Estate planning representation grounded in 29 years of work on behalf of clients in New Orleans, LA.
A complete estate plan in New Orleans covers more than a will. It accounts for trusts, successions, and the way Louisiana law passes property to the next generation. Working with our New Orleans, LA estate planning lawyer means you have someone to handle the documents, your family’s questions, and the succession process that follows. Theus Law Offices has guided Louisiana families through wills, trusts, and successions for nearly three decades. When you are ready to protect what you have built, reach out to schedule a consultation.
Estate Planning Lawyer New Orleans, LA
Estate planning is the process of deciding what happens to your property, health care, and dependents if you become incapacitated or pass away. It’s not only for the wealthy. A plan can be as simple as a will and a power of attorney, or it can involve trusts, business succession, and tax strategy.
Louisiana follows civil law rather than common law, which changes how successions, donations, and inheritance rights operate. A New Orleans estate planning attorney who practices here every day understands those differences. We build plans that hold up under Louisiana rules, not generic templates that don’t account for nuances.
Types of Estate Planning Cases We Handle in New Orleans
Estate planning covers more than a single document. Most plans gather together several tools that work alongside each other, and the right mix depends on your family, assets, and goals. These are the matters our New Orleans estate planning lawyers handle most often.
- Wills. A will directs who receives your property and names a guardian for minor children. Without one, Louisiana’s default rules decide for you, and the outcome often surprises families. We draft wills that meet the state’s strict signing and witnessing requirements so they are found to be valid later.
- Trusts. A trust holds and manages assets during your life and after, often keeping them out of the public succession process. We use both revocable and irrevocable trusts, depending on whether your goal is flexibility or asset protection. Some families rely on them to protect a child’s inheritance or provide for a relative with special needs.
- Powers of attorney. A power of attorney lets someone you trust handle finances or medical decisions if you cannot. The document has to be drafted carefully, because a vague one can fail when your family needs it most. We draft each one to match the authority you actually want to grant.
- Living wills and directives. A living will outlines your wishes for end-of-life medical care, and a health care directive names someone to speak for you. Together they spare your family from guessing during a painful moment. We make sure both are clear and properly executed under Louisiana law.
- Probate. When someone dies, their estate usually passes through a court-supervised process before assets reach the heirs. We guide executors and beneficiaries through the filings, deadlines, and accounting. Planning ahead can reduce this burden or, in some cases, avoid it.
- Successions. In Louisiana, settling a deceased person’s estate is called a succession, and it works differently from probate elsewhere. We handle both testate successions, where there’s a will, and intestate ones, where there isn’t. Local knowledge of the courts and the civil code makes the process smoother.
- Elder law. Planning for later life considers health care, housing, and protecting the savings you’ve worked for. Our attorneys help families put protections in place before a health crisis forces rushed decisions. That kind of preparation tends to ease the hardest moments.
- Medicaid planning. Long-term care can drain a lifetime of savings, and Medicaid’s rules are strict and easy to skip over. We structure assets within the law so families can qualify for help without giving up everything. This work goes best when it starts well before care is needed.
Why Choose Theus Law Offices as My Estate Planning Lawyer in New Orleans, LA?
Decades of Estate Planning Experience in Louisiana
Our firm has practiced estate planning, tax, and succession law in Louisiana for nearly 29 years. J. Graves Theus, Jr. leads the practice and holds board certifications in both estate planning and administration and tax law from the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. Few attorneys in the state carry both. We’ve guided families through wills and more complicated estates involving businesses, blended families, and out-of-state property.
Flat-Fee Planning Through Our New Orleans Office
We charge flat fees for estate planning work, so you know the cost before we begin. The process is built to be clear and free of pressure. If your plan needs to change later, like after a move, a marriage, or a new child, we can update it without starting over completely. Estate planning is rarely a one-time task, and we treat it as a relationship rather than a single transaction. Our team cares about family dynamics and using tools to protect their legacy and what matters most.
What Is Important To Understand About Estate Planning Cases?
Key Estate Planning Documents and What They Do
A working plan usually combines a handful of documents, and each has a specific job. Larger estates may also call for federal estate tax or gift tax planning. Pairing a financial power of attorney with a living will means both your finances and your medical wishes are covered if you ever can’t speak for yourself. These core pieces tend to appear in most plans:
- Will: Directs how your property gets distributed and the names of guardians for minor children.
- Trust: Holds and manages assets, sometimes avoiding the succession process.
- Power of attorney: Authorizes someone to act for you on financial matters if you are unable to yourself.
- Health care directive: Records your medical wishes and names a person to speak for you if you cannot.
- Succession: Transfers a deceased person’s property to heirs, usually under court supervision.
Important Aspects of Estate Planning
Every plan is personal, but a few questions shape almost all of them. Your family, your assets, and your wishes conclude the rest. Here are aspects of your estate planning to consider as it is being devised:
- Who you trust to serve as executor, trustee, or agent under a power of attorney.
- How you want your assets divided, including any forced heirship rules that are specific to Louisiana.
- Whether minor children need protection, which makes naming a guardian one of the weightiest choices a parent makes.
- How taxes, debts, and long-term care costs could reduce what your heirs actually receive.
Estate Planning Case Timeline
Timelines depend on the size and complexity of the estate. A basic plan can get developed within a few weeks, but a contested succession can take far longer.
- An initial consultation to review your goals, your assets, and your family.
- Drafting of the documents, followed by your review and any changes.
- A signing meeting with the witnessing and notarization Louisiana requires.
- Funding of any trusts, which means retitling assets into the trust’s name.
- Periodic reviews after major life events such as a marriage, a divorce, or a death in the family.
What to Bring to Your Estate Planning Consultation
A productive first meeting starts with a little preparation. Bring what you have, and we’ll build from there.
- A general list of your assets, accounts, and what they’re worth.
- Any will, trust, or power of attorney you’ve already signed.
- Names for the people you’d want as executor, trustee, or guardian.
- Details on any business interests or property you own in another state.
Louisiana Legal Resources for Estate Planning Cases
Louisiana handles estate matters differently from most states, so it helps to know where reliable information lives. These resources are a starting point, not a substitute for advice about your own situation.
- Louisiana Laws: Database lets you search the state’s statutes and civil code.
- Estate Tax Questions: The IRS publishes answers to common questions for families settling larger estates.
- Long-Term Care: Explains Medicaid coverage and nursing home costs.
- Survivor Benefits: The Social Security Administration outlines what is available after a loved one passes away.
Reach Out to Theus Law Offices to Schedule a Consultation
At Theus Law Offices, our New Orleans estate planning attorneys offer flat-fee plans and consultations for clients who attend one of our estate planning workshops or webinars. We’ll review your situation, answer your questions, and plan out a clear path forward. Contact us when you’re ready, and we’ll find a time that works for you.
