Estate Planning

New Orleans Estate Planning Lawyers

New Orleans, Louisiana: Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts

For decades, Stephenson, Chávarri & Dawson, LLC, has carefully guided families through the process of planning for the distribution of their property after death. Our firm handles a variety of estate planning matters, including planning for the distribution of an individual’s property at his or her death, taking into account wills, taxes, insurance, property and trusts.

We have years of experience in estate planning and can prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney and living wills. We have also handled many successions with or without administration.

Important Terms in Estate Planning

Trusts

In order to establish a secure and regular income for loved ones left behind, many clients seek advice on trust establishment and administration. By maintaining your assets in a trust, you can minimize taxes and leave a larger inheritance. The use of a trust is also a way to provide a steady income to the beneficiary over the course of time, rather than distribution in a lump sum. This strategy can reduce the beneficiary’s tax burden and allow the trust to grow through investment. Trusts can also be established that allow charitable organizations to benefit.

Wills

A will is a person’s declaration of how they want their property disbursed after death. Because there are statutes regarding the validity of any will, it is important to hire an attorney with knowledge and experience. It is also true that these statutes vary from state to state. Be sure to hire an attorney who continually seeks out changes in the law to be sure your wishes can be honored after your death.

Successions, Probate and Estate Administration

In addition to helping clients plan for their future with wills, trusts and estate planning, our attorneys also help clients with successions and estates. In Louisiana, succession is the legal process of transmitting the estate assets and property to the heirs after death. In other states, this process is usually called probate.

Estate administration includes the succession or probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased’s assets. Individual state laws direct the probate court on how to distribute the deceased’s estate. State laws and procedures vary greatly, so it is important to consult a firm with expertise in this area of the law to ensure that the deceased’s assets are distributed correctly.

Probate Litigation and Will Contests

No matter how well a will or other estate planning device is prepared, the succession process does not always proceed without conflict. The attorneys at Stephenson, Chávarri & Dawson, LLC, have the necessary combination of succession law knowledge and litigation skills to provide knowledgeable and aggressive representation of interested parties in a will contest, trust litigation or other probate litigation matter.

To speak with one of our lawyers about your estate planning questions, contact Stephenson, Chávarri & Dawson, LLC

Call Now: 504-523-6496