Louisiana · Estate & Probate
The Louisiana Wills, Trusts & Estates Guide
Understand Louisiana's unique civil law system, forced heirship, community property rules, and the specific requirements for wills and trusts.
2026-2027 Edition · Cited to Louisiana law · Plain language
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Add-on: Texas Wills & Powers of Attorney Pack · $39.99
Eleven editable forms that go with this guide, including a will, financial and medical powers of attorney and a living will, with a signing guide. Instant download; Word and PDF.
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Cited to the statute · Legal information, not legal advice
Louisiana wills, trusts, and estates, explained in plain language
Notarial and olographic testaments, forced heirship, usufruct, the Trust Code, mandates, and who inherits without a will.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Planning ahead in Louisiana means working within a civil law system with its own rules for wills, trusts, and inheritance.
The Louisiana Wills, Trusts & Estates Guide explains the two forms of testament Louisiana allows (La. Civ. Code art. 1574). A notarial testament is signed before a notary and two competent witnesses (art. 1576). An olographic testament is entirely written, dated, and signed in the testator's own handwriting (art. 1575). It explains how a notarial testament becomes self-proving and how codicils and revocations work.
The guide explains forced heirship and the legitime, usufruct and naked ownership, community and separate property, and who inherits under intestate succession. It explains inter vivos and mortis causa trusts under the Louisiana Trust Code (La. R.S. 9:1721 et seq.), trusts for a forced heir's legitime, the mandate or procuration used as a power of attorney, and the living will declaration. It also explains why Louisiana has no state estate or inheritance tax.
• Step-by-step procedures for the person making a plan
• A separate path for executors, trustees, and beneficiaries
• Independent administration and the judgment of possession
• Checklists, comparison tables, a glossary, and model language
For anyone planning an estate or carrying one out in Louisiana. Legal information, not legal advice.
WHAT’S INSIDE
- Louisiana's Unique Civil Law Foundation
- The Last Will and Testament in Louisiana
- The Louisiana Trust Code and Its Role
- Planning for Incapacity: Mandates and Living Wills
- Exceptions, Defenses, and Challenges
- Rights of the Executor, Trustee, or Beneficiary
- Step-by-step procedures from each side, with deadlines at a glance
- 24 real-world questions and answers
- Statute index, key court decisions and official forms
- Toolkit: checklists, comparison tables, glossary and common mistakes to avoid
WHY READERS TRUST THIS GUIDE
Plain language. Cited to the statute. Dated so you know it is current.
Every rule is cited to Louisiana law so you can verify it.
Cited, so you can check it
Every rule names the section of Louisiana law it comes from, so you can read the source yourself.
Plain language, no filler
Written to be read start to finish by someone with no legal training, with worked examples.
Dated and updated
Each guide carries a law-current date and new editions ship when the law changes.
Bonus toolkit
Register your book for this topic’s checklists, worksheets and starter template, as soon as they are ready.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BUY
Louisiana will requirements: what to know before you order.
Straight answers about what the guide is, what it covers and how it reaches you.
How many witnesses does a Louisiana will need?
A notarial testament needs a notary and two competent witnesses (La. Civ. Code art. 1576). An olographic testament, written, dated, and signed entirely in the testator's handwriting, needs no witnesses (art. 1575).
What is forced heirship in Louisiana?
A rule reserving part of an estate, the legitime, for a child 23 or younger or a child of any age permanently unable to care for themselves or their property (La. Civ. Code art. 1493). It is one-quarter for one forced heir and one-half for two or more.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is legal information in plain language, cited to the law, so you understand your options and know what to ask. Reading it creates no attorney-client relationship.
Is it written for Louisiana?
Yes. This guide is written for Louisiana law and cites the Louisiana statutes and rules it relies on. If your case is in another state, choose that state's edition.
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PLEASE READ
Legal information, not legal advice. STACKED LEGAL® is a publisher, not a law firm. Buying or reading this book creates no attorney-client relationship and promises no outcome. Laws change; verify current law and talk to a licensed attorney in Louisiana about your situation.
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