How can I free up French livret A inheritance from UK resident?
A reader鈥檚 bank suggested they find a 鈥楤ritish notary鈥� to draw up a suitable document; but is this the best option?
Freeing up a livret A inheritance from a UK resident is not a straightforward process, we look at how it can be done
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Reader question: I am due inheritance including money from a livret A but Cr茅dit Agricole says it needs an acte de notori茅t茅 to close the account and transfer the proceeds. A notaire said that, due to Brexit, notaires cannot provide this if someone dies in the UK. The person concerned lived in England. The bank suggested I find a 鈥楤ritish notary鈥�. Can you advise?
An acte de notori茅t茅 is a legal document that, as you say, is usually supplied by a notaire. It proves a person鈥檚 rights as an heir to property in the estate of a deceased individual.
In the UK there is a legal profession called a notary public and you can find them .
However, our columnist John Kitching of French Law Consultancy said they are not necessarily the right port of call as they have a more limited remit than French notaires.
A standard solicitor would also not know what to do, he said, but a UK-based French law specialist, such as he is, would be able to assist.
They would look at the will 鈥� if there is one 鈥� and work out who is entitled to the estate, and explain this in French in a document called a certificat de coutume de la d茅volution successorale, which replaces the acte de notori茅t茅 in a format that a French bank will understand.
鈥淲e confirm the validity of the will, or who inherits if there is none, and explain why, and which law applies.鈥�
The cost and complexity of doing this is variable on the amount of money in the livret A, he said.
It is often more expensive where sums of more than 鈧�5,000 are involved.
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