How Much Does a Succession Cost in Louisiana?
A Louisiana succession costs an attorney fee plus court costs and a few smaller expenses. Greenwald Law Firm charges a flat fee for successions, generally between $2,500 and $5,500, that includes court costs and is set before any work begins. In Caddo Parish, the clerk of court collects a $450 deposit when a succession is filed. A small succession affidavit costs less because it is not filed with a court, and Louisiana has no inheritance tax or estate tax. Greenwald Law Firm handles successions for families in Shreveport, Bossier City, and across North Louisiana.
What does a Louisiana succession cost in total?
The total cost of a Louisiana succession is the attorney fee plus the costs paid to the court, the parish recorder, and a few outside providers. The attorney fee is the largest part.
| Cost | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Attorney fee at Greenwald Law Firm | Flat fee, generally $2,500 – $5,500, including court costs | Every succession; set at the start of the matter |
| Court costs, Caddo Parish | $450 deposit at filing (included in Greenwald Law Firm's flat fee) | Every succession filed in court in Caddo Parish |
| Court costs, judicial small succession | One-half of regular court costs | Small successions that must go through court (La. C.C.P. art. 3422) |
| Court costs, small succession affidavit | None | A small succession affidavit is not filed with a court |
| Recording fees | Set by the parish clerk | When real estate is transferred, in each parish where the real estate is located |
| Certified death certificates | $7 per copy from Louisiana Vital Records; $26 per copy from the Caddo Parish Clerk of Court | Every succession, plus banks, insurers, and retirement plans |
| Publication of notices | Set by the newspaper | Successions under administration |
| Appraisals | Set by the appraiser | When a property or business value must be established |
| Executor or administrator compensation | 2.5% of the inventory, unless the will or an agreement sets another amount | Only when the court appoints an executor or administrator (La. C.C.P. art. 3351) |
How much do Louisiana succession lawyers charge?
Louisiana succession lawyers charge in one of three ways: a flat fee, an hourly rate, or a percentage of the estate. No Louisiana statute sets a percentage or a cap for succession attorney fees. The fee is agreed between the lawyer and the family, and Louisiana’s rules of professional conduct require it to be reasonable.
| Fee type | How the price is set | What the family knows up front |
|---|---|---|
| Flat fee | One price for the whole succession, agreed at the start | The full attorney cost |
| Hourly | Billed for each hour of attorney time | The hourly rate, not the total |
| Percentage of the estate | A share of the estate's value | The rate; the total rises with the estate's value even when the work does not |
How does Greenwald Law Firm charge for a succession?
Greenwald Law Firm charges a flat fee for successions, generally between $2,500 and $5,500. The flat fee covers the legal work from the first review of the estate to the signed judgment of possession or the recorded small succession affidavit. The flat fee includes court costs. Greenwald Law Firm pays the court costs out of the fee.
Where a succession falls in that range depends on the estate: whether it includes real estate, how many heirs must sign, whether there is a will to probate, and whether the succession needs administration. The larger the estate and the more work the succession requires, the higher the flat fee. A contested succession is handled differently and costs more than an uncontested one.
What are the court costs for a succession in Caddo Parish?
The Caddo Parish Clerk of Court collects a $450 deposit when a succession is filed in the First Judicial District Court in Shreveport. The same deposit applies to large and small successions filed in court. The deposit covers recording the judgment of possession in the Caddo Parish conveyance records, and any unused portion is refunded automatically when the judgment of possession is signed. Certified copies cost $5 each.
Every Louisiana parish sets its own succession court costs. A succession in Bossier City is filed in the 26th Judicial District Court, and the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court sets that deposit. Court costs in a judicial small succession are one-half of the costs in a similar succession that is not small (La. C.C.P. art. 3422). A small succession affidavit involves no court costs, because it is recorded with the parish clerk rather than filed with a court.
For the small succession rules and costs, see Louisiana small succession: the $200,000 limit, affidavit, cost and timeline.
Does Louisiana have an inheritance tax or estate tax?
No. Louisiana has no inheritance tax and no estate tax, so a Louisiana succession does not pay a state death tax. The federal estate tax applies only to estates worth more than $15 million for deaths in 2026, so almost no Louisiana succession owes it.
Death taxes and income taxes are different. The deceased person’s final federal and Louisiana income tax returns are still due for the year of death.
Who pays for a succession in Louisiana?
The estate pays. Under Louisiana law, the costs of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s property are estate debts (La. C.C. art. 1415), so attorney fees and court costs come out of the estate before the heirs receive what is left.
When the estate has no cash, such as an estate that is only a house, the heirs often advance the costs and share them. Heirs are not personally responsible for the deceased person’s debts beyond the value of the property each heir receives (La. C.C. art. 1416).
How can a family lower the cost of a Louisiana succession?
The cheapest Louisiana succession is the right procedure, opened promptly, with the heirs in agreement.
- Use a small succession affidavit when the estate qualifies. An estate of $200,000 or less that meets the conditions of La. C.C.P. art. 3431 can often skip court entirely.
- Avoid administration when it isn’t needed, and use independent administration when it is. When the heirs accept the succession and no debts require administration, the court can send the heirs into possession without appointing an administrator. When an administration is needed, independent administration avoids the court applications, publication costs, and waiting periods of ordinary administration.
- Open the succession promptly. When an heir dies before the first succession is opened, the family must open both successions before title can pass. See when a succession is required in Louisiana.
- Keep the heirs in agreement. A contested succession costs far more than an uncontested one.
- Bring the documents to the first meeting. Death certificate, will, deeds, recent account statements, and the names and addresses of every heir.
Talk to a Shreveport succession lawyer
Greenwald Law Firm tells families which kind of succession fits and what it will cost before any work begins, with a flat fee for successions, generally between $2,500 and $5,500, that includes court costs. Talk to a Shreveport succession lawyer →
For the full Louisiana succession process, see the Louisiana Succession Guide.
This page provides general information about Louisiana succession costs and is not legal advice or a fee quote. Court costs are set by each parish and can change. For advice about a specific succession, consult a licensed Louisiana attorney.