Duties of a notary in France are similar to many European legal responsibilities, as he is not acting in the interests of either party in the transaction, but is an official representative of the interests of the state, which, in its turn, strongly protects the buyer. Its function is to confirm that the transaction will be made in accordance with all relevant legal rules and confirms the absolute legality of the transaction, which cannot be challenged. Each Buyer and seller usually have their own notary, notary fees do not vary, and represent about 6 – 7% depending on the amount and cost of the mortgage. For newly built housing – 2.5%. Transaction is prepared by notaries, who are obligated by State to control the correctness of its execution. Notaries check the legal purity of property and are fully responsible for the results of this test. Another important factor: French lawyers have introduced so-called «seven-day cooling period» for the buyer to purchase the object. Even after signing a preliminary contract and therefore reserves the property ( that will be withdrawn from sale ) and making a 10 percent payment (which is done at the same time), the buyer may change his mind within a seven days period and abandon the purchase. The deposit will be fully refunded to the buyer. With this in mind, there is no need to involve a second specialist to work for them, although You might feel more „comfortable“, having Your own notary or European lawyer to clarify the issues arising in the process og legitimizing the acquired property. Asking for advice from Your notary will help avoid difficulties in understanding the nuances of the French law of inheritance; there are ways to address these individual issues. If You want to later transfer the property to Your heirs, You should take the necessary steps to complete the transaction. Notary will tell You what documents You have to prepare and take into account the issue at the final stage of the transaction. Documents necessary for preparation of contract by the notary: passport, certificate of birth, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, and death certificate – for the acquisition of a real estate by a person or if SCI (company for management and sale of property) is not yet ready – (in this case in the preliminary contract, it must be specified that the final purchase will be issued to an SCI)

P.S. All documents must be translated into French and include an apostille.