Legal procedures for contract termination in France

Contract termination involves specific legal procedures that vary depending on the type of agreement, the parties involved, and the circumstances of the breach. In French civil law, a distinction is made between termination (résiliation), which ends a contract for the future, and resolution (résolution), which retroactively nullifies the contract as if it had never existed.

For indefinite-term contracts (CDI), parties may terminate at any time provided notice is given. Fixed-term contracts (CDD) generally cannot be terminated before their end date except in cases of serious misconduct, force majeure, or mutual agreement. Official resources such as Légifrance and Service-Public.fr serve as primary references for verifying current legislative texts and procedures.