Louisiana living trusts & estate documents

Living trust law in Louisiana

A revocable living trust holds your home, accounts, and other property during your life — you stay in full control as trustee and can change or revoke it any time — then passes it to your beneficiaries without probate when you're gone. In Louisiana, trusts are governed by the Louisiana Trust Code, La. R.S. 9:1721 et seq..

Avoiding probate in Louisiana

Probate in Louisiana is governed by the Louisiana Civil Code (testaments: art. 1570 et seq.; forced heirship: art. 1493 et seq.) and handled by the District Court, which handles what Louisiana calls successions. Louisiana successions in district court; independent administration available (C.C.P. art. 3396.1 et seq.).

Small succession by affidavit for estates of $125,000 or less (or deaths 20+ years ago). That simplified procedure is set out in Small succession by affidavit, La. C.C.P. art. 3421 et seq. — up to $125,000. A funded living trust passes outside probate entirely, whatever the size of the estate — which is why Louisiana homeowners in particular set one up.

Estate and inheritance tax in Louisiana

Louisiana imposes no estate tax and no inheritance tax: Louisiana has no estate or inheritance tax. The separate federal estate tax reaches only estates above $15 million per person (2026, adjusted yearly), so most families never owe it.

Community property in Louisiana

Louisiana's legal regime is the community of acquets and gains (Civil Code arts. 2334 ff.). The joint trust preserves each asset's community or separate character and the surviving spouse's usufruct rights.

Signing your Louisiana documents

1. Sign the living trust. Louisiana notarial ceremony: Notary Public + TWO witnesses, 'Thus done and passed', Parish venue.
2. Sign the will. NOTARIAL TESTAMENT per Civil Code art. 1577: signed at the end and on each page, declared before notary + two witnesses, combined statutory attestation clause.
3. Sign the power of attorney. Sign your Power of Attorney (mandate) before a Notary Public and two witnesses in a single ceremony, all present together.
4. Sign the health care documents. Sign your health care documents before a Notary Public and TWO witnesses, all present together in one ceremony, as Louisiana’s authentic-act forms provide.
5. Follow your package instructions. Your package includes page-by-page signing instructions written for Louisiana — follow those as the authoritative guide.

Serving all of Louisiana

Answer the questionnaire from anywhere in Louisiana and download your completed documents in minutes: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Kenner, Bossier City, Monroe, Alexandria, Houma, Marrero, New Iberia, and every community in between.