Whether you plan to leave behind a considerable amount of wealth or not, estate planning can be a beneficial process. One useful estate planning tool Louisianans can explore to secure their assets is a trust. An Ascension Parish trusts lawyer can tell you everything you need to know.
Any legal process involving a trust in Ascension Parish is typically handled through the 23rd Judicial District Court. It’s wise to hire a family lawyer who has experience navigating formal procedures through the court.
Goode Tax and Estate Planning Law Group, LLC has extensive experience settling trust cases both in and out of court. You can count on us to help you with yours.

The per capita income in Ascension Parish is approximately $42,000. Every person should ultimately have a say in what happens to the wealth they’ve accumulated throughout their life.
Despite their usefulness, a 2021 study showed that less than half of Americans even have a valid will, much less a trust. By opening a trust, you can protect your assets and create a plan for them upon your passing. Placing assets in a trust can protect them in the meantime.
Succession can be costly and time-consuming. It is also in the public record because it is performed through the courts. The more assets you place in a trust, the more you can bypass probate and transfer in private when the time comes.
Louisiana has a unique civil law system when compared to most other states. Our laws are rooted in French, Spanish, and European traditions rather than in British common law. One of the unique aspects of Louisiana’s estate planning laws is known as forced heirship.
Forced heirship automatically allocates a portion of the decedent’s estate to a direct descendant who is 23 years old or less. A trust normally establishes a clear transfer of ownership to a new person upon the trustor’s death. It cannot, however, override forced heirship laws.
Still, you can maintain more control over the allocated portion of the estate than if it were not in a trust. For example, you can make it so that all other assets must be distributed to beneficiaries based on the decedent’s instructions before the direct descendant can receive their share through forced heirship.
Navigating trust laws with forced heirship can be complicated. That’s why it’s recommended that you work with an Ascension Parish trusts attorney. They can inform you about other laws unique to Louisiana and how they impact your estate.
Goode Tax and Estate Planning Law Group, LLC has decades of estate planning experience. Over the years, we’ve built a great reputation. We’ve been peer-reviewed as AV Preeminent® in the Martindale-Hubbell directory.
Attorney Carl S. Goode is also certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization as an estate planning and administration specialist. This is an honor only awarded to a small sect of lawyers.**
Most importantly, we have earned countless positive reviews from our satisfied clients over the years. While our past successes don’t guarantee future ones, they are a testament to our hard work. We take pride in our ability to help others in our community, and you can count on us to take care of you, too.
The type of trusts that are recognized in Ascension Parish under Louisiana law include revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts. Revocable trusts can be altered or closed as long as the original grantor is still alive. On the downside, assets are not as shielded from creditors and taxes.
Irrevocable trusts are set in stone once they are created. Ownership of the assets technically transfers to the estate itself and cannot be moved until the original grantor passes.
Assets in a trust usually do not have to go through succession in Ascension Parish. When assets are placed in a trust, ownership automatically transfers to the named beneficiaries upon the grantor’s death. Any property with rights of survivorship can also bypass the succession process. It’s wise to hire a trusts lawyer to help you understand your options for securing assets in a trust.
An Ascension Parish trusts lawyer can help with your trust case in different ways, depending on the type of support you need. You can hire a trusts lawyer to help with any number of tasks, including opening, changing, and managing the trust, handling asset transfers, and maintaining compliance.
They can also handle tasks like filing tax paperwork, notifying beneficiaries, paying debts, and navigating any challenges that arise along the way.
How much it costs to hire a trusts lawyer in Ascension Parish can vary depending on the details of your financial profile. Louisiana estate planning lawyers typically charge a flat fee or an hourly rate for their services.
There are many factors that can affect how much an Ascension Parish trusts attorney may charge. The complexity of your assets and your future goals has the biggest impact on overall costs.
Estate planning looks a little different for everyone, depending on the state of their financial profile. Trusts are helpful estate planning tools that allow people to protect assets and streamline the transfer of property when they pass. There’s a lot to consider when it comes to establishing a trust in Louisiana. It’s wise to hire a trusts lawyer to help you understand your options.
Goode Tax and Estate Planning Law Group, LLC brings more than four decades of estate planning experience that we’re ready to put to work for you. We’re located on Airline Highway right by the interchange with I-12. Give us a call to set up your appointment with a trusted attorney today.
**Awards and recognition are not guarantees of future results. Selection criteria vary by organization.