The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Louisiana with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.
This page is built to print. Use your browser's Print command and choose "Save as PDF" for a one-page Louisiana reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Louisiana probate pages.
Louisiana probate fees
| Item | Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Attorney fees | Not statutory. |
| Executor / personal representative fees | La. C.C.P. art. 3351 allows an executor "such reasonable amount as is provided in the testament in which he is appointed", and an administrator "such reasonable amount as is provided by the agreement between the administrator and the surviving spouse, and all competent heirs or legatees of the deceased". Only "[i]n the absence of a provision in the testament or an agreement between the parties" does La. C.C.P. art. 3351 allow the representative a sum equal to two and one-half percent of the amount of the inventory — a residual default computed on the inventory, not on the estate's value. The court may increase it "upon a proper showing that the usual commission is inadequate", and the compensation is due on homologation of the final account. |
| Fee basis | percentage |
| Appraisal / referee | Not used. Louisiana does not appoint a state appraiser; a descriptive list of assets sworn by the heirs usually substitutes for a formal appraisal. |
Worked example
La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 3351 was read at legis.la.gov on 2026-09-28. No worked figure is stated here even so, because the 2.5% is computed on the amount of the inventory, which is not the estate's gross value and is not a figure this page holds. What the testament provides, or what the administrator agrees with the surviving spouse and all competent heirs or legatees, controls over the default in any event, and the court may increase the default on a proper showing that the usual commission is inadequate. (Route, for a future reader: legis.la.gov serves full article text at Law.aspx?d=<id>, and the ids come from the Code of Civil Procedure table of contents at Laws_Toc.aspx?folder=68 — folder 67 is the Civil Code, whose articles are numbered in parallel and say something entirely different.)
Louisiana thresholds and deadlines
| Item | Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Small-estate threshold | La. C.C.P. art. 3421, as amended by Acts 2026, No. 293, §1, defines a small succession as any of three things. Under La. C.C.P. art. 3421(1), the succession of a person who died domiciled in Louisiana leaving property with a gross value of $200,000 or less valued as of the date of death. Under La. C.C.P. art. 3421(2), the ancillary succession of a person who died domiciled outside Louisiana leaving Louisiana property with a gross value of $125,000 or less valued as of the date of death. Under La. C.C.P. art. 3421(3), the succession of a person whose date of death was at least twenty years before the affidavit is executed, leaving Louisiana property of any value. Art. 3431(A) then makes judicial opening unnecessary for a Louisiana domiciliary who died intestate, for a Louisiana domiciliary who died testate leaving no immovable property in Louisiana where the surviving spouse and everyone who would inherit with or without the testament agree to waive probate, and for a person domiciled outside Louisiana who died intestate or whose testament was probated by another state. |
| Creditor claim period | Louisiana sets no nonclaim period. A creditor of a succession under administration submits a written claim to the succession representative for acknowledgment and payment in due course of administration (La. C.C.P. art. 3241). The representative acknowledges or rejects the claim in writing within thirty days, and failure to act operates as a rejection (art. 3242). Acknowledgment creates a prima facie presumption of the claim's validity, entitles the creditor to be included in the petition to pay debts or the tableau of distribution, and suspends prescription for as long as the succession is under administration (art. 3243). A universal successor's liability for estate debts is limited to the value of the property received (La. Civ. Code art. 1416). |
| Statutory floor (creditor period) | Louisiana sets no nonclaim period. A creditor of a succession under administration submits a written claim to the succession representative for acknowledgment and payment in due course of administration (La. C.C.P. art. 3241). The representative acknowledges or rejects the claim in writing within thirty days, and failure to act operates as a rejection (art. 3242). Acknowledgment creates a prima facie presumption of the claim's validity, entitles the creditor to be included in the petition to pay debts or the tableau of distribution, and suspends prescription for as long as the succession is under administration (art. 3243). A universal successor's liability for estate debts is limited to the value of the property received (La. Civ. Code art. 1416). |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Louisiana does NOT authorize a transfer-on-death or beneficiary deed for real estate. As a civil-law state with forced-heirship rules, Louisiana requires immovable (real) property to pass by will, intestate succession, donation, or a trust — there is no TOD-deed shortcut. |
What passes outside Louisiana probate
These transfers are not part of the estate the fees above are calculated on:
- Beneficiary designations — retirement accounts, life insurance, payable-on-death accounts.
- Joint ownership with right of survivorship.
- Transfer-on-death deed — Louisiana does NOT authorize a transfer-on-death or beneficiary deed for real estate. As a civil-law state with forced-heirship rules, Louisiana requires immovable (real) property to pass by will, intestate succession, donation, or a trust — there is no TOD-deed shortcut.
- Assets titled into a funded living trust.
Sources for this sheet
- Statutes: La. C.C.P. art. 3241; La. C.C.P. art. 3242; La. C.C.P. art. 3243; La. C.C.P. art. 3351; La. C.C.P. art. 3421; La. C.C.P. art. 3431; La. Civ. Code art. 890; La. Civ. Code art. 1416; La. Civ. Code art. 1493
- State authority: Louisiana State Legislature (legis.la.gov)
- Small-estate procedure: https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=111765
- Transfers outside probate: https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=108811
- Creditor claim period: https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=111664
Compiled August 15, 2026 from the sources listed above. Fee schedules, thresholds, and court costs are amended by legislatures and courts — confirm each figure against the cited statute or the Louisiana court before relying on it.
The full Louisiana guides
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How Much Does Probate Cost in Louisiana? — the full cost breakdown.
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How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Louisiana? — the fee rule in detail.
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How Long Does Probate Take in Louisiana? — the timeline and its statutory floor.
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How to Avoid Probate in Louisiana — the transfers that pass outside it.
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How Much Does a Will Cost in Louisiana? — execution requirements and pricing.
Fee sheets for other states
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This sheet sets out Louisiana probate figures as published at the time of compilation. It is not legal advice. Figures and statutes change and their application depends on the specific estate. Confirm current figures with the Louisiana courts or a licensed Louisiana attorney.