This category covers plans that a person can make for what will happen with their property and responsibilities after they die. It includes topics of how property will be divided among spouses, family members, and other interested parties -- and how wills can be written in valid ways in order to spell out a specific plan.
Calculating Estate Value And How To Create A Descriptive List
This resource covers the process of calculating the value of an estate and creating a descriptive list of all assets in the estate. This information can be used as part of the documents needed to file a succession.
Dying Without A Will - Intestate Successions
This resource covers the law of intestacy or what happens to a person's estate when they die without a will.
Estate Planning For A Beneficiary With A Disability
This resource shows how to protect inheritance and benefits for a person with a disability. It covers tools like Special Needs Trusts, ABLE accounts, interdiction, and continuing tutorship. It also includes key estate planning documents. The guide stresses careful planning to keep eligibility for Medicaid and SSI. This ensures long-term care and support.
Estates, Wills, and Guardianships
This resource provides an overview of estate planning and administration in Louisiana, covering key topics such as wills, advance directives, guardianship and conservatorship, trusts, and powers of attorney (POA). It also offers guidance on navigating the succession process, including making or modifying a will, establishing directives, and managing trusts or POAs.
Inheriting An Interest In A Lease
This guide discusses the basic rights and responsibilities of people who inherit an interest in a lease. It includes information for both people who inherit an interest as a renter and a landlord.
Navigating A Louisiana General Property Succession
This resource discusses how a person's assets and property are handled and distributed after their death, specifically in cases where the estate is valued at $125,000 or more, a situation referred to as a general property succession. It outlines how the belongings are passed down to heirs or beneficiaries.
Navigating Louisiana's Small Succession Affidavit
This resource explains how to use a Small Succession Affidavit in Louisiana to transfer a deceased person’s property without going through the full court process. It can be used if the estate is worth $125,000 or less and the deceased owned property in Louisiana. The law now allows this process, regardless of whether the person had a will, as long as certain conditions are met. This simplified procedure helps heirs avoid probate and makes it easier to claim and distribute the estate’s assets.
Protect Your Property: Heir Property In Louisiana
This resource explains what heir property is in Louisiana and how to protect and manage inherited property shared among family members.
Successions
This resource explains how to transfer a person’s property after they die in Louisiana — a process called a succession (also known as probate in other states). It covers what happens when there is a valid will (testate succession) and when there is no will (intestate succession), as well as the rules for community property. This resource gives you the basic information to understand and start the succession process, with links to more detailed resources and legal help.
Trusts
This resource explains trusts in Louisiana. It lists their benefits and main types: revocable, irrevocable, testamentary, special needs, spendthrift, and land trusts. The resource outlines the roles of the settlor, trustee, and beneficiaries. It compares revocable and irrevocable trusts regarding control, asset protection, and tax implications. Trusts help avoid probate, provide privacy, and ensure structured asset distribution. However, you may still need a will, especially a pour-over will. The resource covers trustee duties, legal rules, tax issues, and when to get legal help.