No whipped cream on someone else's cake 🎂
“Kunnen jullie even checken of mijn (doe-het-zelf-)testament klopt?”Die vraag krijgen we verrassend vaak. Het korte antwoord: nee.Het lange antwoord: nee, want kwaliteit laat je niet achteraf op smaak brengen. Stel je voor: je koopt een taart bij de supermarkt, belt daarna de patissier en vraagt of hij er een Michelin-ster van wil maken.Zo werkt het […]
A forgotten divorce
Joris (50) and Babette (48) decide to divorce after 25 years of marriage. Their two children, Bas and Mark, are 23 and 21 at the time. They quickly agree on the division and record everything in a divorce agreement, drawn up by a lawyer. It states that both the house [...]
House in the name of a minor child
In this article, I want to deal specifically with the purchase of a (second) property in France by minor children, with or without a reserved usufruct in favour of the parents. Is this possible and, if so, what do you have to take into account? Approval Court A purchase by a minor can [...]
Demented or comatose... no longer able to will
The number of people with dementia is increasing. Temporarily in a coma due to an accident. No longer able to will. The importance of the living will or a notarised power of attorney, both for matters in the Netherlands and abroad (within Europe). Following the 2010 World Alzheimer Report, the ANP reported that the number of Dutch people with dementia will [...] within four decades.
Is the European will one less worry for the next of kin?
Every day I receive calls from desperate heirs who cannot get over the proverbial French wall. Who, despite numerous e-mails and phone calls, get virtually or not at all in touch with the French notary. I also frequently hear that - after an initial positive conversation with the notary - radio silence ensues. "It seems like [...]
Protection of heirs from debts
"Political Hague" agrees on new (Dutch) rules accepting inheritance. Taking away a family photo book, for example, will soon no longer be seen as an act of pure acceptance of inheritance. The same applies to giving household effects that have no value to a thrift shop. The Senate agreed to the bill 'protecting heirs from [...]
A house in France from generation to generation.... or not?
Richard and Marion have a beautiful house in France, which they have converted with blood, sweat and tears over the years into a lovely little palace. Complete with a studio where they both pursue their hobbies (Richard does sculpting and Marion paints) with passion. They also have a considerable art collection that is displayed with great [...]
A French will with big implications
I think there are a lot of handwritten French wills floating around in the Netherlands and France, tucked away deep in drawers and cupboards. French notaries, when transferring a property in France, usually conjure up a sheet of paper for you to transcribe: a French will. Indeed, entirely wrongly, many French notaries argue that the Dutch will [...]
A choice for Dutch inheritance law is not a choice for Dutch inheritance tax
More and more Dutch people in France are aware of the fact that from 17 August 2015 you can choose to apply Dutch inheritance law to your estate. Because of this choice of law, despite the fact that you live in France, Dutch inheritance law will always apply. What people often fail to realise is that a [...]
A French will for 95 euros can be costly!
Most Dutch people living in France find it important to arrange everything properly when it comes to inheritance law. Almost always, they opt for Dutch (surviving spouse) inheritance law. This is because a significant proportion of them have children from previous relationships. And that is exactly why it is so important to have our own inheritance law [...].
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