We act as a CONDUIT between you and your objectives in France.

'Just wanted to say a big thank you to Samantha for assisting us with our French property purchase. Samantha helped us understand the issues we faced and kept us sane while we got to grips with them. We are delighted with our purchase and no doubt would have abandoned it halfway through if it wasn't for Samantha's professionalism and brutal honesty. Thank you, Samantha.' Graham Boulger, Gironde, France.

'The process of buying a house in France is no walk in the park. I would not recommend doing it without the expert knowledge and help of Samantha. She makes a complicated process easy to understand and smooth sailing.' Davis Brooks, Landes, France.

'A big thank you to Samantha for her attention to detail whilst buying my first French house. She absolutely knows what she is doing and made the entire process painless for me. I cannot highly recommend enough that you make her your first point of call as soon as you start the buying process. 100% first class service.' Di Dunford, Charente, France.

'We cannot recommend the services of Samantha highly enough. She does a wonderful job of making sure you are fully aware of what you are getting with your house purchase and making sure all relevant parties tow the line.' Carianne Smith-Hamilton, Charente, France.

'I completed on my house yesterday. I hired the services of Samantha to lead me through this legal and administrative minefield and I couldn't be happier with having made that decision. As a cross between guide, counsellor, fixer, emotional support and attack dog, she made the whole thing a walk in the park for me. If you are thinking of doing something similar, I would heartily recommend that you have this legal Gurkha on your side.' Byron Hunte, Aude, France.

'What can I say? We really put Samantha through her paces and she came through every time. And we got the keys to our dream home in France. We would definitely recommend Samantha. We couldn't have done it without her.' Steve Dulieu & Sam Russell, Lot-et-Garonne, France.

'Samantha was extremely knowledgeable and efficient in dealing with our property purchase and helped us greatly in tackling some points which were very unclear.'

Emma Cranny, Vendée, France.

'Having Samantha's opinion, double checking planning permission, translating contracts, etc, gave us peace of mind - worth every penny which meant that we could sleep at night! I would highly recommend Samantha to anyone who is in the process of buying a French property.' Claire Gask, Lot-et-Garonne, France.

'I want to thank Samantha for her diligence, dogged determination, expertise and competence. Samantha saved us from making a hugely expensive and ultimately terrible mistake. If you want a professional to guide you through the French purchasing process, rectify potential issues...Sam has given us piece of mind, ensured we are legally and legitimately protected and our dream of a new adventure in France restored.' Jo Richardson, Lot-et-Garonne, France.

'We'd like to thank Samantha for her help, guidance and true professionalism. We sincerely believe that we couldn't have purchased our property without her and we would strongly recommend her services to anyone.' Mandy Ellis, Dordogne, France.

'If you're looking for help when buying in France, I cannot recommend Samantha highly enough. She helped us through every step of the process, translated the bizarre phrases and jargon into understandable processes, flagged up any issues, went above and beyond by contacting the Mairie regarding some questions, was available anytime we called her to answer our questions and has become a valuable contact whilst living here in France.' Mike Yuille, Tarn, France.

'I can't thank Samantha enough for her excellent guidance through the purchase of our French house. Always an immediate response/reply with ourselves and the agent. Samantha ensured that we made the right choices for us, that we understood the choices we made and ensured that this was actioned by the Notaire. We were so lucky to find her and would certainly recommend her services.' Claire Birch, Vienne, France.

'Samantha pushed the elephant all the way up the hill in my property purchase. She even managed to get the estate agency to reduce their fees for poor service, saving me money! I would highly recommend Samantha's services when purchasing property in France.' Gary Martin, Charente, France.

'We've just completed (on our house in France)! Many thanks, Samantha, for your prompt, knowledgeable and friendly service checking the 'compromis' and 'acte de vente' and chasing agent/Notaire on our behalf.' Bridget Beer, Deux-Sèvres, France.

'Thank you, Samantha, for your speedy and efficient response to my property issue. Your help was invaluable in sorting out a problem which could have potentially jeopardised my house purchase.' Suzanna Clarke, Sydney, Australia.

'Samantha checked through the diagnostic reports and compromis pointing out a number of omissions and concerns. Her service was thorough and worth every penny.' Tim Willmott, Haute Vienne, France.

'I strongly recommend Samantha's legal services. She took just a few months to solve a seemingly intractable legal problem that had been dragging on in France for years. She showed great skill and determination and is well worth having on your side.' John Ingham, Daily Express, London.

'Samantha has been hugely helpful in resolving annoying snagging issues relating to the settlement of my late parents' estates in France. She nullified a summons from a bank and then liaised with insurance and utility providers on my behalf to tidy up loose ends. I've valued not just her language skills but also her ability to cut through French bureaucracy and solve real problems very quickly.' Ben Emm, Hertfordshire, UK.

We offer the following services:

BUYING property in France? We'll manage the purchase process working alongside the Notaire and/or estate agent in France to deliver the best deal for you. We'll explain the terms of the pre-sales agreement ('compromis de vente') and the final title deed ('acte de vente') to ensure that your best interests are protected. We'll examine the mandatory diagnostic reports and make enquiries with the local authorities so that you know exactly what you are buying. This groundwork could save you a major headache in the future. For example, a windfarm could be planned within view of your dream house, a contractor could have been been granted planning permission to build an apartment complex next door or your potential neighbours could have right of way through your garden!

SELLING property in France? We'll find an estate agent and report back to you on their progress ensuring that they are working hard to sell your property. We'll also manage the sale on your behalf as above. We will ensure that the house insurance, gas, electricity, water bills, local 'taxe d'habitation' and 'taxe foncière' are up to date. We'll even find a gardener to cut the grass! Please note that we will not pay the utilities on your behalf but will contact the relevant companies, tax offices to obtain the outstanding amounts of house insurance, tax, water and electricity and transmit these to you.

Confused as to how to STRUCTURE YOUR OWNERSHIP when you purchase property in France? Should you buy 'en indivision', or 'en tontine'? Do you want your dreaded stepchildren to inherit your French property or do you want to end up sharing ownership with them? We'll explain the pros and cons of different types of ownership depending on your circumstances.

'Succession' (INHERITANCE) matters: Do you own property in France with your spouse who is recently deceased? Or have you inherited property from deceased parents? We will contact the French Notaire to arrange for the property to be transferred to you (and your children, if applicable) and for the mandatory inheritance taxes to be paid. We will ensure that the Notaire instructs the French bank(s) to close accounts of the deceased and transfer the funds to the heirs. We will manage the 'succession' process to give you peace of mind. Please note that 'succession' matters in France can take years to conclude (one client had been trying to obtain his inheritance from his late uncle for nine years! The Notaire was obstructive and refused to be pressured into concluding the matter. That is until we came along...).

DIVORCE: TRANSFER SHARE OF FRENCH PROPERTY to ex-spouse: We will manage the process working alongside the Notaire who will arrange transfer of ownership.

FEES: We offer a fixed fee service which is agreed before we proceed with any work. We find that clients prefer to know in advance that they will not be surprised by increasing demands for payment. Our service is transparent from the start. 

HOW WE BILL: We require a non-refundable minimal payment before we will proceed with any work on your behalf. Depending on the matter, the amount will vary and will be deducted from any fixed fee we agree. We will send an interim bill midway through the matter and upon completion the balance of the agreed fee. Please enquire for further information.

WHO WE ARE:  Founder SAMANTHA van DALEN has worked as a clerk at two Notaires in the Charente region since she permanently moved to France and is well placed to offer her experience in French Property and Family law. Since 2015 she has also collaborated with dozens of Notaires on behalf of English-speaking clients to verify that the 'compromis de vente' and 'acte de vente' reflect their interests and to manage their inheritance matters. Samantha has over twenty years of conveyancing, residential sales, lettings and relocation experience in the UK and founded her own relocation company in the City of London. A graduate of Bordeaux University, Samantha is fluent in French. 

Why you NEED OUR HELP: French Notaires do not generally meet buyers or sellers to discuss how to represent their best interests in property transactions or succession matters. Due to their excessive workloads and difficulty in retaining support staff, files can languish on a Notaire's desk for months. The Notaire is foremost a civil servant whose responsibility is the transfer of property from Person A to Person B and like everyone, they can make mistakes.

WHERE WE ARE: We are based in the Charente, France. Samantha travels frequently across France to assist clients.

WHAT WE DON'T DO: We do not handle contentious matters. We work exclusively with French Notaires on property purchases, sales and succession matters. If you require assistance on a contentious issue in France, you will need an 'avocat'. We can recommend an English-speaking 'avocat' in France.

We do not draft French Wills. This is best done by your own UK solicitor. If you own assets in France, you should register a handwritten copy of your French will with the local Notaire.

We have dealt with dozens of Notaires some of whom do not have a clue regarding BRUSSELS IV, a European regulation passed in 2015, which allowed British citizens who own property in France to have their assets in France administered under the law of their nationality (i.e. English, Scottish etc.) provided that they have made wills to this effect. However subsequent legislation was passed in August 2021 which allows children to contest their parents' wills. It is therefore imperative to obtain the correct advice on structuring ownership of French property and find a Notaire who is sympathetic and can execute your wishes. We can help you find a competent Notaire who can administer the estate of a relative/spouse or to help draft your will.

             Founder, Samantha van Dalen: