliers are straightforward, honest and helpful.

Anybody who definitely knows otherwise should inform the proper authorities rather than make vague accusations on an anonymous forum.

[Scarlett]

Honestly, Will!

Knowing something to be true (as in having had real life experience of it) and proving it to be true are often two different things.

99% of the time I would go along with you - most notaires are fairly straightforward,  honest and helpful, except when there is a conflict of interest.  Now who do you think they're going to favour - the guy in the town hall, his friend the architect, his brother-in-law or you, the complete outsider with no discernible local or regional influence or power?

You can try complaining to the competent authority, but they are state appointed fonctionaries too, and bat for the same team. Why do you think there are horror stories out there?  Loads of people with over-fertile imaginations, or because these things really do happen?

[EGisvold]

I did not ask because I believe Notaries to be crocks or unfair (I'm sure there are bad apples there as here or anywhere) but because we do have some issues (kids from previous marriages etc) that we want to take care of, AND we want to discus and be explained in English (I might have preferred Norwegian, but I have decided that instead of the best possible solution, I'll go for the best solution possible)

 

Espen

 

[Causette]

Hi Espen,  Yes, I should imagine that a Norwegian speaking French lawyer might be difficult to find !

Another solution might be to contact an English firm specialising in French law.  One I know of is either Matthew Cameron or Kathie Murray-Lacey at Pretty's solicitors in Ipswich ( www.prettys.co.uk)  (I have no financial connection with this firm at all), but doubtless others can recommend other firms... 

Judy M (14)