Subsection 4: Rights and obligations of professionals

Articles in this section · 4

Article R444-13

French Commercial codeIn force

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Updated 5 Nov 2023

I.-The professionals referred to in the first paragraph of article L. 444-1 are prohibited from requesting or receiving for services subject to tariffs any sum other than those set by these tariffs.

II.-They are also prohibited from charging or receiving, in respect of the services referred to in the third paragraph of Article L. 444-1, any sum other than the fees stipulated in the fee agreement provided for in that text.

III-These professionals are entitled to reimbursement of sums owed to third parties and paid or advanced by them on behalf of the client or debtor, as the case may be.

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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

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

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15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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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.

02 / Operating

French commercial contracts

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

03 / Disputes

Business disputes & litigation

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