Louisiana Succession Cost Calculator

The 2.5% succession representative fee and the no-death-tax rule are statewide; only the parish district court filing fee differs slightly. In Orleans, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, or any of Louisiana's 64 parishes, a $300,000 estate might see a $7,500 succession representative fee (often waived by family) and attorney fees running from about $1,500 for a simple, uncontested succession to $5,000 or more for one with real estate or complications.

Louisiana is the only U.S. state built on a civil law tradition rather than English common law, inherited from its French and Spanish colonial history. There's no separate probate court — successions are filed in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled, and the person who administers the estate is called a succession representative rather than a personal representative.

It's the default, not a mandatory floor or ceiling. Article 3351 ranks three sources in order: the amount stated in the will controls first; if the will is silent, the administrator and all competent heirs or legatees can agree on an amount; only if neither exists does the 2.5%-of-inventory default apply, and the court can increase it on a proper showing that 2.5% is inadequate.

As of August 1, 2026, Act 293 of the 2026 Legislature raised the threshold from $125,000 to $200,000 in gross estate value for a decedent domiciled in Louisiana (C.C.P. art. 3421). For an ancillary succession of someone domiciled outside Louisiana, the threshold stays at $125,000. The affidavit is also available regardless of value if the decedent died more than 20 years ago.

No. Louisiana has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax can apply, and only to estates above the federal exemption, so almost all Louisiana successions owe no death tax.