Legal help in Pakistan for Pakistanis living in France.
Property, inheritance, family and child adoption matters in Pakistan, run from Lahore while you stay in Paris and Île-de-France, Lyon or Marseille.
Short answer. Pakistanis living in France can instruct a Lahore firm on property, inheritance, family and child adoption matters in Pakistan without travelling. The power of attorney is signed through NADRA’s online system, at the Embassy of Pakistan, Paris, or before a local notary with an apostille from the French authority competent for apostilles (since the 2024 reform, handled through the notarial profession — your notary will direct you), because the Apostille Convention operates between France and Pakistan.
Reviewed by Khalil Ahmad Bhullah, Founding Partner · Last reviewed 22 September 2026 · Pakistani law only
What Pakistanis in France bring us.
One mission, so the online route matters
France has one Pakistani mission, in Paris, which runs both in-person and online power-of-attorney attestation. For clients outside Île-de-France the online NADRA route usually saves a day.
French adoption rules are strict about countries without adoption
The French Civil Code restricts the adoption of a foreign child whose own personal law does not provide for adoption. Pakistani law provides for guardianship, not adoption. Speak to a French adviser, and to the MAI, before starting anything in Pakistan.
Property occupied or sold behind your back
Relatives, qabza groups, tenants in default, forged transfers. Special courts for overseas Pakistanis, the Illegal Dispossession Act and civil suits.
Power of attorney from France
Drafted narrowly for one property or one case, signed by the route that works from France. Revocation if one is being misused.
Inheritance and succession
NADRA succession certificates with biometric verification from France through the Pak ID app, inheritance mutation, and court cases when a share is withheld.
Divorce, khula and custody
Talaq notice, khula, maintenance and custody in Pakistan, with a straight note on how France treats Pakistani family orders.
Documents from France.
The single most expensive mistake overseas clients make is paying for the wrong signing route.
Notary plus apostille works from France
Sign before a notary in France and have it apostilled by the French authority competent for apostilles (since the 2024 reform, handled through the notarial profession — your notary will direct you). Pakistan accepts that apostille without attestation by a Pakistani mission or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some Pakistani registrars still prefer a mission-attested document; we check the specific office before you pay for an appointment.
NADRA’s online power of attorney
CNIC, NICOP and POC holders can apply at poa.nadra.gov.pk: upload the document, give biometrics for yourself and two witnesses, pay online, and take an online interview with the Pakistani mission you select. Foreign nationals with no Pakistani identity document must attend the mission.
Documents issued in France for use in Pakistan
Death certificates, court orders and other public documents from France are apostilled by the competent authority and then used in Pakistan — typically for inheritance, divorce and child adoption files. Ask us which certified form the Pakistani office needs before ordering.
Child guardianship and adoption.
Pakistan has guardianship, not adoption
Pakistani Family Courts appoint guardians under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890; they do not make adoption orders. We file and argue the guardianship petition in Pakistan. Read the full guide.
Ask France first
Whether a child under a Pakistani guardianship order can join you, and whether you can later adopt, is decided by the Mission de l’Adoption Internationale (MAI). Get that answer before a petition is filed in Pakistan; starting in the wrong order can damage the application at home.
Working with Lahore from France.
- In Paris, a 10:00 AM Lahore hearing is 6:00 AM outside daylight saving and 7:00 AM during it. Our office day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Lahore, runs 5:00 AM to 2:00 PM (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM in daylight saving). Pakistan does not change its clocks, so the gap moves when yours do.
- WhatsApp is read Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pakistan time. A message sent after hours is answered the next business morning in Lahore.
Questions from Pakistanis in France.
Sign before a notary in France and have it apostilled by the French authority competent for apostilles (since the 2024 reform, handled through the notarial profession — your notary will direct you). Pakistan accepts that apostille without attestation by a Pakistani mission or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some Pakistani registrars still prefer a mission-attested document; we check the specific office before you pay for an appointment.
In Paris, a 10:00 AM Lahore hearing is 6:00 AM outside daylight saving and 7:00 AM during it. Our office day, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in Lahore, runs 5:00 AM to 2:00 PM (6:00 AM to 3:00 PM in daylight saving). Pakistan does not change its clocks, so the gap moves when yours do. We book calls in the overlap.
Usually, yes. With a power of attorney signed from France, we file in Punjab’s special court for overseas Pakistanis’ property, under the Illegal Dispossession Act, 2005, or by civil suit, depending on the facts, and appear at the hearings. A court can require your attendance or evidence by video link at a particular stage.
That is decided under the law of France, not Pakistani law. For a child, ask the Mission de l’Adoption Internationale (MAI) before anything is filed in Pakistan. For a divorce, take local family-law advice. We make the Pakistani process correct and properly documented so it has the best chance of being accepted.