Settlement agreement between private parties (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 two private persons, or a private person and a business, who want to end a dispute in France without going to court: damage, poor work, a disputed sum, a quarrel between neighbours. The agreement, in French under French law, describes the dispute, each party's reciprocal concessions and the waiver of any action on the same matter (articles 2044 and 2052 of the French Civil Code). A standard form: it does not suit a dispute between employer and employee, or a divorce. Two originals, signed by both parties.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- You and a neighbour in France have agreed how to settle a dispute and want to put it in writing.
- A tradesman did poor work and you have agreed on a discount instead of going to court.
- You and the other side each give up part of your claims to end a quarrel over a disputed sum.
- You want a settlement agreement that ends the dispute amicably, signed by both sides.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- First party
- First party's address
- Second party
- Second party's address
- What the dispute is about
- What the first party concedes
- What the second party concedes
- Additional terms
- City
- Date
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- What is a transaction under French law, and when is it used?
- It is a written contract by which the parties end a dispute that has arisen, or prevent one, through reciprocal concessions (article 2044 of the French Civil Code): each gives up part of its claim. Once made, it bars court action on the same matter (article 2052). It suits damage, disputed works, a sum contested between private persons or a quarrel between neighbours. Without a concession from each side, it is not a transaction.
- Does this French settlement suit a dispute with an employer or a separation?
- No. A settlement between employer and employee, notably after a dismissal, follows its own rules and DocMuse does not offer one. Divorce, parental authority and personal status cannot be settled by a private transaction. After an offence, a transaction may cover civil compensation, without stopping the public prosecutor (article 2046 of the French Civil Code). For those situations, turn to a legal professional or the court.
- How is a French settlement enforced if the other party does not keep to it?
- The signed transaction binds both parties. If one does not perform, the other may ask the court for enforcement or for the transaction to be set aside, using the signed original as proof. Either party may also apply to the judge to approve (homologuer) the transaction (articles 1543 et seq. of the French Code of Civil Procedure), after which a commissaire de justice can enforce it. Make two originals, one per party (article 1375 of the French Civil Code); only the signature counts, without “lu et approuvé”.
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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