Louisiana Estate Planning
Get your own affairs in order in Louisiana, for yourself or an aging parent. Compare the documents most adults need (a will, a power of attorney, and a healthcare directive), decide whether you need a trust, and see how to keep your estate out of probate.
Which document do I need?
The core documents at a glance. Each row links to its Louisiana guide.
- Will
- Louisiana will requirements explained: the handwritten olographic testament and the notarial testament signed before a notary and two competent witnesses. Read the guide
- Living trust
- A Louisiana revocable living trust under the Louisiana Trust Code (La. R.S. 9:1721 et seq.), and how forced heirship, usufruct, and succession change it. Read the guide
- Power of attorney
- Louisiana power of attorney is a mandate or procuration: durable by default, the form rules that apply, the acts that need express authority, and how it ends. Read the guide
- Healthcare directive
- How a Louisiana advance directive and living will work: the declaration concerning life-sustaining procedures, two-witness signing, registry, and surrogates. Read the guide
Louisiana estate planning guides
Louisiana Estate Planning Basics: The Core Documents Every Adult Needs
Louisiana estate planning basics under the Civil Code: testaments, mandates, succession, $125,000 small succession rule, and no state estate or inheritance tax.
Louisiana Will Requirements
Louisiana will requirements explained: the handwritten olographic testament and the notarial testament signed before a notary and two competent witnesses.
Louisiana Power of Attorney (Mandate)
Louisiana power of attorney is a mandate or procuration: durable by default, the form rules that apply, the acts that need express authority, and how it ends.
Louisiana Advance Directive and Living Will
How a Louisiana advance directive and living will work: the declaration concerning life-sustaining procedures, two-witness signing, registry, and surrogates.
Louisiana Guardianship, Tutorship, and Interdiction
How Louisiana guardianship works as tutorship for minors and interdiction with a curator for adults, plus the planning tools that can keep a court out of it.
Louisiana Revocable Living Trust Guide
A Louisiana revocable living trust under the Louisiana Trust Code (La. R.S. 9:1721 et seq.), and how forced heirship, usufruct, and succession change it.
Louisiana Trust Administration Guide
Successor trustee duties after a settlor dies under the Louisiana Trust Code (La. R.S. 9:1721): accepting the trust, informing beneficiaries, and distributing.
Not sure what you need in Louisiana?
Answer a few questions and we'll tell you which estate planning documents to set up first.
Information current as of 2026-06-18
Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in your state can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.