English Speaking Notaires

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 08:53

Some friends have a need to discuss a problem with a notaire (and possibly later with an avocat). Their French is limited, and to have the discussion in French through an intermediary (friend or otherwise) can be dodgy.

Does anyone know of, or has used a notaire in this area who is able (and willing) to discuss a legal problem in English.
I know of one or two notaires who use English a little when conducting house sales/purchases, but legal/civil problems are a different matter.

DavidB

ps
For RogerO (in the Aude).....should you ever need the services of an English-speaking notaire in the Carcassonne region, I know of one who's English is superb.....and he does a good job.

Outie · Post by **Outie** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 09:06

Your friends will be very lucky if they find a notaire who will deal with them in english only on an official level.The best thing would be to find a lawyer in perps(there are a few whom speak english,I do not have the address right now).

Roger O · Post by **Roger O** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 09:09

DavidB wrote:For RogerO (in the Aude).....should you ever need the services of an English-speaking notaire in the Carcassonne region, I know of one who's English is superb.....and he does a good job.

Thank you David but I am fluent enough in French for most situations, having lived in France since 1994 - and my wife Annaïck (we are married since 1981) is French (bretonne, from Concarneau) so we are OK..

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 09:15

Outie wrote: Your friends will be very lucky if they find a notaire who will deal with them in english only on an official level.

Yes, I think you're probably right, it's all a question of how professionally rock-solid the notaire feels dealing in another language.
Still....it's worth asking the question.
Buying and selling a house is different, they can probably do it in their sleep...and some probably do!
DavidB.

john · Post by **john** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 09:37

I think,as Outie says, most notaires will not conduct any official business (eg the signing of the "actes") in anything other than French.

But there are many notaires who are perfectly happy to conduct any "off the record" meetings/advice in English,assuming they are confident enough to do it. There are 3 I know of in Perpignan.

Post by **Kate** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 10:13

There are a couple of English speaking notaires on this page David - both in Perpignan - or Stephen Smith who is a French property law specialist (if it's to do with property) and will presumably deal over the net/on phone

Outie · Post by **Outie** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 11:00

Kate does the chap Mr Smith practise law in France ie his he a french registered lawyer or just an expert/specialist?

Post by **Kate** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 11:19

Registered bilingual lawyer in both France and England as far as I know. Having said that, this is not a recommendation as such as I don't know him - he just sends me legal articles occasionally and seems to know what he is talking about!

http://www.stephensmithfranceltd.com/

Kathy · Post by **Kathy** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 11:59

Our notaire in Ceret spoke perfect english. Maitre Pujila but we have only used him for our house purchase.

Outie · Post by **Outie** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 15:31

Kate the only reason I ask is that many"specialists" are english based(as is Mr Smith if his web site is anything to go by) with french partners here in France,There are very very few that can legally work and pratice both in the UK and France.
There is a really big firm in manchester that we started to use when we bought our first house in thiur,they were specialists in french law but not french lawyers but they had partners in France,which meant two sets of charges which we soon caught on to and stopped the ones in the UK.

mpprh · Post by **mpprh** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 17:37

Hi

These Notaires : www.the-languedoc-page.com/property/notaires.htm
have registered with the notaires web site that they speak English.

Peter

Post by **Kate** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 17:38

Ah - that's interesting. Something worth checking on for people using British legal advisors etc.

David G · Post by **David G** » Fri 07 Mar 2008 20:52

the notaires we used were garrigue-daniemel on the road from Amelie les Bains to Arles sur Tech. Agnes Barbier who is the solicitors clerk, speaks perfect English, Spanish, Catalan and French and she did all our work in English with us, but the final paperwork of course is in French. they did had the name of an interpreter if we had needed it.

DavidB · Post by **DavidB** » Sat 08 Mar 2008 09:08

The particular problem concerned with my original post is not property-related....more to do with a civil law situation.

Thanks for your input, everyone, I'll follow up on your lists as things develop.

DavidB.

David G · Post by **David G** » Sat 08 Mar 2008 09:34

any notaire should be able to cover both conveyancing and civil law. we could have had a will drawn up by the notaire in amelie. good luck anyway

Liliput · Post by **Liliput** » Fri 24 Jun 2022 12:54

Hi, could you give me their details please?

I'm am after an English speaking notaire to sell a house near Carcassonne, all recommendations greatly received.

Also are their fees still 7pc of asking price?

Post by **Kate** » Fri 24 Jun 2022 13:38

Try this guy. Very good reputation - tho not cheap, same as them all I think.
https://anglophone-direct.com/listing/a ... ng-lawyer/

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