Legacy Estate & Elder Law of Louisiana helps Lafayette-area families plan for the future with the same civil-law expertise we bring to clients in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lake Charles. Whether you’re building a first estate plan, walking through a succession after a loss, or planning for a loved one with special needs, our attorneys are board-certified as Estate Administration Specialists through the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, with nearly 40 years of combined experience in Louisiana law specifically.
Estate Planning for Lafayette and Acadiana Families
Louisiana runs on civil law, not the common-law system most of the country uses. This means forced heirship rules, succession instead of probate, and community property principles that don’t exist the same way in other states. That’s true whether you live inside Lafayette city limits or out toward Broussard, Youngsville, Carencro, or Scott. Our attorneys build every plan around Louisiana’s actual rules, not a generic template written for a different state’s law.
Practice Areas We Handle for Lafayette Families
Estate Planning is a mixture of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives built around Louisiana’s forced heirship rules. Learn more on our Lafayette Estate Planning page.
Succession and Probate is the practice of guiding families through Louisiana succession, from simple successions to court-supervised administered successions. Learn more about Lafayette Succession by visiting our page.
Elder Law is our practice that helps with Medicaid planning, long-term care planning, and VA benefits guidance for Lafayette-area seniors and their families. On our Lafayette Elder Law page, you can find out more details on how we can help your loved ones.
Special Needs Planning is about helping families create special needs trusts and ABLE accounts that protect a loved one’s SSI and Medicaid eligibility. Our Lafayette Special Needs Planning page is here to help you understand the specifics of these accounts.
Interdiction is Louisiana’s guardianship equivalent for families protecting an incapacitated loved one. This can be a very nuanced practice, and our Lafayette Interdiction page explains how we can help.
Louisiana’s Civil Law System in Acadiana
Acadiana’s Cajun and Creole family traditions often mean multi-generational property, camps and land passed down for decades, and family businesses that need succession planning as much as estate planning. Louisiana’s forced heirship law makes this region’s planning meaningfully different from what you’d get from an out-of-state template or a national DIY will service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost always, yes. Louisiana’s forced heirship rules and civil law framework mean a will drafted under another state’s law may not work the way you expect here.
Louisiana calls the process of settling an estate a “succession,” not probate. The mechanics are similar in spirit but governed by Louisiana’s own Civil Code rules, including forced heirship.
Yes, multi-generational, undivided property is common across Acadiana, and our succession and estate planning attorneys regularly help families untangle and properly document this kind of ownership.
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Get Your Free Consultation
Call 225-744-0027 to schedule a free consultation, or use the links above to learn more about the specific practice area you need. We’ll help you figure out where to start.