Chapter VII: Legal costs

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Article R310

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
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Updated 6 Nov 2023

The article R. 93 applies in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the Wallis and Futuna Islands subject to the following adaptations:

1° For its application in the Wallis and Futuna Islands, 1° of I is deleted;

2° For its application in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the Wallis and Futuna Islands, in 10° of I, the words: "pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2020/1783 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2020 on cooperation between the courts of the Member States in the taking of evidence in civil or commercial matters (taking of evidence) (recast)" are replaced by the words: "in the taking of evidence in civil and commercial matters;

3° 11° of I shall not apply in New Caledonia;

4° For its application in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, 12° of I shall be deleted;

5° For the application in New Caledonia and French Polynesia of 2° of II, the words: "pursuant to Article 696 of the Code of Civil Procedure" are replaced by the words: "pursuant to the locally applicable provisions of civil procedure";

5° bis 3° bis of II of Article R. 93 is not applicable in New Caledonia and French Polynesia;

6° For its application in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, 5° of II is deleted;

7° (Repealed);

8° For its application in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, in 8° of II, the words: "pursuant to Article 23-1 of the Code of Civil Procedure" are replaced by the words: "under the locally applicable provisions of civil procedure";

9° For its application in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the Wallis and Futuna Islands, 9° of II is deleted;

10° For its application in French Polynesia, in 10° of II, the words: "pursuant to the fourth and seventh paragraphs of Article 16-11 and the second paragraph of Article 87 of the Civil Code, as well as" are replaced by the words: "pursuant to the locally applicable rules of civil law and";

11° For its application in New Caledonia, 10° of II reads as follows: "Expenses incurred as part of the procedure for identifying deceased persons under locally applicable civil law rules and Article L. 362-1 of the New Caledonian Municipalities Code";

12° For its application in the Wallis and Futuna Islands, in 10° of II, the reference to the last paragraph of Article L. 2223-42 of the General Local Authorities Code is replaced by the reference to Article 814-2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Mariela Petrova

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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

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

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