Louisiana Testamentary Trusts Explained: A trust is a legally binding document created by a grantor (also known as a settlor or trustor) that holds assets for beneficiaries.  A trustee is appointed and is responsible for managing the trust assets and proceeds in accordance with the terms set by the grantor.  A “testamentary” trust allows the grantor to transfer ownership of their property to the trust upon their death.  Per La. R.S. 9:1733, “[a] trust is testamentary when it is created by donation mortis causa.”  This is in contrast to a living trust which becomes effective immediately.  Testamentary trusts are created

Louisiana Living Trusts Explained: A trust is a legally binding instrument between a person creating the trust (the grantor) and the person or entity managing the trust and its assets (the trustee).  A grantor may also be referred to as a settlor or trustor.  Like a will, a trust has beneficiaries, who under the terms of the trust, will receive certain assets from the trust. A “living” trust (also called an “inter vivos” trust) allows the grantor to transfer ownership of their property to the trust during their lifetime.  This is in contrast to a testamentary trust which does not

What is Domicile and How Does it Affect Estate Planning? Moving from one state to another is a significant life event.  It should include careful planning and attention to tax details.  Louisiana does not have a state inheritance or estate tax.  This differs from many other states that do impose a state level estate tax, which in many instances is in addition to the federal estate tax.  If you have moved to Louisiana from another state, you may be able to eliminate the state death or estate tax from your prior state.  To do so, you must establish Louisiana as

Successions With Absent Heirs or Legatees: Successions are either intestate or testate.  In an intestate succession, the heirs of the decedent inherit his or her estate.  In a testate succession, the decedent leaves his or her property to one or more legatees.  It is not uncommon for a client to come to our office to open the succession of a loved one, and during the process of determining who all the heirs or legatees are it becomes apparent that the whereabouts of one or more heirs or legatees are unknown.  If attempts at locating them fail, they become known as absent

Five-Star Review! “Everyone was extremely courteous and knowledgeable. We had a list of items we were looking to have covered and the final paperwork was beyond our expectations. I will recommend them to anyone.“ Louisiana Estate Planning Attorneys: We are a Gretna law firm that has served the New Orleans area since 1980.  Our estate planning lawyers are highly experienced at drafting wills, powers of attorney, living wills, trusts, and donations.  We take pride in offering a personal and trusted experience.  Call us today for a free consultation and find out why so many of our clients come back to us. Call us today for a free

When to Update a Power of Attorney: A power of attorney (POA) is an important legal tool.  It is commonly used for estate planning, medical management, financial management, and real estate transactions. A POA should be reviewed every few years for possible updates.  It may become necessary to update a power of attorney when life situations change, a new agent is needed, or when there are changes in the law.  You have the right to amend or revoke a power of attorney any time, and doing so is a relatively simple process. Reasons to Update a Power of Attorney: There

The Impact of Parental Alienation on Child Custody: When one parent manipulates a child to reject the other, it can have negative emotional and psychological effects on both the estranged parent and the child. What is Parental Alienation? A type of emotional child abuse known as parental alienation occurs when one parent consciously damages the child’s bond with the other parent.  It frequently entails persistently disparaging the targeted parent, restricting contact or access, and interfering with the child’s ability to communicate with the alienated parent. This conduct hampers a child’s emotional growth, causing them great distress. Signs of Parental Alienation:

Adequate Protection Explained: Adequate protection payments are made to a secured creditor to provide protection for the creditor’s depreciating collateral.  In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a debtor is granted an automatic stay upon filing of the bankruptcy, meaning creditors cannot pursue usual modes of collection if payments are not made on time.  While Chapter 13 filers are required to start making payments to the Trustee upon filing their proposed plan, the Trustee cannot distribute payments to creditors until the plan in confirmed.  Since it can take many months for a Chapter 13 plan to be confirmed, secured creditors would then

When to Use an Expert Divorce Financial Analyst for a Community Property Partition: Are you considering divorce?  Obviously, this step requires careful consideration of property issues and the best approaches for same.  There are many things that you need to think about before you decide on your final move.  One of them will certainly be the state of your finances.  No one wants to leave a marriage bankrupt. Our firm works with a few of the very best forensic accountants and financial experts in the region to best maximize your results in all aspects of community property partition.  Here is

Why You Should Have a Digital Estate Plan:  Estate planning has expanded beyond the traditional scope of wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.  In modern times, significant part of our lives exists digitally.  Your traditional estate plan likely does not account for what happens to your digital assets after death.  A digital estate plan comes into play as a method for organizing your online information. Creating a digital estate plan provides access to information that your family can use to carry out your final wishes.  When your loved ones can rely on a written plan that outlines the passwords for