Fees: understanding the cost of your deed

What “notary fees” are made up of

The sums paid when a notarial deed is signed mainly include:

• duties and taxes collected on behalf of the State and local authorities;
• disbursements, which are the sums paid by the office on the client’s behalf to various parties and administrations;
• the notary’s remuneration, which, depending on the nature of the service, consists of regulated fees (émoluments) or agreed fees (honoraires).

The notary’s remuneration is therefore governed by two separate regimes, depending on the nature of the service provided: the regulated tariff and freely agreed fees.

01. The regulated tariff

For many deeds, the notary’s remuneration is set by a tariff fixed by the State. The sums received by the notary under this tariff are called émoluments (regulated fees).

Depending on the service provided, these regulated fees may be:

• proportional, when they are calculated on the value stated in the deed;
• fixed, when a set amount is provided for by the regulations.

The regulated tariff applies in particular to many deeds in real estate, family and inheritance matters. It is set by Articles L. 444-1 et seq., R. 444-1 et seq. and A. 444-53 et seq. of the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce).

Consult the notaries’ regulated tariff

For full information on the regulated fees applicable to deeds and services covered by the tariff, please consult the document setting out the regulated tariff of the notarial profession.

Consult the notaries’ regulated tariff (PDF in French, 2.5 MB)

02. Agreed fees

Services outside the regulated tariff

Some services provided by the notary do not fall under the regulated tariff and give rise to fees freely agreed between the office and the client (honoraires). Depending on the matter, these may include certain services in the following areas:

• Real estate law: consultations, negotiations, valuations or specific transactions not covered by the regulated tariff.
• Family and estate planning law: consultations and specific legal or estate planning studies.
• Business and company law: formation and amendment of companies, transactions involving shares or businesses, commercial leases and legal support for businesses.
• Legal consultations: consultations requiring specific analysis, research or an in-depth legal study.

In accordance with Article L. 444-1 of the French Commercial Code, these fees take into account, according to custom, the client’s situation, the difficulty of the matter, the costs incurred, the professional’s reputation and the work carried out.

Prior and transparent information

Where the office’s work gives rise to freely agreed fees, their amount or the method used to determine them is communicated to the client before the office starts work.

A written fee agreement sets out in particular the amount or method of determining the fees for the foreseeable work and, where applicable, the costs and disbursements envisaged.

Contact the office for an estimate

Common services and how they are charged

How common services are charged

Service	How it is charged
Property sale and purchase	Regulated fees, duties and disbursements
Promise to sell (promesse de vente)	Fees set by agreement, duties and disbursements
Mortgage loan with a contractual mortgage or a lender’s statutory special mortgage (hypothèque légale spéciale du prêteur de deniers)	Regulated fees and registration costs
Marriage contract, PACS agreement, change of matrimonial regime	Regulated fees
Gift, gift-partition, notarial will	Regulated fees and any duties
Estate: affidavit of heirship, property transfer certificate, estate tax return, division	Regulated fees and inheritance tax
Company formation, articles of association, transfer of shares or of a business	Depending on the deed: regulated fees or fees set by agreement
Legal consultation, estate planning advice, negotiation	Freely agreed fees, under a prior agreement

03. When several notaries are involved

Each party remains free to choose its own notary, even when the other party has already appointed one.

For the deeds concerned, the involvement of several notaries does not multiply the regulated fees. They are shared between the notaries involved in accordance with the rules applicable to the profession.

You can therefore be assisted by the notary of your choice without paying a second regulated fee merely because that notary is involved.

04. Need an estimate?

The cost of a transaction depends in particular on its nature, its value, its complexity and the work required to complete it.

The office is available to give you, before you commit, all useful information on the foreseeable cost of your matter. For services giving rise to freely agreed fees, the terms of the office’s remuneration are agreed with the client before the office starts work.

A payment on account of costs is requested before signing. Once the formalities are complete, a final statement is sent to you and any overpayment is refunded.

Request an estimate

The specific case of a property purchase

When buying an existing home, duties and taxes generally account for the vast majority of the purchase costs; the office’s regulated fees and the disbursements make up a much smaller share. For new builds, the duties are lower, which explains the “reduced costs”. The costs of securing a loan (contractual mortgage or lender’s statutory special mortgage) are added when the bank requires it.

Display of fees and payment

In accordance with the regulations, the fees charged by the office are displayed at the office and provided on request. Payments are made by bank transfer to the office’s account; the bank details are sent to you directly by the office, never by a third party.

Frequently asked questions about costs

The information on this page is for general information only. The notaries’ tariff and tax rules change over time: only the estimate prepared by the office for your matter is binding.