Glossary
Glossary of death and legacy
The words you discover the day you need them, explained simply. Each definition links to its official source.
- Advance directives
- A written statement in which an adult expresses their wishes about end-of-life care, in case they can no longer say so. In France, doctors must in principle respect them.
- Death certificate
- Civil registration document drawn up by the town hall after the death is declared. It is the official proof of death, required for almost every formality.
- Death certificate
- Document written by the doctor who certifies the death. It is essential to declare the death to the civil registry.
- Digital legacy
- Everything a person leaves online: accounts, messages, photos, files and subscriptions.
- Estate tax return
- Document that heirs file with the tax authorities to declare what the deceased left and pay, where applicable, inheritance tax.
- Legacy contact
- A person you name during your lifetime to manage or recover your online data after your death. Apple and Facebook offer this role.
- Memorialised account
- The profile of a deceased person that Facebook keeps visible, with the word "Remembering", at the request of their loved ones.
- Mortuary laissez-passer
- Document authorising the transport of a deceased person's body from one country to another.
- Online memorial
- A page dedicated to a person who has died, where loved ones gather photos and memories, light a candle and leave a message.
- Survivor's pension
- Part of the pension that the deceased received, or would have received, paid to their surviving spouse.
- Time capsule
- A letter, message or memory entrusted today so that it is delivered later to the chosen person.