Inheritance Succession

[BettyB]

We are planning to start our new life in Brittany in the near future and have found answers to most of our concerns from this forum.The French Law of Property Inheritance Succession appears to be complicated . We have no children but my husband has two sons from a previous marriage. Our wishes are that one of the sons would not be a beneficiary and our English Will states this. When we move to Brittany can we legally make the same wish? If anyone can advise we would be very grateful.

[Llwyncelyn]

BettyB snap save for the fact that my wife has two children from two previous marriages and we too have organised within the UK a discretionary trust which prohibits one of the children benefitting from the will.

However in saying that it does not mean that we are absolutely ring-fenced for we live in France and here you cannot just at a stroke of a pen ensure that same child does not benefit.  Blame it on the Napoleonic codes. In fact I am fairly certain that you cannot!

There are lots and lots (and I mean lots) of threads of this forum on the same subject.

I am sure the advice would be to take appropriate legal advice..................?

If you find a cast iron guarantee process which covers the point you are making then please let me know.

rdgs

[Will]

In a word, under French law you cannot disinherit children. People try all sorts of ways to get round this, but any attempt to tie up property in trusts (which France does not recognise anyway) or companies or any other dodge can be challenged, invariably successfully, by either the children or the authorities.

[BettyB]

Thank you for your replies Will and Llwyncelyn unfortunately this could make things rather difficult.

Kindest Regards BettyB