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Letter templates

Formal notice template to send by fax

Demand payment of a sum or performance of a service within a set deadline. The letter fills itself in as you complete the fields.

In short

French law imposes no particular form on a formal notice: a letter that clearly calls on the debtor to perform can serve as one (article 1344 of the Civil Code). A fax therefore works, provided you can prove it was sent and what it said — keep the PDF acknowledgment and a copy of the letter. For a sum of money, the notice starts statutory interest running (article 1344-1).

Fill in the template

Everything happens in your browser: nothing is sent or stored until you submit the sending form.

This letter is addressed to a French organisation, so it is written in French and the PDF will stay in French. Please fill in the fields in French, using Latin characters.

Your details

One address line per line.

So the recipient can reply.

Recipient

In French, for example "Service résiliations".

Printed on the letter and carried over to the sending form. Check it on a letter from the organisation or in the site's directory.

Letter content

Amount and references, in French, for example "paiement de la facture n° 42 de 1 250 €".

In French, for example "le contrat du 12 mai 2026" or "le devis signé du 3 mars".

In French, for example "courriels des 2 et 16 mai".

Eight to fifteen days is customary.

Place and date

Where you are writing from, as in "À Lyon, le…".

Defaults to today.

Signature and attachments
Optional. A sharp photo on a white background, PNG or JPEG. Without an image, space is left to sign by hand.
Optional. PDF, JPEG or PNG: they are placed after the letter, in the same document.

One-page document: free, unlimited sending.

To generate the PDF, fill in: Your first and last name, Your postal address, Person or company given notice, What you are owed, Town or city.

Need proof? When sending, the optional PDF acknowledgment of receipt (€3.99 incl. VAT) records the date and transmission of the fax. Keep it with a copy of the letter.

Letter preview

The letter exactly as it will be sent. Fields still to fill in are highlighted.

[Prénom Nom][Adresse postale]

[Organisme destinataire]

À [Ville], le [date]

Courrier envoyé par télécopie

Objet : Mise en demeure

Madame, Monsieur,

Vous êtes redevable envers moi de l’obligation suivante : [obligation due].

À ce jour, cette obligation n’a toujours pas été exécutée.

Par la présente, je vous mets en demeure de vous en acquitter dans un délai de 8 jours à compter de la réception de ce courrier.

À défaut d’exécution dans ce délai, je me réserve la possibilité d’engager toute démarche utile, amiable ou judiciaire, afin d’obtenir l’exécution de cette obligation et la réparation de mon préjudice.

Le présent courrier vaut mise en demeure au sens de l’article 1344 du Code civil.

Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.

[Prénom Nom]

How to fill it in

  1. 1

    Gather the evidence

    Contract, signed quote, purchase order, invoices, written exchanges: the formal notice must be able to rely on them. Note their references and dates.

  2. 2

    Describe exactly what is owed

    Exact amount and invoice references, or the service expected. A vague demand is easy to dispute.

  3. 3

    Set a reasonable deadline

    Eight to fifteen days is customary. Tick "sum of money" if you are claiming payment: the letter will then mention statutory interest.

  4. 4

    Send it with proof

    Fax the document and add the PDF acknowledgment of receipt: it records the date and successful transmission. Keep it with a copy of the letter.

Check before sending

  • You must prove it was sent

    In a dispute, it is up to you to prove the formal notice was sent and what it contained. The transmission report dates the fax sent to the recipient's number: keep it with the PDF you sent. Some contracts require a registered letter — check yours.

  • Before going to court, try to settle

    For a dispute of €5,000 or less, an attempt at conciliation, mediation or a participatory procedure is in principle mandatory before going to court in France. The court conciliator (conciliateur de justice) is free of charge.

  • Stick to the facts

    No disproportionate threats, no accusations: a formal notice states what is owed, on what basis and by when. It may be produced before a judge.

Template provided for information, checked on October 8, 2026 against the official sources below. It does not replace advice from a legal professional, nor the terms of your contract.

Official sources (in French)

Send this document by fax

A one-page fax is free and unlimited, with no sign-up. From two pages, sending costs €3.99 incl. VAT. To prove you sent it, add the PDF acknowledgment of receipt (€3.99 incl. VAT).

Fill in the template

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