Practices from Metairie in Jefferson Parish for clients throughout the New Orleans metro area. Attorney R. Scott Buhrer, in practice since 1986, administers testate and intestate successions, represents both challengers and administrators in contested successions, and handles interdictions. He holds an MBA from Tulane University, applied to estates with business interests.
Gretna is in Jefferson Parish.
More Guardianship Firms in Jefferson Parish
Practices from Metairie and handles successions in Orleans, St. Tammany, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. John and Terrebonne parishes. Represents heirs and succession representatives in successions with and without administration, probate of wills and small successions, and litigates will contests and representative removals. Also answers Medicaid estate recovery claims.
Metairie firm handling Louisiana successions and trust litigation for the New Orleans area, including ancillary successions for out-of-state clients with Louisiana property. Represents executors, heirs and legatees in insolvent successions, contested wills, usufructuary accounting and creditor claims, and trustees and beneficiaries in trust disputes. Led by board-certified Beau P. Sagona.
Probate in Jefferson Parish
Probate Court Record
Jefferson Parish District Court
Jefferson Parish · 24th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
200 Derbigny Street, Suite 2400, Gretna, LA 70053
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Jefferson Parish →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Jefferson Parish? →Settling an estate in Jefferson Parish →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Louisiana
Free Louisiana forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Louisiana.
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Last Will and Testament
In Louisiana, a will is signed before 2La. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and a notaryLa. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyLa. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Healthcare Power of Attorney
Louisiana requires 2La. R.S. 40:1151.2Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredLa. R.S. 40:1151.2Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
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Financial Power of Attorney
Louisiana treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultLa. C.C. Art. 2989-2997 (mandate), Art. 3021 (putative mandatary), Art. 3024-3027 (termination/durability/revocation), Art. 1833 (authentic act), Art. 1839 + Art. 3338 (immovable transfers; recordation), Art. 1927 (acceptance), Art. 29 (majority), Art. 3537-3541 (conflicts; Art. 3538 form); La. R.S. 9:3890 (conditional/springing procuration); La. R.S. 6:311.1 (financial institution written-notice protection)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementLa. C.C. Art. 2989-2997 (mandate), Art. 3021 (putative mandatary), Art. 3024-3027 (termination/durability/revocation), Art. 1833 (authentic act), Art. 1839 + Art. 3338 (immovable transfers; recordation), Art. 1927 (acceptance), Art. 29 (majority), Art. 3537-3541 (conflicts; Art. 3538 form); La. R.S. 9:3890 (conditional/springing procuration); La. R.S. 6:311.1 (financial institution written-notice protection)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Louisiana
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Louisiana: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Louisiana.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Louisiana, four years at a public university cost about $85,048NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 12% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state death tax due. Inheritance tax repealed (La. R.S. 47:2401, "Repealed by Acts 2008, No. 822, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010"). Estate transfer tax (La. R.S. 47:2431–2437) remains codified but is pegged to the IRC § 2011 state death tax credit, so no estate transfer tax is due for deaths after December 31, 2004Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Louisiana runs $2,470Estimate: 10 hours at $247, Clio's Louisiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $3,705Estimate: 15 hours at $247, Clio's Louisiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,011Estimate: 3 hours at $337, Clio's Louisiana Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,022Estimate: 6 hours at $337, Clio's Louisiana Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Who Inherits Without a Will?
Louisiana is a community property state, so the surviving spouse already owns half of what the couple acquired during the marriage. Without a will in Louisiana, descendants divide what passes to them per stirpesLa. Civ. Code arts. 882, 885, 888Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and the state sets no survival period for heirs.
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