Didier, a retired man who is now 77 years old, was a judicial officer in Paris for more than three decades and chose to postpone his retirement simply because he deeply enjoyed his work. He retired at the age of 65, later than expected by law for his profession, and currently receives a monthly pension of 4,205 euros from French Social Security. An amount above the national average which, he explains, reflects the demands and responsibility of the position he held.
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro, the 77-year-old retiree recalls that professional activity has always been his greatest motivation. “I retired at 65 because I was happy in what I did. At the end of my career I realized that it was no longer my time and that I should leave space for younger people”, he said.
The national average pension value in France was 1,666 euros gross in 2023, a value higher than that recorded in Portugal.
The differences are mainly explained by the type of contributory scheme, as public servants and self-employed workers tend to benefit from higher pensions.
A career in the service of Justice
Having graduated in Law, Didier entered the public service after a demanding entrance exam. Over the years, he progressed in his career until he reached a position of high responsibility in the French Ministry of Justice, performing functions that required an oath at the Cour d’appel, after validation by the Minister of Justice.
During more than 30 years of activity, it made regular contributions to two different funds: the National Old-Age Insurance Fund for Liberal Professionals (CNAVPL) and the Old-Age Insurance Fund for Ministerial Employees, Public Officials and Judicial Companies (CAVOM).
Both regimes are based on a points system, in which each contribution made throughout your career accumulates rights that, at the time of retirement, determine the final value of the pension, according to the same source. In Didier’s case, these additional contributions made it possible to significantly reinforce the basic pension of the general scheme.
Decision to retire and enjoy life
The decision to abandon professional activity was not simple for the retired man, now 77 years old. Didier admits, cited by the same source, that the work routine gave him satisfaction and a sense of purpose. Still, he ended up accepting that it was the right time to leave. “I love my work, but I realized that I had to make room for the new generation.”
Since then, he has managed to manage his time and savings in a balanced way. “I managed to build an important real estate portfolio. I have a house in Paris and a holiday residence in Sologne, where I spend most of my time with my wife”, he said.
A demanding and lacking profession
Despite attractive remuneration, the judicial officer profession in France continues to face a shortage of professionals. According to data from the National Chamber of Judicial Commissioners, only 100 to 120 new graduates enter the sector annually, when between 150 and 180 would be needed to compensate for the reforms and respond to the country’s needs.
This deficit of new professionals also helps to explain the higher pension values in this area. This is a role with a strong legal component, long hours, high responsibility and a permanent requirement for legal updating, according to the source previously cited.
An example of stability and dedication
Didier’s career reflects a generation that believed in stability, a public career and total dedication to the service of the State. For him, the reward was twofold: a long career and a comfortable retirement.
Above all, there was the feeling of duty accomplished. “I worked hard, but I was happy with what I did. Now I enjoy the reform with peace of mind and gratitude”, he concludes, quoted by .
How does it work in Portugal?
In Portugal, the equivalent of Didier’s case is divided into two distinct profiles. On the one hand, there is the enforcement agent, a self-employed professional regulated by the Order of Solicitors and Execution Agents (OSAE), who pays contributions to the Lawyers and Solicitors Pension Fund (CPAS) through levels.
In this regime, the pension is calculated based on conventional remuneration and a training rate of approximately 2% per year on these bases, with the grade history chosen throughout the career determining the final value. Only a simulation with the real contribution history allows us to know the exact amount of the pension.
Bailiff
On the other hand, there is the bailiff, a public servant who is part of the State’s career in the courts. Those who entered until 2005 remained in the Caixa Geral de Aposentações (CGA) regime, while those who entered from 2006 onwards moved to the General Social Security Regime.
In this regime, the annual pension formation rate varies between 2% and 2.3%, up to a maximum of 40 years of career, in accordance with Decree-Law no. 187/2007.
A simple example helps you understand: with 30 years of discounts and a reference salary of 2,000 euros, the theoretical pension would be around 1,200 euros per month; If the remuneration were 2,500 euros, the value would rise to around 1,500 to 1,725 euros, depending on the rate applied and without considering bonuses or the sustainability factor.
In general, the amounts in Portugal are lower than the case of a 77-year-old retiree (4,205 €/month in France), which is the result of a long career, high level of responsibility and accumulation of schemes. In Portugal, the liberal path depends on the level of ranks; the public road depends on the remuneration table and the years of discounts.
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