If you live in Mandeville and you’ve been putting off your estate plan, you’re not alone. Most people know they need a will. They just haven’t made the call yet. Charlton “Chink” Ogden is a Mandeville estate planning attorney who makes that call easy. He works with families across the Northshore to get the right documents in place before they’re needed: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and living wills, all drafted specifically under Louisiana law.
Mandeville isn’t a generic suburb. The families here tend to own property, have blended families, run businesses, and face exactly the kinds of situations where Louisiana’s civil law rules make a real difference. Charlton has been handling estate plans for Northshore clients since 2001. He knows how to structure a plan that actually works for your family.
Essential Estate Planning Documents for Louisiana Residents
Every estate plan Charlton drafts includes some combination of these core documents, depending on the client’s situation:
- Last Will and Testament: Directs who receives your property and names a tutor for minor children. Without one, Louisiana’s intestacy laws decide for you.
- Revocable Living Trust: Allows your assets to pass to your heirs without going through succession at the 22nd JDC. Keeps the process private and significantly faster.
- Power of Attorney (General and Medical): Names the person you trust to handle financial and healthcare decisions if you become incapacitated.
- Living Will Declaration: Puts your end-of-life medical wishes in writing so your family doesn’t have to make those decisions alone.
Wills vs. Living Trusts: What Mandeville Families Need to Know
This is the question Charlton gets more than any other. The answer depends on your assets, your family situation, and how much you want your heirs to deal with after you’re gone.
The Last Will and Testament
A Will is where most estate plans start, and for good reason. It is the foundational document that says who gets what, who is in charge, and who raises your children if they are minors. But a Will does not keep your estate out of court. When you die with only a Will, your family must still open a succession at the 22nd Judicial District Court to have the Will recognized and the property transferred. In St. Tammany Parish, that process is handled at the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court, and it is a public proceeding.
The Revocable Living Trust
A Living Trust does what a Will cannot: it lets your assets transfer to your heirs privately, without court involvement. You retain full control of everything during your lifetime. When you pass, your successor trustee distributes the assets according to the trust’s terms. No courthouse. No public record. No waiting.
Why Mandeville Residents Choose Trusts:
- Privacy: A succession becomes part of the public court record. A trust does not.
- Speed: Trust distributions often happen in weeks. Succession can take months or longer.
- Cost savings: A trust costs more to establish. But it can save your family significantly in court costs, attorney fees, and delays at the 22nd JDC.
As your Mandeville estate planning attorney, Charlton will walk through your assets and family goals to help you figure out whether a Will or a Trust (or both) makes sense for your situation.
Louisiana Forced Heirship: What Every Mandeville Family Should Know
Louisiana is one of the only states in the country with forced heirship laws. Under the Louisiana Civil Code, certain descendants, called “forced heirs,” are guaranteed a minimum share of your estate regardless of what your will says.
Who qualifies as a forced heir? Children who are 23 or younger at the time of your death, and children of any age who are permanently incapable of caring for themselves due to mental or physical incapacity.
What is the legitimate? The forced heir’s protected share. One forced heir is entitled to one-quarter of your estate. Two or more forced heirs share one-half collectively. The remaining portion, called the “disposable portion,” you can leave to anyone you choose.
Can a forced heir be disinherited? Only under very specific circumstances listed in the Civil Code: striking a parent, a felony conviction carrying a death sentence, and a handful of other narrow grounds. Outside those causes, attempting to cut out a forced heir leaves your estate open to a legal challenge after you are gone.
For most Mandeville families, the goal is not to disinherit anyone. It’s to control timing, protect a child with special needs, distribute assets fairly among multiple children, or protect a surviving spouse in a blended family situation. These are exactly the conversations Charlton has with clients before any document is drafted. A Mandeville estate planning attorney who knows Louisiana law can structure a plan that accomplishes all of that within the rules, not around them.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens if I die without a will in Louisiana?
Louisiana’s intestacy laws take over. Your property is distributed according to a fixed order: descendants first, then parents and siblings, and so on. Community property and separate property are treated differently under these rules, and the outcome is often not what people would have wanted. Your surviving spouse may have far fewer rights than you assume. A simple will eliminates that uncertainty. - Does it matter that I live in Mandeville rather than Covington if I’m working with Charlton?
Not at all. Charlton serves clients across St. Tammany Parish and the Northshore. Estate planning meetings can be scheduled at his Covington office or by arrangement. The documents are Louisiana documents either way. Your zip code does not change the law that governs your estate. - What is usufruct, and how does it affect my estate plan?
Usufruct is a Louisiana legal concept with no real equivalent in other states. It is the right to use and benefit from property that legally belongs to someone else. In a typical Louisiana estate involving a married couple, the surviving spouse often receives usufruct over the deceased spouse’s share of community property. The surviving spouse can continue living in the home and using the assets. But the underlying ownership — called “naked ownership” — passes to the children. This arrangement works smoothly for most families. In blended families or estates with significant assets, careful planning is required to avoid conflict. Charlton explains how usufruct affects your specific situation before any documents are signed. - How long does estate planning take?
A straightforward will, power of attorney, and living will can often be completed within a few weeks of your first meeting. More involved plans with trusts, business interests, or complex family dynamics take longer. Charlton does not rush the process. The goal is a plan that actually reflects your intentions, not a document turned around as quickly as possible. The initial consultation is the right place to discuss the timeline and scope. - What makes Louisiana estate planning different from other states?
Louisiana is a civil law state, operating under a legal tradition descended from the Napoleonic Code rather than English common law. Forced heirship, usufruct, the community property succession system, naked ownership — these concepts do not exist in Texas, Florida, or anywhere else in the country. A national online will service cannot account for any of this. Charlton’s practice is built specifically around Louisiana law. That distinction matters at the courthouse.
Why Work with a Mandeville Estate Planning Attorney Who Knows Louisiana Law
Louisiana’s Civil Code is unlike anything in the other 49 states. Concepts like forced heirship and usufruct do not exist anywhere else. A generic online will form has no way to account for them.
Charlton Ogden has practiced Louisiana law since 1981. His office is in Covington, right at the center of the Northshore market he serves. He is not an out-of-state estate planning service routing calls through a call center. He is a local attorney who has been doing this work in St. Tammany Parish for decades. That matters when your family has to use the documents he prepares.
Ready to get started? Call (985) 892-8592 or use the contact form below.
Effective estate planning is the first step in a larger strategy that includes Louisiana successions. Charlton helps you look at the full picture to minimize court costs and protect what you’ve built.