The issue of who occupies the marital home during divorce proceedings often raises many questions. Who can live in it? Who decides? Is the use free or subject to compensation? How long does it last? How and when is any occupation indemnity paid? This article provides...

Blended families are increasingly common today. With rising divorce and separation rates and the formation of new couples, blended families now represent a significant share of households in France. But this family model, while rich in diversity, also raises many...

The liquidation of co-ownership is a legal process that concerns many people in France, whether following an inheritance, a divorce, or the joint purchase of real estate. This article provides a simple, step-by-step explanation of what co-ownership liquidation is, its...

Placing a child is a serious decision made by a judge when a minor’s safety, health, or development is threatened in their family environment. This measure aims to protect the child while ensuring the rights of both the child and their parents are respected. Here are...

In-home child welfare support (Assistance éducative en milieu ouvert – AEMO) is a central measure in French child protection law. Its purpose is to protect minors at risk while preserving, as much as possible, family ties and the child’s stability within their...

The Juvenile Judge (juge des enfants) plays a central role in France’s child protection system and in court-ordered child welfare measures. At the intersection of family, educational, and judicial concerns, the judge’s foremost duty is to safeguard the best interests...

A matrimonial property regime is the set of legal rules that governs how assets and debts are owned, managed, and divided between spouses during marriage, as well as upon its dissolution (divorce, death, etc.). In France, several regimes exist, each offering specific...

1. What does it mean? The best interests of the child is a central principle of law, which requires that the child's well-being always come first in all decisions affecting him or her. This applies to decisions made by parents, judges, social services or institutions....

When one member of an unmarried couple dies, the question of inheritance rights and legal implications is often complex. Unlike married couples, couples in civil partnerships or cohabiting couples do not enjoy the same legal protections in terms of inheritance. This...

French law provides mechanisms enabling a child or parent to request a change of name or surname in certain well-defined situations. These procedures, governed by the Civil Code and supplemented by recent reforms, aim to reconcile the stability of civil status with...