Mar 2, 2022 08:15
2 yrs ago
64 viewers *
French term

séparé de biens

French to English Law/Patents Law (general)
Succession. This is the draft declaration of estate. Mme BBB is the surviving spouse.

"DÉCLARATION DE SUCCESSION
Formulaire obligatoire en vertu de l'article 800 du code général des impôts
CADRE A REMPLIR PAR LE DEPOSANT (voir la notice n° 2705-NOT-SD)
Service de l’enregistrement (SPFE, SDE) (1) du domicile du défunt :
10 rue du Centre TSA 10010 93465 Noisy-Le-Grand Cedex
Succession de :
Mme M.
Nom de naissance du défunt :
AAA
Date de naissance : xxx
Commune de naissance : xxx
Département de naissance ou Pays : xxx
Situation familiale :
Célibataire Partenaire lié par un PACS
Epoux(se) de Madame BBB (Précisez : séparé(e) de biens ; séparé(e) de corps )
Divorcé(e) de
Veuf(ve) de
Adresse du domicile :"

According to my database "séparé de corps" means "judicially separated" (Bridge, entre autres: Bridge usually gets things right).

"Séparé de biens" is an expression I associate with a matrimonial system of property: "régime de la séparation de biens" (separation of matrimonial property).

It also seems from the above that both these statuses have been recognised by a court but are distinct from actually being divorced. I surmise that "séparé de biens" might mean that the spouses have divided their property, whereas "séparé de corps" might mean that they're just not living together. Anyone know?

Discussion

MMPB Mar 10, 2022:
"Séparé de biens" and "séparé de corps" are 2 different types of status. The first has to do with their matrimonial regime and the second, whether they are living together or legally separated. They just happen to be next to one another on the form.
Daryo Mar 3, 2022:
A couple can have "le régime de la séparation des biens" since Day 1 of their marriage and stay happily married "Till death us do part".

"la séparation des biens" doesn't imply anything else than "nothing owned in common".
Mpoma (asker) Mar 2, 2022:
That's the whole conundrum This is not a statement, as it says Précisez.... These are obviously options to choose as applicable. I know there is no certainty that both these séparé(e) expressions apply because 1) we know that the surviving spouse is female 2) the previous expression Célibataire Partenaire lié par un PACS does not apply. Looking at the document confirms what the ST quoted strongly suggests: this is a partly completed form... there are in fact two checkboxes for the 2 séparé(e)s, currently both unchecked.

I'm now intending to use a solution which preserves what I see as the ambiguity: does séparation de biens mean they are no longer living as husband and wife?

You say "the couple have separated and they have separate ownership of property". How do you know they had separated, unless the person completing the form checks séparé de corps? If they only check séparé de biens that might merely be a reference to this matrimonial property arrangement.

Which, in isolation, might perfectly conceivably have inheritance tax implications.
AllegroTrans Mar 2, 2022:
The tax office is recording two distinct facts: the couple had separated and they had separate ownership of property (and quite possibly did so from the date of their marriage). As you know yourself, this property ownership regime thing is repeated again and again in all manner of French administrative documents. Here, I imagine it is recorded because it affects how Mme. BBB is taxed.
Mpoma (asker) Mar 2, 2022:
Read the question? I'm asking for the difference between the options/categories/statuses séparé de biens and séparé de corps as far as the Fisc is concerned.
Cyril Tollari Mar 2, 2022:
séparés de biens = separation of property

Proposed translations

+3
5 hrs
Selected

with separate ownership of property

Adding "as tenants in common" pace Adrian, is to my mind far too specific to English law and should be avoided when translating a French concept

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Note added at 5 hrs (2022-03-02 13:23:19 GMT)
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In France, married couples opt either for joint or separate ownership and this is the simple ** difference **. Adding "as tenants in common", albeit an expression used in English law, is likely to mislead.
Note from asker:
Thanks. I'm still trying to understand why the tax form puts these two terms next to one another: one checkable option refers then to the matrimonial system of property of the marriage, with no implication that the marriage is on the rocks in some way; but judicially separated (séparation de corps) is the first step towards divorce. I'm glad you're confident that it reads that way: it helps!
Peer comment(s):

agree Steve Robbie : Makes sense. And I don't see what's complicated about it - both séparation de biens and séparation de corps would affect personal taxation. The English mind thinks there's a fundamental category difference, but they are both forms of "séparation"
1 hr
thanks
agree Timothy Rake
2 hrs
thanks
agree Anastasia Kalantzi
5 hrs
thanks
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
-1
4 hrs

with property held separately (E&W) as tenants-in-common

- counter-intuitively and a sure fail by many English land-law exam candidates as well as translation agency busybodies editing the term to joint tenancy as the antonym, tenancy-in-common is the 'severed' form of a joint tenancy and used not only for Anglo-Am. land but also for bank accounts.

PS a house in E&W can be owned by tenants-in-common 60%-40% or 1%-99% - as joint tenants, the 'ideal' share is notionally undivided, so not separately regd.

No time for further, otiose explanation after decades of trying to explain.

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Note added at 4 hrs (2022-03-02 12:54:32 GMT)
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cf. séparé de corps : physically separated including - but not limited to - judicially separated pre-divorce if materialises, in France or the UK etc.. So a tax election could be available for separate tax assessment.
Example sentence:

When taking title as joint tenants with right of survivorship, the ownership interest passes to the remaining joint tenants when one dies. Tenants in common each own a specific share (e.g 60% vs. 40%) of the property and pass it to their heirs.

Note from asker:
Thanks. This may well be a more precise legal translation for <i>séparation de biens</i>. Implicitly my question is about something we're not currently able to ask in this forum: how exactly would you characterise the **difference** between these two options, available in this tax form: <i>séparé de biens</i> and <i>séparé de corps</i>. I presume it is also possible not to check either.
Peer comment(s):

neutral AllegroTrans : tenants-in-common refers to GB land ownership and has no equivalence to the French matrimonial property regime
8 hrs
tenancy-in-common to avoid a professional negligence switch back to joint tenancy, as one translation agency boss did some years ago.
disagree Daryo : "le régime matrimonial de la séparation des biens" applies to EVERYTHING, not only to real estate.
13 hrs
Re-read my 1st para. re bank a/cs. You typically have misunderstood the nature of a tenancy-in-common & joint tenancy. Both apply to *EVERYTHING* https://www.clarionsolicitors.com/articles/tenants-in-common...
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8 days

subject to the separation of property matrimonail regime

This means that the couple was married under the separation of property, as opposed to the community property matrimonial regime.
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Reference comments

2 hrs
Reference:

DÉCLARATION DE SUCCESSION

Formulaire obligatoire en vertu de l'article 800 du code général des impôts
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9 hrs
Reference:

La séparation de corps qui entraîne toujours la séparation des biens

Séparation de biens
La séparation de corps entraîne toujours la séparation des biens. Les époux mariés sous un régime de communauté devront procéder à la liquidation du régime matrimonial, contrairement aux époux mariés sous le régime de la séparation de biens. La liquidation s'effectue devant un notaire.
Qu'est-ce que la séparation de corps et de biens ?
La séparation de corps et de biens judiciaire suspend la vie commune des deux époux/épouses par jugement et requiert donc l'intervention d'un-e juge, selon une procédure similaire à celle du divorce:
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F980
https://www.fr.ch/etat-et-droit/legislation/quest-ce-que-la-...
https://www.notaires.fr/en/faq/i-have-been-separated-body-an...


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Note added at 9 ώρες (2022-03-02 17:36:08 GMT)
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https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/6-615-3545?transi...
Peer comments on this reference comment:

disagree Daryo : all true, not NOTHING to indicate it's relevant for this ST // CLUE Mme BBB is the surviving spouse
8 hrs
neutral Nikki Scott-Despaigne : This is helpful for understanding the meaning of the term in question. French original language sources are helpful. Swiss sources less so, in context, which I believe is French. The notaires.fr site is reliable but I'd always look to the VF first. ;-)
1 day 19 hrs
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2 days 4 hrs
Reference:

What it means to be married "sous le régime de la séparation des biens".

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F948

"Si vous ne signez pas de contrat de mariage, vous êtes d'office sous le régime légal de la communauté réduite aux acquêts.

Vous pouvez librement opter pour un autre régime. Dans ce cas, vous devez signer un contrat de mariage devant un notaire. Vous pouvez adopter l'un des régimes matrimoniaux prévus par la loi ou choisir des règles plus adaptées.

Séparation de biens
Les patrimoines des époux restent séparés.

Ils conservent l'administration, la jouissance et la libre disposition de leurs biens personnels.

À noter : en fonction de leur situation, les époux peuvent faire le choix de clauses adaptées (mise en commun de certains biens par exemple).


Communauté d'acquêts aménagée
Les époux peuvent adopter le régime de la communauté de meubles et d'acquêts ou le régime de la communauté réduite aux acquêts, mais en modifiant certaines clauses.

Ils peuvent, par exemple, souhaiter intégrer les éléments suivants :

Partage inégal des biens communs entre les époux
Possibilité de rachat par l'un ou l'autre des époux de tout ou partie des biens de l'autre, selon un prix ou des règles fixées à l'avance
Communauté universelle
Tous les biens des époux (mobiliers: Bien qui peut être déplacé. Il peut s'agir d'un bien corporel (objets, mobilier ou marchandise par exemple) ou d'un bien incorporel (par exemple droits d'auteur, parts sociales). ou immobiliers: Bien ne pouvant pas être déplacé (exemples : terrain ou appartement) ou objet en faisant partie intégrante (exemple : clôture du terrain), présents et à venir) sont communs.

Elle peut intégrer ou non une clause d'attribution intégrale de la communauté à l'époux survivant en cas de décès.

Participation aux acquêts
Pendant la durée du mariage, ce régime fonctionne comme si les époux étaient mariés sous le régime de la séparation de biens.

À la dissolution de l'union, le notaire calcule l'enrichissement de chaque époux durant le mariage. Il est ensuite partagé de façon équitable entre les époux.

L'époux qui s'est le moins enrichi a droit à une créance: Droit permettant à une personne d'exiger quelque chose d'une autre personne, en général le paiement d'une somme d'argent. Terme souvent utilisé pour désigner la somme due. de participation."
Peer comments on this reference comment:

agree AllegroTrans
1 day 11 hrs
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