Succession, Estate and Probate Lawyer Serving Houma and Thibodaux
A person’s estate consists of all of the assets and debts owned by the person on his date of death. The Louisiana term for settling an estate is succession. In other states, the process is usually referred to as probate. If a person dies with a will, the will must be presented to a Louisiana court in order to be given effect. In Louisiana, in order to transfer a deceased person’s title to assets to the heirs, it is sometimes necessary to "open the succession" in court. Sometimes the estate is eligible to be transferred without a formal court proceeding.
I am Ann Mallett Barker. Having practiced law for more than 30 years, I now devote my legal practice to helping people in our local area of southern Louisiana — Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes — who need to open a succession.
Succession proceedings are filed in order to settle the estate of a deceased person and to put the rightful heirs of the deceased into legal possession of estate property. These are often simple cases, resolved quickly, but still needing the attention of a lawyer.
You can contact me to determine whether opening a succession is necessary and appropriate in your circumstance.