Wills & Successions Overview

In Louisiana, a "succession" refers to the handling of the estate of the deceased. To transfer ownership of property to heirs or persons named in a Will, the deceased's succession must be "opened" by filing the necessary pleadings and exhibits in the proper Court.

Thereafter, the succession is handled as necessary depending on various procedures that may apply as a result of the size of the estate, whether or not there was a valid Will that must be probated, and whether or not the estate is in debt, etc.

There are many factors and situations to be contemplated and it would be impossible to provide even an overview of all succession law here.

This area of law, however, can obviously be separated into before death and after death concerns.

Before death concerns include such things as drafting a Will, handling assets to reduce estate taxes, creating trusts if necessary, and making sure that the estate is structured properly such that when the person passes away, his or her loved ones are not left with a mess or unnecessary estate taxes to pay.

After death concerns include opening the succession, probating the Will if there is one, paying all debts and taxes of the estate, and then placing heirs into legal possession of the property so as to close the succession.

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Disclaimer
It is important to understand that Steve Roberts is licensed to practice law within the State of Louisiana only. Therefore, this web site and its contents are not intended to be solicitations for legal work or to provide legal advice to those located outside of the State of Louisiana, or who have claims or potential claims pending outside of the State of Louisiana. The rules of ethics that governs lawyers requires that lawyers be licensed to practice in every state of which they intend to practice law or dispense legal advice, etc. Thus, please be advised that Steve Roberts is licensed only within the State of Louisiana, but within the State of Louisiana is licensed to practice in all State and Federal Courts located therein. This web site does not constitute legal advice in any form, but instead provides generalized information only. Read the web site and interpret the contents at your own risk and peril.