How to write a will: a guide and advice from the Procure missionnaire de l’Assomption

How to draw up a valid will? Comprehensive guide and advice from notaries

Drawing up a will is an essential step in organizing the transmission of your estate and ensuring that your last wishes are respected. In France, nearly 60% of adults do not have a will (source: Notaires de France, 2024). But why not? It’s often because they don’t know the rules, or because they’re afraid of the legal complexities involved. And yet, a well-drafted will can help you secure your estate, support a cause close to your heart (such as the works of the Augustins de l’Assomption), andavoid family conflicts.

Here we explain step-by-step how to draw up a will valid in 2025, what pitfalls to avoid, and how to optimize its safekeeping.

1. Why write a will?

To organize your estate

A will allows you to :

• designate the beneficiaries of your assets (heirs, legatees, associations).
• distribute your assets according to your wishes, in compliance with the law.
• appoint an executor to carry out your wishes.
• protect your spouse or partner (especially if you’re not married).

Without a will, if you are an unmarried couple with no children, your assets go to your parents or siblings, not to your partner. A will allows you to leave part of your estate to your partner.

To support a cause or association

You can bequeath all or part of your possessions to an association of general interest, simply declared and which pursues an exclusive goal of assistance and charity, such as the Procure missionnaire de l’Assomption. A bequest to the Procure missionnaire de l’Assomption provides a lasting legacy beyond your lifetime:

• to train priests or finance educational projects.
• combat exclusion by supporting charitable initiatives.
• benefit from a total exemption from inheritance tax for bequests to associations.

“By bequeathing part of my estate to the Assumption Missionary Procure, I can be sure that my commitment to education and solidarity will continue after my death.” – Élise, donor

To avoid family conflicts

A clear, well-drafted will reduces the risk of disputes between your heirs. By spelling out your wishes, you limit disputes and lengthy, costly legal proceedings, and the risk of a close-knit family falling apart.

2. The different types of will

There are three main forms of will in France, each with its own advantages and constraints.

3. How do I draw up a valid holograph will?

Conditions of validity

For a holographic will to be valid, it must meet three imperative conditions (article 970 of the French Civil Code):

• Be entirely handwritten (no typed or printed text).
• Be precisely dated (place, day, month, year).
• Be signed by the testator.

What is a valid date? A date written as follows:“Done in Paris, September 15, 2025.

What are the mistakes to avoid?

• Using a computer to type your will
• Forget to mention the date or affix your signature.
• Write on several pages without numbering or initialling them.
• Do not cross out or write in the margins.

Sample holograph will

Here’s a sample model to copy by hand:

*I, the undersigned, [Full name], born on [date of birth] at [place of birth], residing at [full address], hereby declare that this is my holographic will.

Article 1: I bequeath [precise description of the property or share, e.g.: “30% of my estate” or “my apartment located 15 rue de la Paix, 75001 Paris”] to [Name and Surname of the legatee or association, e.g.: “la Procure missionnaire de l’Assomption, 79 avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris”].

Article 2: I appoint [Name and Surname] as executor of my will, responsible for ensuring that my wishes are carried out.

Article 3: I revoke all previous wills.

Done at [place], on [full date].

[Signature] ”

Our advice:

Avoid erasures: if you need to correct, mention the change, date and sign beside it.

Number and initial each page if there are several.

A few points to bear in mind when drawing up your will

Beware of ambiguous wording

• Avoid: “I bequeath my house to my nephew. (Which one? Where is your house? You can have several nephews as well as several properties).
• Prefer: “I bequeath my house located at [full address] to my nephew [full name], born on [date].”

Take care to comply with legal provisions

• You cannot disinherit your children (compulsory inheritance reserve).
• You cannot bequeath property that you do not own.

Don’t forget the Fichier Central des Dispositions de Dernières Volontés (FCDDV – Central Last Will and Testament File)

The FCDDV is a national register of wills deposited with a notary. Registering your will (even a holograph will) in this file guarantees that it will be found after your death.

You can entrust your will to a notary, who will register it with the FCDDV.

4. Choose the security and formalism of an authentic will

An authentic will guarantees legal certainty. Drawn up by a notary, who will have checked that your wishes comply with the law, it is difficult to contest. The notary keeps the original and automatically registers it with the FCDDV.

How do you draw up an authentic will?

Make an appointment with a notary (bringing your ID and the beneficiaries’ birth certificates with you). Dictate your wishes in the presence of two witnesses (or a second notary), then sign your will after the notary has read it.

If you choose to have witnesses present rather than a second notary, you cannot ask :

• your heirs or legatees.
• your parents or relatives up to the 4th degree.
• notary’s clerks.

5. How do I change or revoke a will?

You can change your will at any time:

• by drawing up a new will (cancelling the previous one).
• by adding a codicil (dated and signed additional document).

Example of a codicil: “I the undersigned, [Surname and First name], add to my will of [date] the following provision: [new will]. Done at [place], on [date]. [Signature].”

There are several ways to revoke your will. You can :

• destroy it (tear it up, crush it, burn it, etc.).
• draw up a new will incompatible with the previous one.
• draw up a deed of revocation before a notary.

Please note: A will is never definitive. You can change it as often as necessary.

6. Best practice once you’ve drawn up your will

A/ Keep it

• At a notary’s office: this is the safest solution (safekeeping and registration with the FCDDV).
• At home: in a safe or secure place, by informing someone you trust.

B/ Inform your family and friends

This is not compulsory, but we recommend it to avoid your will ever being found. You could, for example, mention its existence in an accessible document (e.g. letter to your executor).

7. Frequently asked questions about wills