renunciations and entails in French private law

Renunciations and entails (fideicommis) are a frequent feature of royal and
nobiliary successions across Europe. For this reason, I found it of interest
that French law on successions has just been considerably modified.

At the time of the Revolution, the possibilities of renouncing future

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on of

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ounce

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inheritances was altogether removed from private law, although reintroduced
later in extremely limited ways. The new reform allows for the institution of
so-called "pactes de famille" wherein certain members of a family may renounce
to part of their inheritance rights to the benefits of others, or commit to
postpone the exercise of their rights.

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is left

Another interesting feature is the introduction of "libéralités graduelles"
which seems to be essentially the same thing as a fideicommis: an estate is left
to person A on condition that they preserve it and pass it on to person B.

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Both elements represent a return to the past: pre-1789 French law knew both of
renunciations and of "substitutions". Both features are also, I believe,
present in other European codes (like Germany).

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Interesting, Francois; thanks. Plus ca change...