LOUISIANA SUCCESSIONS
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CLEAR GUIDANCE AFTER A LOSS
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A succession is the Louisiana legal process used to identify a deceased person’s heirs or legatees, address estate property and obligations and place inherited property into the names of the people legally entitled to receive it.
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Losing someone is difficult enough without having to decipher an unfamiliar legal process. Hampton Law Firm helps families understand what must be done, gather the necessary information and move the property into the correct names.
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SUCCESSION SERVICES
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We assist with:
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• Testate successions involving a valid will
• Intestate successions when there is no valid will
• Small-succession affidavits
• Independent and court-supervised administration
• Appointment of executors or administrators
• Judgments of Possession
• Successions involving homes, land or mineral interests
• Multiple-generation family property
• Missing, incomplete or disputed ownership records
• Corrective and curative work connected to inherited property
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DOES HAVING A WILL AVOID SUCCESSION?
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Not necessarily.
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A will states the deceased person’s wishes, but it does not ordinarily change a deed, bank account, vehicle title or other ownership record by itself. A succession may still be required to legally recognize the heirs or legatees and transfer estate property.
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WHAT IF THERE IS NO WILL?
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When someone dies without a valid will, Louisiana law determines who inherits. The answer depends on the type of property involved and which relatives survived the deceased.
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Community property and separate property may pass differently. A surviving spouse does not automatically inherit everything in every Louisiana succession.
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SMALL-SUCCESSION AFFIDAVITS
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Some estates may qualify for transfer through a small-succession affidavit without opening a full judicial succession. Eligibility depends on the estate, the property involved, applicable law and the circumstances of the heirs.
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Other estates require a court proceeding, estate administration or a Judgment of Possession.
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INFORMATION TO GATHER
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If available, gather:
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• Death certificate
• Original Last Will and Testament
• Deeds and property descriptions
• Tax notices
• Bank and investment information
• Vehicle titles
• Debt and mortgage information
• Names and contact information for family members
• Marriage, divorce or adoption records that may affect inheritance
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BEGIN YOUR SUCCESSION INTAKE
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Complete the Succession Intake Form and upload any available documents. You do not need to have every document before beginning.
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Submitting an intake does not appoint Hampton Law Firm as your attorney or stop any deadline. Representation begins only after the firm accepts the matter in writing.
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LEARN MORE ABOUT SUCCESSION BY READING ONE OF OUR ARTICLES BELOW:
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VIEW OUR SELF-HELP SMALL SUCCESSION AFFIDAVIT BELOW:
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