Support for Vulnerable Persons in France
A Parent in France Is Declining. You're Abroad. What Now?
Your mother in Nice can no longer manage her bank accounts. Your father has been diagnosed with a condition that will progressively affect his ability to make decisions. A relative in France is becoming vulnerable, and you’re in London, New York, or Sydney — trying to work out what to do from a distance, in a legal system you don’t understand.
Or perhaps you’re the one living in France. You’re getting older, you’re a foreign national, and you’re starting to think about what happens if you can no longer handle your own affairs. Who will deal with the bank? Who will talk to the doctors? Who will manage the property? And will any of the arrangements you put in place actually work if your family is in another country?
French law provides specific protective measures for these situations — but they don’t work the same way as the systems you may know from home. A UK lasting power of attorney may not be recognised by a French bank. An American healthcare proxy may mean nothing to a French hospital. The protective measures available under French law have their own procedures, their own requirements, and their own limitations.
And when the person concerned, their family, or their assets are spread across borders, the complexity increases significantly.
Why This Is a Former Notary's Area of Expertise
Mandats de protection future, guardianship applications, family authorisations — these instruments are at the heart of notarial practice in France. Julie Gordon spent years drafting and authenticating these documents as a practising notary, and she understands not just the law but the practical reality: how French banks actually respond, what healthcare institutions require, and what the courts expect to see.
As a specialist in international law, she now focuses on the situations where these protective measures need to work across borders — for expatriate families, foreign nationals in France, and anyone whose situation involves more than one country.
Situations We Work With
Every family’s circumstances are different, and the right protective measure depends on the specific situation. Our clients come to us when they are:
Thinking ahead and wanting to put a future protection mandate in place before it’s too late — particularly as a foreign national in France who wants to ensure their wishes are respected
Dealing with a relative in France whose health or autonomy is declining, and needing to understand what protective options exist under French law
Facing guardianship or conservatorship proceedings and needing guidance on the process, the obligations, and what the courts will require
Trying to manage a vulnerable person’s administrative affairs — bank accounts, tax obligations, healthcare decisions, dealings with public authorities — from abroad
Discovering that powers of attorney or protective documents from their home country are not recognised by French institutions
Coordinating between family members in different countries who all need to be involved in decisions about a person in France
Protection planning and succession planning often go hand in hand — if you’re putting a mandate in place, it’s also worth considering how your estate is structured across borders. → International Inheritance & Succession
When protective documents from another country need to be recognised in France — or vice versa — the rules of private international law determine whether and how that can happen. → Private International Law
Contact Us
If someone you care about in France needs protection, or if you want to put arrangements in place for your own future, contact us for a consultation. The sooner these matters are addressed, the more options are available.