Online divorce in France: an amicable divorce prepared remotely, not a formality
Behind the phrase there are always two lawyers, a signature and a filing with a notary.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
“Online divorce” is not a procedure in France: it is a way of handling a divorce by mutual consent, exchanging documents and drafts remotely with lawyers who often offer a fixed fee. The rules remain those of the Civil Code. Each spouse must have their own lawyer, the agreement is sent to each by registered letter, a 15-day cooling-off period applies before signing, then the agreement is filed with a notary for €49.44 including VAT. The advertised fee therefore does not cover everything: for two fixed fees of €750, the minimum total is €1,549 with nothing to divide, and €3,309 with €160,000 of net assets, before any notarial deed for real estate. The calculator adds up fixed fees, extras and regulated charges. It recommends no offer: this site receives nothing from platforms or lawyers.
“Online” divorce: the real total
Total for the couple
€1,549
| Two lawyers, fees and extras | €1,500 |
| Notary filing | €49.44 |
| Partition duty | €0 |
A property requires a notarial deed, charged on top.
What can be done remotely, and what cannot
| Step | Remote? | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering information and documents | yes | questionnaires, uploads |
| Negotiating and drafting the agreement | yes | between the two lawyers |
| Sending the draft and cooling-off | yes | registered letter, 15 days |
| Signing the agreement | no | both spouses and both lawyers together, according to service-public.fr |
| Filing with the notary | spouses need not attend | €49.44 incl. VAT |
| Statement of liquidation with real estate | no | deed drawn up by a notary |
Reading a fixed-fee offer
A fixed fee is read first through its exclusions. The most common are winding up the property regime with real estate, negotiating a compensatory payment, a spouse living abroad, a child who asks to be heard, which means going before the judge, and breakdown of the agreement, which turns the file into court proceedings billed separately. The compulsory fee agreement must list them.
Then compare like with like: a fee per spouse, or for the couple? Notary filing and registered letters included or not? Guaranteed or indicative processing time? The calculator lets you enter each side’s fee and extras, then adds the filing and partition duty, which nobody can remove.
Five questions before signing a fee agreement
Does the price cover one spouse or both? Who is the other spouse’s lawyer, and are they independent of the first? Are registered letters and the notary filing included? What does the statement of liquidation cost if real estate is involved, and who chooses the notary? And what happens if agreement fails: are sums paid lost, credited against court proceedings or partly refunded? The answers belong in writing in the fee agreement each lawyer must offer.
When online divorce does not fit
It assumes full agreement and simple situations. A disagreement about where the children live, business assets, a large compensatory payment or suspected hidden income call for real negotiation and sometimes the judge. In those cases, the pages on the compensatory payment, the soulte and fault-based divorce give orders of magnitude, and the cost of divorce page covers legal aid.
A note for English speakers
Many lawyers in France work in English, and an online process makes it easier to find one. The procedure, however, is French: the agreement follows the Civil Code, the notary checks it against French rules, and recognition abroad must be checked if either of you plans to live outside France. If you married abroad, the lawyers will first establish which property regime applies to you, which can change the liquidation entirely, and sometimes the court that has jurisdiction if a dispute ever arises later on. Ask early, because the answer can rule out the no-court route altogether.