Formal demand for payment before court action (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For a private person in France who is owed money — an unrepaid loan, an unpaid invoice or rent, a promised sum — before going to court. The letter, in French under French law, states where the debt comes from and how much it is, sets a payment deadline, starts interest at the legal rate (article 1344-1 of the French Civil Code) and proposes an amicable solution or a free conciliateur de justice, a step required before suing for claims up to €5,000. Send it by registered letter with proof of receipt.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- Someone in France owes you money, such as an unrepaid loan or an unpaid invoice, and ignores your reminders.
- A friend or relative borrowed money from you and has stopped paying it back.
- Your tenant or a client has not paid what was promised and you are thinking of going to court.
- You want to send a formal demand for payment with a deadline before taking the matter further.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Creditor
- Creditor's address
- Debtor
- Debtor's postal address (street and number, postcode and town)
- City
- Date
- Amount due
- Where the debt comes from (e.g. loan of …, invoice no. …)
- Due date
- Payment deadline
- IBAN
- Attachments
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Why should a French formal demand for payment go by registered post?
- Because you will have to prove it arrived, and when: interest at the legal rate runs from its receipt (article 1344-1 of the French Civil Code), and the judge will check that the debtor was asked to pay. A registered letter with proof of receipt proves sending and receipt, not the content, so keep a copy. A demand served by a commissaire de justice is safer but costs money. An electronic registered letter counts only for a business debtor or one who has agreed to it.
- Must you try conciliation before claiming a small sum in a French court?
- To sue, yes: a claim for payment of €5,000 or less must be preceded by an attempt at conciliation, mediation or a participatory procedure, or the judge may declare it inadmissible (article 750-1 of the French Code of Civil Procedure, which lists exceptions). An application for an order to pay (injonction de payer) is exempt (Cour de cassation, opinion of 25 September 2025). The conciliateur de justice is free and is reached through the court or online. Propose it in the formal demand, then keep proof of the attempt, including the record that it failed.
- What next if the debtor in France still does not pay after the demand?
- There are two routes. An application for an order to pay (injonction de payer) goes to the tribunal judiciaire on form Cerfa 12948, with proof of the debt; the order is then served by a commissaire de justice. The simplified procedure for small claims, up to €5,000 including interest, is run by a commissaire de justice, if the debtor accepts it. Between private persons the claim is as a rule time-barred after five years (article 2224 of the French Civil Code), so do not wait.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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