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Louisiana Succession Deadlines Explained

Every other state in this series runs on a published notice that bars every claim on one date. Louisiana doesn't have that date at all — each debt runs on its own separate clock.

La. C.C.P. art. 3245, 3303-3304

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Quick answer: Louisiana has no single creditor-notice bar date. Instead, each debt follows its own prescriptive period under the Civil Code, and creditors can extend that period through a formal filing. See the full Louisiana succession timeline calculator for your specific estimate.

Why Louisiana works differently

The civil-law difference: the other 49 states run on English common law, where a personal representative publishes a single notice and every creditor's claim is barred if not presented by one fixed date. Louisiana's succession system, inherited from French and Spanish civil law, doesn't use that mechanism. In a full administration, notice of a petition to pay debts is published once, and the court authorizes payment through a homologated tableau of distribution — but there's no one deadline that extinguishes every claim at once. Each debt simply runs on the prescriptive period (statute of limitations) that would apply to it anyway.

The deadlines that do exist

MilestoneLouisiana ruleSource
Small succession affidavit threshold$200,000, LA domiciliary, no real estateLa. C.C.P. art. 3421
Debt payment must begin3 months after deathJudicial practice
Open account (credit card) prescription3 yearsLa. Civil Code
Contract debt (mortgage, note) prescription10 yearsLa. Civil Code
Creditor claim suspension via formal proofUp to 10 yearsLa. C.C.P. art. 3245
Tableau of distribution (full administration)Published once, court-homologatedLa. C.C.P. art. 3303-3304

The 10-year suspension tool

Under La. C.C.P. art. 3245, a creditor can suspend the running of prescription against their claim for up to 10 years simply by delivering a formal written proof of claim to the succession representative, or filing it in the succession record if no representative has yet been appointed. That suspension holds even if the representative subsequently rejects the claim — it just means the creditor's dispute continues outside the normal prescriptive clock.

Facing probate in Louisiana?

A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.

Talk to a Louisiana attorney

Louisiana succession deadlines — frequently asked questions

Why doesn't Louisiana have a fixed creditor claim deadline?

Because Louisiana's civil-law succession system doesn't use the common-law notice-and-bar mechanism most states rely on. Instead, each debt runs on its own prescriptive period under the Civil Code, and the succession simply pays valid, timely debts as they're presented rather than cutting off claims at one published date.

What is the standard prescriptive period for a Louisiana succession debt?

It depends on the debt. Open accounts, like credit cards, generally prescribe in 3 years. Contract debts, like a mortgage note, generally prescribe in 10 years — the same statute of limitations that would apply to the debt outside of a succession.

How can a Louisiana creditor extend their claim window?

By delivering a formal written proof of claim to the succession representative, or filing it in the succession record, under La. C.C.P. art. 3245. That submission suspends prescription against the claim for up to 10 years, even if the representative later rejects it.

When must a Louisiana succession representative start paying debts?

Three months after the date of death, as a matter of standard judicial practice, once the estate has been organized enough to know what's owed and to whom.

Keep going

Louisiana Succession Timeline CalculatorYour estimate, based on your answers What Delays a Louisiana SuccessionBeyond the standard tracks Independent vs Full AdministrationWhich one applies to your estate Louisiana Succession vs Living TrustWould a trust have avoided this?

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on La. C.C.P. art. 3245, 3303-3304, 3421. Confirm current deadlines with the parish Clerk of Court or a licensed Louisiana attorney.