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My father, a farmer, has passed away. My parents were married without a prenuptial agreement. My brother is claiming a deferred salary credit against my father’s estate. Will this claim also have to be settled by my mother’s estate?

No. The deferred salary credit is intended to compensate for unpaid assistance provided by a descendant to the farming operator. Since your mother was not herself a farmer, your brother cannot claim a deferred salary credit against her estate. Their matrimonial regime has no impact on this matter.
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My father has passed away. He was the sole owner of a house where he lived with his wife. In his holographic will, he deprived her of her legal rights to the estate and gave her the usufruct of his movable property. Can she continue to live in the house?

Yes. Article 764 of the Civil Code provides for the benefit of the surviving spouse a right of habitation to the accommodation which he occupied as his principal residence at the time of death, and a right of use to the furniture within the latter. It can only be deprived…
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My father has just passed away. He had drawn up his own will and then entrusted it to his notary. For the settlement of the succession, is the depositary notary obliged to record the opening of the will on death and if so, within what time frame?

Yes. The law provides that the notary depositary of the holographic will, draws up a report "on the spot" of the opening and status of the will, specifying the circumstances of its deposit. The original of the will is appended to the minutes. These documents are then maintained in the…
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My brother passed away and I am his sole heir. He didn’t own any property and had €4,000 in his bank account. Am I required to file an inheritance tax return?

Yes. The law requires you to file an inheritance tax return because you are a collateral-line heir and the estate’s value exceeds €3,000 (Article 800 of the French General Tax Code). The inheritance return must include all assets and liabilities of the estate and be submitted to the tax authorities…
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I have drawn up my will and filed it with the notary. I forgot to number the sheets and indicate the contact details of the notary. Is it still valid?

Yes. The conditions of validity of the holograph will are provided for in article 970 of the Civil Code: it must be written by the hand of the testator, dated, and signed. It specifies that it is not subject to any other form.
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