The notary’s office has a faint smell of coffee and paper. Camille, 34, nervously scrolls through her banking app while her brother and sister fight about the flat their parents bought in the 1990s. Life goes on outside. Car doors slam, and a kid laughs on the sidewalk. A stack of stamped pages and a red circle around the date February 1st are all that matters inside.
This time, though, the rules are different.
The notary stops, looks up, and says the sentence that makes the room go silent: “With the new inheritance law going into effect in February, your rights as descendants won’t be the same.”
For a few seconds, no one says anything.
After that, the questions begin.
What really changes for descendants starting in February
Starting in February, a lot of descendants will find out that inheritance is no longer just a vague problem for adults that they can put off until “later.” The new law changes the order of priorities, gives some kids more rights, and makes families talk about things they’ve been avoiding for years.
The old response of “letting the parents handle it with the notary when they’re older” is starting to seem dangerous.
This change is touchy because it affects three things at once: who gets what, when, and how much tax they pay. Even people who don’t own much are worried, especially if they have a lot of children, stepchildren, or a partner who isn’t married.
The real shock for a lot of people will come when they sit in that office and find out what the law has decided for them.
For example, Julien is 41 years old, an only child, and has divorced parents. His mother bought him a small studio years ago “for later,” but it’s still in her name. The new rules mean that the tax treatment of this type of transfer during a person’s life and after their death is no longer the same. A “simple” gift turns into a strategic move that can help or hurt him, depending on whether it was given before or after the reform.
His mum thought she had planned things out well.
But the notary says that the new law changes the balance between what must go to the children and what can go to someone else. This is done to stop the sibling dramas that keep filling court dockets. The goal is to make things clearer and give people a little more room to move, but that only helps those who know the rules.
The deeper change is happening behind the scenes: the lawmaker is trying to make inheritance work for real families, not just the ones in the book. Blended families, couples who are not married but live together, children who live far away and only come back when someone dies.
In some cases, the reform makes the “protected” part stronger for descendants. In other cases, it makes it easier to pass on to a life partner or a child who is vulnerable. That seems fair on paper.
In practice, it makes parents choose who they really want to protect right away instead of letting the Civil Code decide.*You can still choose to do nothing, but starting in February, that choice may have effects you didn’t expect.
And the kids will be the first to feel those effects.
How to get ready: things you need to do before the law catches up with you
It’s surprisingly easy to do the most helpful thing in the next few weeks: get everyone together and put everything on the table. Not during a dramatic Sunday lunch, but during a quiet time with coffee and a notepad.
One person writes down the things they own: the house, the flat, the life insurance, the savings, and the small piece of land in the country that no one remembers. Someone else writes down the names of everyone involved, like the kids, stepkids, partner, and ex-spouse who still owns a flat with the person.
Then you call a notary and ask them one simple question: “What do each of the descendants really stand to lose or gain if we don’t change anything when the new law goes into effect in February?”
That one clear question changes the talk from vague worries to real numbers.
A lot of families make the mistake of waiting for the “right moment.” A calm year, a sale, a birthday, or a retirement. That peaceful year never comes. Death comes without warning, bringing with it the mess of papers that were on the table that day.
We’ve all been there: that time when an uncle opens a cupboard and a pile of old folders and unpaid taxes falls to the floor. That’s where inheritance fights often start: with a missing will, an insurance policy that was never used, and a flat that is still in the name of a grandparent who died twenty years ago.
This won’t magically fix itself with the new law. It actually punishes immobility a little more because the more specific rules for descendants leave less room for improvisation later on. Let’s be honest: no one really does this every day.
Doing it once, before February, can save your kids ten years of silent anger.
The notary I talked to didn’t hold back: “The reform isn’t meant to make everyone happy.” It is there to help things make sense. Those who get ready will do well. “Those who wait will last.”
Make a will or change an old one
Even if you give your descendants more rights, a will lets you decide how to use the money: to help a child who is having trouble, protect a partner, or avoid a fight over a certain piece of property.
Look over gifts that have already been given
In the final calculation, some lifetime gifts are now counted in a different way. A professional can check them to make sure that a child doesn’t feel “robbed” when the estate is split up.
Make sure you know what your partner is up to.
Couples who aren’t married or PACS partners still aren’t treated like spouses. Before someone dies, assets and contracts must be changed for the new law to work.
Talk to your kids honestly
Telling people why you made a choice while you’re still alive hurts less than leaving a surprise that feels like a sentence. A short talk can change everything for descendants.
Get all the papers together
Put all your title deeds, life insurance policies, loan agreements, and old donations in one place. Your kids will be grateful to you when the time comes, even if they don’t say it out loud.
A different way to think about what we leave behind
This new law about inheritance makes us ask an uncomfortable but important question: what does “fair” transmission really mean after 2025? For some parents, it will mean dividing everything evenly among all of their children. For some, it will be helping the child who stayed close or the one who gave up a job to take care of them.
The law sets rules for the rights of descendants, but it doesn’t change the feelings that are hidden behind the numbers: the favourite child, the father who wasn’t there, and the daughter who did everything without asking for anything. Those stories don’t fit with tax laws.
The margin for error changes in February. Today, there is less uncertainty, fewer last-minute changes, and more responsibility for the emotional explosion that may or may not happen tomorrow.
After this, a lot of readers will quietly open a drawer and take out an old envelope. Some will make an appointment with a notary. Others will put the thought away and go back to their lives. But a phone call in the middle of the night will make them remember this reform and wonder what could have been different.
| Main Point | Detail | Value for the Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Review assets, gifts, and wills before February | Limits unexpected tax burdens and surprises for beneficiaries | Helps heirs avoid financial shocks and confusion |
| Clarify family dynamics | Consider families with stepchildren, partners, and at-risk kids | Ensures fair distribution and protection for those often overlooked |
| Be transparent with heirs | Discuss and document your decisions clearly with a notary | Reduces family conflicts, prevents legal battles, and maintains harmony |
Questions and Answers:
Question 1: Does the new law automatically give kids more than it did before?
The law strengthens the framework that protects descendants in some cases, but it doesn’t magically add to what is already there. It mostly changes how shares are calculated and what can be left to others. The effect will depend on your family’s structure and assets.
Question 2: Should my parents change their will before February?
If they already have a will, it’s a good idea to have a notary check to see if it still matches what they want under the new rules. In some cases, a simple update or clarification is all that’s needed. In other cases, a full rewrite is best.
Question 3: What if there are kids from a previous marriage?
Children who are not biological or adopted are not automatically treated like stepchildren. The reform can give them better protection, but that means making clear choices, like gifts, life insurance clauses, or will provisions that are specific to them.
Question 4: Does this law really affect small estates?
Yes, because the size of the estate doesn’t usually have anything to do with the conflict. A small flat or some savings can make things tense. The new framework starts with the first euro, and it’s better for everyone if it’s clear from the start.
Question 5: As a descendant, what should I do first?
If your parents are still alive, talk to them and suggest that they see a notary together to talk about how the new law affects them. If they are gone, make sure you have all the papers related to their estate before you see a lawyer. This will help you know exactly what your rights are.
