Service · heading C.18.1 to C.18.4
Court expert, joint valuation and litigation support in France
On appointment by a court, in a joint private valuation between two parties, as technical adviser to a party facing the court-appointed expert, or in a critical review of an opposing report: the types of engagement, explained.
- Expert registered with the RENNES Court of Appeal
- Charte de l’expertise 2025
- EVS 2025 TEGOVA
- Professional indemnity insured
The word expertise covers very different engagements depending on who asks for it and what it is for. This page names each format so that you know which one to ask for: most visitors do not know that they can call on a registered expert for a quick critical review, or to accompany them when the court has appointed its own expert.
What all these engagements have in common: the same method, the same independence and the same standard of demonstration, whether I am appointed by a judge or instructed by a party.
Your situation
- A civil court, a commercial court or the expropriation judge is looking for an available registered expert under the property valuation heading.
- Two parties and their lawyers want a joint valuation to avoid a trial or to prepare a mediation.
- A court expert has been appointed in your case and you need a technical adviser for the meetings and the written observations (dires).
- You have received an opposing report and need a complete critical analysis of its method and its figures.
- A clause in the articles of association or in a contract (article 1592 or 1843-4 of the French Civil Code) provides for a third-party valuer.
What the report contains
- Court-ordered expert appraisal: adversarial process, summons, notes to the parties, draft report, replies to written observations, filing of the report with the court registry
- Joint private valuation: on-site meeting with both parties, signed joint report, value retained and dissenting opinions documented
- Litigation support: analysis of the documents, technical note before each meeting, draft written observations, critical reading of the draft report
- Critical review: complete critical analysis of the comparables, the methods, the assumptions and the material errors of an opposing report, at least 15 hours of work
- Third-party valuer: three-party engagement letter, price-fixing report
Methods used
- How a court-ordered appraisal unfolds and what the report containsRead the method article
- Independence of the expert, assessed in practiceRead the method article
- Deposit on account (art. 269 CPC), fees set by the judge (art. 284 CPC), time limits and supervision of appraisals
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a court expert and a party-appointed expert?
The court expert is appointed by the judge (article 232 of the French Code of Civil Procedure), must carry out the engagement personally (article 233), conscientiously, objectively and impartially (article 237), may not receive any direct payment from a party (article 248) and has their fees set by the judge (article 284). They have sworn an oath (article 6 of Law no. 71-498 of 29 June 1971). The party-appointed expert is chosen and paid by one party; their report is one piece of evidence among others. I can take either role, never both in the same case.
What does a party's technical adviser do during a court-ordered appraisal?
They prepare the documents to produce, attend the expert's meetings, ask the right technical questions, draft with the lawyer the written observations (dires) that the expert will have to address, and analyse the draft report to spot weaknesses of method. The role is little formalised but often decisive.
How long does a court-ordered appraisal take?
The judge sets a deadline in the decision (article 265 of the Code of Civil Procedure), which can be extended on a reasoned request. The appraisal involves at least one on-site meeting, consideration of the parties' observations and dires (article 276), and the filing of a report (article 282). Timing depends heavily on how quickly the parties supply the documents.
Can a joint private valuation be relied on in court?
It carries far more weight than a single-party report: both parties were invited, were able to present their observations, and the report answers both. The Charte de l'expertise calls it a joint private valuation (expertise amiable conjointe, Title I, §1.1). The judge cannot base the decision solely on a report that was not adversarial (Cour de cassation, Mixed Chamber, 28 September 2012, appeal no. 11-18.710).
Which courts appoint you?
The civil courts within the jurisdiction of the RENNES Court of Appeal (Quimper, Brest, Lorient, Vannes, Rennes, Saint-Brieuc, Nantes, Saint-Nazaire), the commercial courts and the expropriation judge. I can also be appointed outside that jurisdiction or as a sapiteur (specialist assisting another expert). The administrative courts keep their own panel of experts, separate from the Court of Appeal list.
Describe your situation, receive a free quote
By email or by phone, as you prefer. The quote sets out the assignment, the timeframe and the price.