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About Laura Morley, the founder of Your French Matters
About Laura Morley, the founder of Your French Matters
I have always been a Francophile and moved out to France with my family in 2002. We began our adventure in Chalais, the Charente area of France but relocated to the Charente Maritime and the coast in 2006.
In the UK, I was a primary school teacher but always had a great love and appreciation for the French Language and culture and dreamed of one day living here.
Upon deciding to move to France, I studied and gained a diploma with honors to ‘Teach English as a Foreign Language’ (TEFL) and then went on to gain recognition as a Certified Translator (Traductrice assermentée) via the Cours d’appel in Poitiers.
Initially, I started giving language lessons to French and English, as well as volunteering at local primary schools , but also had my own retail enterprise which became a fantastic way to meet people, integrate into the community and start our lives in France.
Deciding to move to Royan in 2006, I continued to teach but then was also lucky to gain a position within a Chartered Accountancy firm as head of the foreign department, completing over 200 income tax declarations annually and dealing with all administrative issues encountered by the UK & foreign expatriate in France. I also dealt with small business registration, social (health & retirement) charges & local taxes (Foncière & Habitation) for the British but also the French clientèle.
This work led to the idea of setting up a business that offered a global service to British & Foreign people relocating to France from another country, in the hope of alleviating the stress of relocation, to suppress the language barrier & ultimately help people ‘set up’ and begin their new life in France as seamlessly as possible.
With the Internet and numerous means of communicating, I currently work primarily from the UK based in Derby to support my children’s further educational development and progression & have a portfolio of over 250 clients from not only all of France but also further afield including the United States, Thailand & Switzerland to name a few. I deal with any issue ranging from making doctor’s appointments, to planning permission, tax returns, business set up, social issues, translations – the list is endless.
Having my translation skills recognized has also allowed me to include certified translations to the list of services offered. I have completed work for Notaires, Avocat’s, Health organizations (RSI, CPAM, La Ram & la CAF), represented clients in Court, and at Notarial offices’ for house signings & helping with the process to become a French National amongst many other diverse requests.
To coin a phrase ‘no job is too small’.
The advantage I have over large business’ is that I am a British national so understand the UK system and the British expectations & cultural differences etc. but having lived in France for many years and bringing up 3 children, I have also experienced all of the issues that people will undoubtedly come across in France & gained a great insight into how the French system works and the idiosyncrasies that are very difficult to understand and get used to.
So please don’t stress or worry unnecessarily – call me and I will be able to help. :-
Your French Matters
