With the higher diploma in notarial studies in hand, a young graduate is not yet a notary in the full sense of the word. They can practise in several ways, which involve neither the same responsibilities, nor the same income, nor the same risk: remaining an employee of an office, becoming a partner by buying shares in a company that holds an office, or becoming an office holder, by taking over an existing office or applying for a newly created one.
This article compares these three routes, details what each involves, explains the mechanism of newly created offices and the lottery, then gives a few pointers for choosing according to your plans and region. It ends with how to present your experience of deeds on a CV, whatever status you are aiming for.
The three statuses of a qualified notary
According to the Institut national des formations notariales 🔗, the holder of the DESN can become an assistant notary, salaried notary, partner notary or holder of their own office. These can be grouped into three main situations.
| Status | Appointment | Signing deeds | Investment | Clients | |---|---|---|---|---| | Assistant notary or non-appointed qualified employee | none | no, deeds are signed by a notary in office | none | the office’s | | Salaried notary | order of the Minister of Justice | yes, as a public officer | none | the office’s | | Partner notary or office holder | order of the Minister of Justice | yes | purchase of shares, of an office or creation | their own or the company’s |
The first status is often a stage, while looking for a salaried notary position or a partnership project. The other two are genuine career choices.
Salaried notary: what the title changes
A genuine public officer role
A salaried notary is appointed by order of the Minister of Justice, like a partner or office holder. They are a public and ministerial officer: they receive and sign authentic deeds, take an oath and incur professional liability. The difference from a partner lies in their economic situation: they are bound to the office by an employment contract and receive a salary.
Advantages
- No investment: no shares to buy and no loan to take out.
- Regular pay, governed by the notarial collective agreement and the employment contract.
- Growing responsibility: the salaried notary signs their own deeds, follows their own clients within the office and sometimes supervises staff.
Limits
- No client base of their own in the financial sense: clients remain the office’s.
- Less share in profits than a partner, even though some contracts include a variable component.
- Dependence on the office’s organisation and on the partners’ decisions.
Many salaried notaries later become partners in the office where they work, when the opportunity arises: salaried employment is then a mutual trial period.
Becoming a partner: contribution, shares, negotiation
The principle
Most offices are run by companies (professional civil partnerships, professional practice companies, commercial companies in the permitted forms). Becoming a partner means acquiring shares in this company, either by buying those of a departing partner or through a capital increase.
Price and financing
The price of the shares depends on the value of the office, assessed in particular in light of its turnover and profitability. It is negotiated between the parties and is most often financed by a bank loan, repaid from the partner’s income. Support from an accountant who specialises in the notarial sector is recommended to assess actual profitability and repayment capacity.
Points to negotiate
- The value of the shares and the method used to calculate it.
- Profit sharing between partners, which does not always follow the split of capital.
- Governance: decision-making, allocation of management tasks, organisation of departments.
- Exit terms: withdrawal, future sale of shares, non-re-establishment clause.
Appointment
The transaction is subject to approval by the Minister of Justice, who appoints the new partner as notary by order. The file is reviewed by the ministry’s departments, with the opinion of the profession’s bodies.
The logic is close to that of becoming a partner in a law firm, described in the article becoming a partner in a law firm, but the financial value of the office and appointment by the State make it a more formal process.
Newly created offices and the lottery
The principle of regulated freedom of establishment
Since the law of 6 August 2015, a qualified notary can apply to be appointed to a newly created office in zones where establishment is free. These zones are set by a map established by the Ministers of Justice and the Economy, on a proposal from the Autorité de la concurrence (the French competition authority).
The 2026-2031 map
In its opinion no. 26-A-03 of 25 February 2026 🔗, the Autorité de la concurrence proposes, for the first time over a five-year period (2026-2031), a revised map of establishment zones. A decree of December 2025 extended the frequency of this opinion from two to five years. The Autorité recommends creating offices allowing 261 new notaries to set up in private practice over this period, pointing to the slowdown in real estate activity in previous years, and recommends that the creations take place within two years of the lottery among candidates. Check the official websites for the order finally adopted and the application calendar.
The lottery
When, in a given zone, the number of applications filed at the opening exceeds the number of recommended creations, the order in which applications are examined is determined by lottery. Successful candidates must then confirm their application within a short time, and are then appointed by order.
What creating an office involves
Creating an office means creating a business: finding premises, recruiting staff, equipping the office, financing the start-up and, above all, building a client base in a zone where other offices are already established. Free-establishment zones are, by design, those where the Autorité considers there is a need, but starting up remains demanding.
Choosing according to your plans and region
A few questions help you choose.
What is your attitude to risk? Salaried employment involves almost none; partnership a financial risk measured by the value of the shares; creating an office a real entrepreneurial risk.
How much do you want to manage? A partner or office holder runs a business: staff, accounts, investment, relations with the chamber of notaries. A salaried notary focuses more on deeds.
Which region? Opportunities for partnership, purchase and creation vary by region and zone. A family or personal project tied to a region often guides the choice.
What stage of your career? Many notaries start as salaried notaries, then become partners in the following years, when an opportunity arises in an office they know.
The article becoming a notary recalls the path that leads to these choices.
Highlighting your experience of deeds on your CV
Whatever status you are aiming for, your CV will be read by notaries who want to assess your practice. Three elements count.
The types of deeds you master, grouped by area:
- Before: “Drafting deeds in family law and real estate.”
- After: “Drafting and signing property sales, loans and gifts; settling estates including liquidations of matrimonial property regimes; deeds for non-trading property companies.”
Volume and autonomy: files handled from start to finish, signing appointments conducted alone, supervision of staff.
Management, if you are aiming for partnership: involvement in organising the office, recruitment, accounts, developing clients.
The pre-filled notary CV shows the presentation expected for a practising notary, and the pre-filled notarial clerk CV that of an office staff member who prepares the same deeds. To update yours before a partnership application or an office creation file, the AvocatCV builder handles the layout and produces a sober PDF that screening software reads correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Can a salaried notary sign deeds?
Yes. Appointed by order of the Minister of Justice, they are a public officer and receive authentic deeds, under their own responsibility, within the office that employs them.
Can you apply for a newly created office straight after the diploma?
Yes, a graduate who meets the aptitude requirements can file an application in a free-establishment zone. Starting an office without prior management experience nevertheless remains demanding.
Is a partnership necessarily financed by a loan?
Most often, yes, given the value of the shares. The arrangement depends on each person’s situation and is prepared with a banker and an accountant.
Can you go back to salaried employment after being a partner?
Yes, by selling your shares and being appointed salaried notary in an office. It is a less common choice, but possible depending on life plans.