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Aug 02, 2026
When should you make a will in Louisiana? The short answer is before your family needs it. You do not need to be wealthy, retired, or seriously ill to benefit from a will. A few important life events can make one especially valuable.
Six Reasons to Make or Review Your Will
1. You Get Married or Enter a Committed Partnership
Louisiana law may not distribute your property the way you expect. A surviving spouse does not necessarily inherit everything, especially when the deceased spouse owned separate property or had children.
An unmarried partner generally has no automatic right to inherit through Louisiana intestacy law. A will can provide for a spouse or partner while coordinating that inheritance with the rights of children and other family members.
2. You Have Children or Grandchildren
Parents of minor children should use a will to recommend who they want the court to appoint as tutor if both parents die. A will can also place a child’s inheritance in trust instead of allowing the child to receive it outright upon reaching adulthood.
Our article How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Child? explains why this decision belongs in a properly prepared will.
Grandparents may also need to update their wills if they want to provide directly for grandchildren or address what happens if one of their children dies first.
3. You Buy a Home, Start a Business, or Receive an Inheritance
A major change in property ownership should trigger an estate-plan review. This includes buying real estate, starting or acquiring a business, receiving an inheritance, or building substantial savings.
The review should determine who will receive the property, who can manage it during a succession, and whether a will alone is sufficient. Business interests, property in another state, and assets with beneficiary designations may require additional planning.
4. Your Family Changes
Divorce, separation, remarriage, the death of a beneficiary, or estrangement from a family member can leave an older will inconsistent with your current wishes.
Do not assume that divorce automatically resolves every provision involving a former spouse. Beneficiary designations, fiduciary appointments, trusts, and related documents may still require attention. Read What Changes Should You Make to Your Will After Divorce? for a broader review checklist.
5. You Experience a Serious Health Change
A new diagnosis should prompt a review while you can still make and communicate your decisions clearly.
A will controls property after death. It does not authorize someone to manage your finances or make healthcare decisions during your lifetime. Therefore, the review should also include a Louisiana contract of mandate, healthcare power of attorney, and advance directive when appropriate.
6. You Move to Louisiana
An out-of-state will is not automatically invalid merely because you move to Louisiana. However, Louisiana’s community-property, forced-heirship, usufruct, and succession rules may affect how the plan operates.
Louisiana also has specific testamentary forms. For example, an olographic testament must satisfy the requirements in Louisiana Civil Code Article 1575. A review can identify conflicts between an older plan and Louisiana law before they become succession problems.
You Do Not Need a Large Estate to Need a Will
A will can address much more than wealth. It can help you:
- Recommend a tutor for minor children;
- Place a beneficiary’s inheritance in trust;
- Provide for an unmarried partner;
- Choose the person who will administer your succession;
- Leave specific property to particular people;
- Provide for a spouse’s use of property;
- Address an estranged family relationship; and
- Determine what happens if a beneficiary dies before you.
Without a valid will, Louisiana law—not your family—determines who inherits your succession property.
Field Law Can Help You Prepare or Review Your Louisiana Will
Field Law helps clients create Louisiana wills that reflect their families, property, and practical goals. We can also review an existing will after a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, diagnosis, or significant financial change and determine whether updates are necessary.
If one of these events has occurred—or if you have simply put off making a will—contact Field Law to schedule a consultation.
