Probate in Orleans Parish

Probate Court Record

Orleans Parish Civil District Court

Orleans Parish · Orleans Parish Civil District

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans, LA 70112

E-filing

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Orleans Parish →

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Orleans Parish? →Settling an estate in Orleans Parish →

Special Needs Planning Firms Serving Orleans Parish

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.

Solo PracticeServes 2 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationGuardianshipSpecial Needs Planning+2

Represents families in Baton Rouge, where East Baton Rouge Parish successions are filed in the 19th Judicial District Court, and in West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Jefferson, Orleans, Caddo and Ouachita parishes. Opens and administers successions, including small succession affidavits, and handles probate litigation. Attorneys on staff hold LLM degrees in tax law.

Serves 7 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax PlanningConservatorship+4

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.

Serves 2 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationGuardianship+2

Baton Rouge firm serving clients throughout Louisiana, including out-of-state heirs with Louisiana property. Handles uncontested, contested, ancillary and corrective successions, trust administration, interdictions, succession litigation and appeals. Morgan Field has represented succession clients before the Louisiana Supreme Court; flat fees are available for many uncontested matters.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+6

Houma attorney with a Metairie office by appointment, handling successions in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, Orleans and every other Louisiana parish. Handles administered successions, simple possessions, small-succession affidavits, successions for relatives who died years ago, and ancillary probate for out-of-state owners of Louisiana real estate. John E. Sirois is also a CFP.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateElder LawSpecial Needs PlanningAsset Protection+2

Baton Rouge elder law firm, in practice since 1976, serving the Baton Rouge, Denham Springs and Gonzales areas and clients across Louisiana. It handles succession administration, including locating heirs, valuing assets and managing creditor claims, alongside wills, trusts, special needs trusts and Medicaid planning. Founder Peter J. Losavio, Jr. is a Certified Elder Law Attorney.

Since 1976Serves the whole stateFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax PlanningSpecial Needs Planning+2

All 11 Louisiana special needs planning firms serving Orleans Parish →

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Louisiana

Free forms for planning your estate in Louisiana: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Louisiana.

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Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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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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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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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Louisiana

Free tools for planning your estate in Louisiana: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Louisiana.

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living 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 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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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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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Louisiana automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceLa. C.C. art. 1608(5); La. R.S. 9:2449.1; La. R.S. 22:911.1; La. R.S. 9:2449Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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