FAQs

We bring our lived experience, strategic perspective, and cross-cultural fluency to every client we work with. Drawing on deep familiarity with French systems and the practical challenges Americans face when adapting to them, we provide the guidance that helps you make informed, compliant, and confident cross-border decisions. Our role is to help you avoid unnecessary detours and make choices that save time and money, so you can design a life in France that works for you practically, financially, and personally.

Building a lasting life or business in France does mean learning some French eventually, but you don’t have to be fluent to start. Many clients start with limited French, and we help them operate effectively from day one, explaining how systems work, identifying potential roadblocks, and ensuring decisions move forward smoothly. For clients who opt for our more hands-on packages, we can represent your interests directly with French service providers, managing time-sensitive steps and keeping your plans on track while you build confidence.

It’s never too early to start planning, and never too late for us to help. Some clients begin with an Ask the Expert session to get early clarity, then return as their plans develop for business formation or wealth management support. Others reach out when a decision or deadline is already at hand. Wherever you are in the process, we adapt our approach, from high-level strategy to practical implementation, so you get the right kind of help at the right time.

It’s important to think about your long-term goals from the start, even if you don't have all the answers yet. The choices you make early on, from visa type to business structure, determine what will be possible later, and not every path leads to the same destination. We believe an honest consultant should help you understand those tradeoffs before you commit. We guide clients through each scenario, aligning short-term steps with long-term objectives so their plans remain realistic, adaptable, and genuinely sustainable, whether for a few years or a lifetime in France.

Yes, over the years we’ve built a network of trusted professionals in France and internationally, including accountants, lawyers, notaires, and tax preparers. We have deep experience navigating the legal, tax, and financial frameworks that affect individuals and small businesses in France, and regularly connect clients with the right experts for their situation, managing the hand-off to ensure context and priorities are clearly conveyed. For clients in our more hands-on packages, we can also attend an initial meeting in person to ensure information is communicated smoothly and comprehensively, creating continuity across every part of the process.

We work with clients who need to navigate the financial, tax, and estate planning implications of living, working, or holding assets across France and the United States, and the cross-border realities that link them. Our work regularly involves helping individuals, families, and entrepreneurs navigate overlapping legal and fiscal systems, and when implementation or filings require specialized expertise, we bring trusted professionals from our network into the process. Our role is to help you approach these questions early and strategically, so your structure, compliance, and long-term plans remain aligned.

Yes. We help clients make sense of the practical side of living in France, including healthcare, education, and other essential systems, while also connecting the dots between French culture, institutions, and everyday life. Our goal is to help clients understand how these pieces fit together so they can make informed decisions, adapt with confidence, and feel at home more quickly.

Every engagement ends with clear deliverables, next steps, and resources so you can move forward with confidence. Each service level is designed to provide what’s most useful at that stage, from written summaries and key takeaways after an Ask the Expert session, to detailed roadmaps, frameworks, or custom structures for multi-session or business packages. Many clients schedule follow-up sessions as new questions arise or as their plans evolve, while others are ready to take the plan we’ve built and implement it on their own. There’s no obligation to continue, but our door always remains open if you’d like future guidance or support.

Our process begins with a short Discovery Chat to understand your situation and determine which of our services best fit your needs. This initial conversation is not a consulting session; it’s a way to identify where we can provide the most value. From there, clients typically choose either an Ask the Expert session for targeted guidance or a three-session or business creation package for a structured plan. For clients who want more hands-on implementation and ongoing coordination, our six-week retainer model provides continuous, high-touch support. Each meeting includes a written summary and clear next steps, and each service level comes with its own deliverables, from expert insight and strategic roadmaps to custom frameworks and implementation guidance. You remain the decision-maker, while we provide the expertise, structure, and follow-through to keep your plans moving forward efficiently.

We work with individuals, couples, independent professionals — from consultants and academics to artists and other creatives — and small business owners who are serious about building a sustainable life or enterprise in France. Some are in the early stages of planning, others are already established and want to strengthen their legal, financial, or operational foundations, and some are ready to start planning for a new phase of life. We also support U.S.-based founders relocating or expanding operations to France, helping them align their structures and strategy across both markets. Our clients share a desire for clarity, structure, and honest guidance. If you value a thoughtful, strategic approach and want experienced partners who can translate both the systems and the culture that shape life in France, we’re likely a strong fit.