Category Archives: Successions & Probate
Is a Louisiana Notarial Testament Really Self-Proving? Not Always After the 2025 Change
Not every Louisiana notarial testament is self-proving merely because it is called “notarial.” After Act 30 of 2025, a notarial testament executed under Civil Code Article 1576 is self-proving only if it is signed on…
If You Find a Will and Think It’s Invalid, Do You Still Have to File It?
Yes. If you find a will and think it is invalid, Louisiana law generally requires you to file it. Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Article 2853 applies when someone possesses a document that appears to…
What a Surviving Spouse Needs to Know When There Is No Will in Louisiana
When a spouse dies without a will in Louisiana, the surviving husband or wife often faces grief and uncertainty at the same time. Many people assume the surviving spouse automatically inherits everything. In Louisiana, that…
What Should You Bring to a Succession Consultation in Louisiana?
A lot of families delay a Louisiana succession consultation because they think they must organize everything first. You do not. However, certain documents and facts can make a meeting with a Baton Rouge succession lawyer…
Can You Sell a House Before a Succession Is Completed in Louisiana?
This question comes up frequently. The family wants to sell a house, but the Louisiana succession is not complete. The short answer is yes, a house can sometimes be sold before the succession is completed—but…
When a Louisiana Succession Turns Contradictory: What Changes Once There Is a Real Fight?
A Louisiana succession often begins with ex parte filings. It becomes a litigation matter when a genuine factual dispute emerges—for example, over who the heirs are, whether a testament is valid, whether a descriptive list…
How Do You Prove Heirship in a Louisiana Succession?
Heirship may feel obvious within a family, but it still must be proved in court. Louisiana procedure allows a deceased person’s death, marriage, and the facts necessary to establish the relationship of heirs to be…
How Much Does a Succession Cost in Louisiana?
When a loved one dies, one of the first questions families ask is how much the legal process will cost. If you are trying to understand what to expect, a Baton Rouge succession lawyer can…
What Court Opens a Louisiana Succession – and What Happens If It’s Filed in the Wrong Parish?
A proceeding to open a succession must generally be filed in the district court of the parish where the deceased person was domiciled at death. If the deceased person was not domiciled in Louisiana, the…
Louisiana Succession Explained – What Heirs Need to Know
Understanding Succession in Louisiana In most states, the legal process following a person’s death is called probate. In Louisiana, we call it a succession. Because Louisiana follows a civil-law system, its inheritance rules and terminology…
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Responsible Attorney: James Morgan Field, III, Louisiana Bar Roll No. 34285. Attorney Morgan Field is listed with the Louisiana State Bar Association under his full name.
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