Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid
Estate planning mistakes can leave your family with higher costs, delays, and disputes that thoughtful planning may have prevented. The best way to avoid them is to create a Louisiana-specific plan, coordinate every document, and review it as your life changes. A will alone may not address everything. Your plan should account for incapacity, beneficiary...
Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid Continue reading…Why Everyone Needs a Will
A will lets you decide who should receive your property, who should handle your estate, and who you would want to care for your minor children. Without one, Louisiana law makes many of those decisions for you, and the result may be very different from what you intended. Many people put off writing a will...
Why Everyone Needs a Will Continue reading…How to Choose an Executor for Your Estate
Choosing an executor means selecting someone you trust to carry out the instructions in your will and handle your estate after your death. In Louisiana, a good executor should be responsible, organized, willing to serve, and capable of handling financial and legal responsibilities during the succession process. Your choice can have a meaningful effect on...
How to Choose an Executor for Your Estate Continue reading…What Is Usufruct and How Does It Affect Louisiana Inheritances?
Usufruct is a Louisiana property right that allows one person to use and benefit from property that is owned, in whole or in part, by someone else. In an inheritance, this often means a surviving spouse can continue using certain property while the deceased spouse’s descendants hold what Louisiana law calls “naked ownership.” Because usufruct...
What Is Usufruct and How Does It Affect Louisiana Inheritances? Continue reading…What Is an Interdiction in Louisiana?
An interdiction is a Louisiana court proceeding that removes an adult's, or a minor who has been emancipated, legal authority to make decisions, in whole or in part, and places that authority with a court-appointed curator. It is available when an infirmity leaves a person unable to consistently make reasoned decisions about his person or...
What Is an Interdiction in Louisiana? Continue reading…How Long After Death Do You Have to File a Succession?
Louisiana sets no deadline for filing a succession petition. A family can file one year after a death or twenty years after it, and the court will still hear the case. The limits that do exist are prescriptive periods on an heir's claim rather than filing deadlines. The longest is thirty years. The shortest, just...
How Long After Death Do You Have to File a Succession? Continue reading…What Is Considered a Simple Trust in Louisiana?
A simple trust is generally a trust that must distribute all of its income to beneficiaries each year and cannot distribute principal or make charitable contributions from trust assets. While this definition comes from federal tax law, understanding it can help you make informed estate planning decisions in Louisiana. Whether a simple trust is appropriate...
What Is Considered a Simple Trust in Louisiana? Continue reading…When Is the Best Time to Create Your Estate Plan?
The best time to create your estate plan is before you need it. Most adults benefit from having an estate plan in place long before retirement or a medical emergency, especially after major life events such as marriage, having children, buying a home, or starting a business. Many people assume estate planning is only for...
When Is the Best Time to Create Your Estate Plan? Continue reading…What Happens During an Intestate Succession?
When someone dies without a valid will in Louisiana, their estate generally passes through intestate succession, the legal process for distributing property according to state law. While many people refer to this as probate, Louisiana uses different terminology and has its own rules governing who inherits and how an estate is administered. An experienced Metaire...
What Happens During an Intestate Succession? Continue reading…Assets That Should Be Placed in a Trust
A trust can hold many different types of property, but not every asset belongs in one. Real estate, business interests, investment accounts, and valuable personal property are commonly transferred to a trust, while certain retirement accounts and other assets are often better handled through beneficiary designations. Choosing the right assets depends on your estate planning...
Assets That Should Be Placed in a Trust Continue reading…When and How Parents Can Modify Louisiana Custody Orders
Louisiana custody orders carry the full authority of the family courts. Parents who do not adhere to the custody order regarding decision-making matters or the division of parenting time could face enforcement actions, including allegations of being in contempt of court. When there are small changes needed to make the schedule work for a family,...
When and How Parents Can Modify Louisiana Custody Orders Continue reading…How to protect your assets before and during marriage
When you said “I do,” you probably did not think about what would happen to your house, savings, or family heirlooms if your marriage were to end. Now that you are facing divorce, these questions feel urgent and overwhelming. Understanding Louisiana’s unique property laws can help you make informed decisions about protecting what matters most...
How to protect your assets before and during marriage Continue reading…