— High-Net-Worth & Complex —
Complex & Multi-Million-Dollar Successions.
TL;DR
What this costs
Flat fee from $5,000 — quoted up front, no retainer, no hourly billing. Court costs and recording fees billed at cost.
How long this takes
30–60+ business days from the date we receive complete documentation. Complex matters often require coordination with out-of-state primary probate, accountants, or business counsel.
When successions get complicated
What you’ll need to get started
Missing documents are the #1 cause of timeline delays. Gather these before your free consultation — we’ll review what you have and tell you what’s still needed.
- All standard succession documents (death certificate, will, heir info)
- Trust documents, if any trusts are involved
- Business entity documents (operating agreements, articles, partnership agreements)
- Inventories of business assets and recent valuations
- Out-of-state probate orders, if applicable
- Any matrimonial agreements (especially in blended-family scenarios)
- Forced-heir documentation (proof of age, disability, or incapacity for any claimants)
- Tax returns for the decedent (last 3 years) and estate tax filings if applicable
- Multi-million-dollar estates requiring federal estate-tax analysis and elections
- Blended families with prior marriages, half-siblings, and step-children where forced heirship intersects with community property and matrimonial agreements
- Business interests — closely held companies, professional partnerships, S corporations, and LLCs that pass through succession
- Multi-state estates — Louisiana ancillary plus primary probate in another jurisdiction, including Texas, California, New York, and others
- Trusts — Louisiana trusts created by will or by inter vivos donation, plus pour-over wills
- Disputed asset characterizations — community vs. separate property tracing in long marriages
- Forced heirship in non-traditional families — incapacitated adult children, multiple marriages, posthumous heirs
- Litigation risk — disagreements that haven’t surfaced yet but might
Why specialization matters here
Common Scenarios We Handle
Scenario 1
Multi-state estate with business interests
The decedent owned Louisiana real estate plus a closely held business operating in multiple states. Primary probate runs in the home state; the Louisiana ancillary handles the Louisiana property; and corporate counsel manages the LLC or S-corp transfer. We coordinate all three tracks so the Judgment of Possession lines up with the federal Form 706 and the operating-agreement transfers.
Scenario 2
Blended family with prior marriages
The decedent had children from a prior marriage and a current spouse, possibly with step-children. Forced-heirship analysis intersects with community-property characterization, and any matrimonial agreement (prenup or postnup) controls. Without careful tracing, basis allocation and usufruct rights can be calculated incorrectly, creating tax exposure years later.
Scenario 3
High-value estate with mixed asset types
A multi-million-dollar estate combining mineral interests, residential and commercial real estate, business equity, and a Louisiana trust. Federal estate-tax analysis is required, the usufruct/naked-ownership split affects the heirs’ basis for decades, and the title companies for each property need separate certified judgments. Phased flat-fee pricing keeps costs predictable.
Pricing & engagement
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Request Free QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
What makes a Louisiana succession ‘complex’?
Multi-million-dollar estates requiring federal estate-tax analysis; blended families with prior marriages and forced-heirship interplay; business interests (LLCs, S corps, professional partnerships) passing through the estate; multi-state matters with primary probate in another jurisdiction plus a Louisiana ancillary; trusts created by will or pour-over; long-marriage community-versus-separate-property tracing; and disputed asset characterizations are the recurring patterns.
Why does specialization matter on a high-value estate?
Louisiana’s civil-law system has traps that don’t exist anywhere else – forced heirship, usufruct allocation, community-property characterization. On a multi-million-dollar estate, getting the basis allocation or the surviving spouse’s usufruct wrong creates tax exposure that surfaces years later. General-practice firms make these mistakes regularly because they handle the matter as if it were common-law probate.
How do you price a complex matter?
After the free intake we deliver a written engagement proposal that breaks the matter into defined phases – planning and tax analysis, filing, post-judgment recording and follow-through. Each phase has a flat fee. Tier 3 starts at $5,000 and scales with scope. You see the full cost map before signing.
Do you coordinate with our out-of-state estate attorney and accountant?
Yes – that’s standard on complex matters. We routinely work alongside out-of-state primary-probate counsel, the family’s CPA or estate-tax preparer, financial advisors, and corporate counsel for closely held businesses. We deliver a Judgment of Possession that lines up with the federal Form 706 and the home-state probate orders.
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