Chapter I: Civil solidarity pacts

Articles in this section · 12

Article 515-7

French Civil CodeIn force

Updated 8 Nov 2023

The civil solidarity pact is dissolved by the death of one of the partners or by the marriage of the partners or one of them. In this case, dissolution takes effect on the date of the event.

The civil registrar of the place of registration of the civil solidarity pact or the instrumental notary who registered the pact, informed of the marriage or death by the competent civil registrar, registers the dissolution and arranges for the publicity formalities to be carried out.

The civil solidarity pact may also be dissolved by a joint declaration by the partners or a unilateral decision by one of them.

The partners who decide to terminate the civil solidarity pact by mutual agreement shall deliver or send to the civil registrar of the place of its registration or to the instrumental notary who registered the pact a joint declaration to that effect.

The partner who decides to terminate the civil solidarity pact has this served on the other. A copy of this service is given or sent to the civil registrar of the place of its registration or to the instrumental notary who registered the pact.

The civil registrar or notary registers the dissolution and arranges for the publicity formalities to be carried out.

The dissolution of the civil solidarity pact takes effect, in relations between the partners, on the date of its registration.

It may be invoked against third parties from the day on which the publicity formalities have been completed.

Abroad, the functions entrusted by this article to the civil registrar are carried out by French diplomatic and consular agents, who also carry out or arrange for the formalities provided for in the sixth paragraph.

The partners themselves settle the rights and obligations resulting for them from the civil solidarity pact. Failing agreement, the judge shall rule on the property consequences of the termination, without prejudice to compensation for any damage suffered.

Unless otherwise agreed, claims that the partners have against each other are assessed according to the rules set out in Article 1469. These claims may be set off against the advantages that their holder may have derived from living together, in particular by not contributing to the extent of his means to the debts contracted for the needs of everyday life.

Mariela Petrova

Need help applying this article to your situation?

A registered French Lawyer explains what applies to your business — in English, fixed fee.

within 48h

Fixed Fee

Talk to a lawyer
Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A Corporate
Lawyer In France.

A 20–30 minute call, in English, to scope the engagement. No obligation, no preliminary fee. You will leave the call with a clear view of what the work will cover and what it will cost.

First EngagementFixed Fee

Talk to a French lawyer.

Reply within 24 hours.

Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

Continue Reading

Related corporate services in France

01 / Setup

Setting up a French company

Choose between SAS, SARL, SA or SCI — and structure your first French entity around how you actually plan to operate.

Read More
02 / Operating

French commercial contracts

Distribution, agency, supply, services and IP licences — drafted around the protections French law actually gives.

Read More
03 / Disputes

Business disputes & litigation

Shareholder conflicts, commercial breaches and pre-litigation strategy — handled by the same team that knows the file.

Read More