Ordinary-law period
This is the default rule for personal and movable actions since the 2008 reform: contracts, debts, ordinary damages.
Civil law · disputes & litigation between individuals
A conflict takes root. The law, for its part, has deadlines.
Neighbour disputes, unpaid contracts, family, damages, inheritance, consumer matters: behind every civil case there is a court with jurisdiction, a strict limitation period and a course of action to follow. Identify yours before a door closes.
- Ordinary-law limitation period: 5 years
- Free court conciliator
- Published & hosted in France
5 yearsordinary-law limitation period
€10,000mandatory-lawyer threshold
Freecourt conciliator
1 monthdeadline to appeal
Guide by type of dispute
What is your civil case?
Choose your situation: we indicate the court with jurisdiction, the actual limitation period, the possible amicable route and the first useful step. General information, never legal advice.
Neighbour disputes
Abnormal neighbourhood disturbance: noise, nuisances, encroachment, fencing, party walls, plantings too close to the boundary, easement of view.
- Court with jurisdiction
- Judicial court of the place where the property is located (real-estate dispute). A prior conciliation attempt is mandatory below €5,000.
- Limitation period
- 5 years for a neighbourhood disturbance · 30 years for a real action over immovable property (boundary-marking, easement, ownership)
- Amicable route
- Free court conciliator, or a bailiff's report (judicial commissioner) to record the nuisances before any trial.
- First reflex
- Date and prove the disturbance: photos, time-stamped videos, neighbours' written statements, noise readings. A judicial commissioner's report is worth far more than a simple testimony.
The journey of a civil case
From the registered letter to the judgment.
Five steps, almost always in this order. Most conflicts are settled before reaching the judge — provided they have been taken in the right order.
- 01
Formal notice
Before any trial
Registered letter that formalises your demand and gives a final deadline. It starts interest running and constitutes evidence. Many disputes stop there.
- 02
Conciliation / mediation
Mandatory below €5,000
Court conciliator (free) or mediator. For small disputes, this attempt has become a mandatory step before bringing the matter to the judge.
- 03
Filing with the court
Within the limitation period
Application or summons before the competent court. This is the act that interrupts the limitation period and opens the proceedings on the merits.
- 04
Pre-trial & judgment
6 to 18 months on average
Exchange of arguments and exhibits under the judge's supervision, hearing, then judgment. Interim proceedings allow a quick decision in an emergency.
- 05
Appeal & enforcement
1 month to appeal
The judgment is enforced (if need be through a judicial commissioner). Each party may appeal within one month of notification for a full re-examination.
Formal notice generator
Draft your formal notice in 2 minutes.
Select your type of dispute, fill in four fields and instantly get a correctly worded formal notice letter — with exact legal wording, the mention that interest starts running, and the response deadline. Copy in one click or print.
Fill in the type of dispute, the recipient's name and your demand to see your letter appear here.
Limitation periods
How much time do you have left to act?
Limitation extinguishes the right to act. These periods are those of the Civil Code — the starting point (event, discovery, consolidation) matters as much as the duration itself.
Professional ↔ consumer
What a professional claims from a consumer is time-barred after 2 years. The legal guarantee of conformity of goods also lasts 2 years.
Personal injury
The action to obtain compensation for personal injury is time-barred after 10 years from the consolidation of the victim's condition.
Real actions over immovable property
Ownership, easements, boundary-marking: actions concerning a real right over immovable property keep a long 30-year period.
Limitation period calculator
My deadline to act
Enter the date of the triggering event and select your type of dispute: the tool instantly calculates the exact expiry date and displays the time remaining to bring a court action.
Fill in the fields to see your deadline
Glossary
The vocabulary of civil disputes, in plain terms.
Limitation period
The time limit beyond which one can no longer bring a court action. The ordinary civil rule is 5 years, but this period varies with the nature of the dispute.
Formal notice
A letter (preferably registered) summoning a party to perform its obligation. It starts interest running and proves the steps you have taken.
Court conciliator
A sworn volunteer who helps the parties reach an agreement free of charge. Their attempt is mandatory for low-value disputes.
Interim proceedings
Emergency procedure to quickly obtain a measure from the judge (provision, expert assessment, cessation of a disturbance) without waiting for the judgment on the merits.
Order to pay
A simple, low-cost procedure to recover a certain and undisputed debt, without a hearing as long as the debtor does not object.
Joint ownership
A situation where several people own property together (often after an inheritance). No one is compelled to remain in it: division can be requested.
Frequently asked questions
What we are asked the most.
Which court has jurisdiction over my civil case?
Since 2020, the judicial court has merged the former district and regional courts. Small disputes (up to €10,000) fall to its local chamber, family disputes to the family affairs judge. Our guide shows, for each type of dispute, the court with jurisdiction.
Must I necessarily hire a lawyer?
Before the judicial court, a lawyer is in principle mandatory above €10,000, and always for divorce. Below that threshold, or before the court conciliator, you may act alone. But a lawyer secures the procedure and avoids inadmissibility.
How long do I have to act before it is too late?
The ordinary-law limitation period is 5 years. It drops to 2 years between a professional and a consumer, rises to 10 years for personal injury and to 30 years for real actions over immovable property. Once the period has passed, the action is extinguished: identifying the starting point is essential.
Am I required to attempt conciliation before the trial?
For disputes below €5,000, an attempt at conciliation, mediation or participatory procedure is mandatory before bringing the matter to the judge, save for exceptions. It is free with a court conciliator and settles a large share of conflicts without a hearing.
Can I qualify for legal aid?
Yes, if your means are modest. Legal aid covers all or part of the lawyer and procedure costs according to an income scale. The application is filed with the legal aid office of the competent court.
Act now
Describe the conflict to resolve.
A clear answer on the court with jurisdiction, the limitation period that is running and the first useful reflexes. The longer a dispute waits, the deeper it takes root — and limitation, for its part, does not stop.
- A written, understandable reply
- Confidential · no data resold
- Information, not official legal advice