How to Reopen a Closed Estate in Louisiana
- 1). Create a petition to reopen an estate for administration. Contact the county court clerk's office in which the estate was originally probated for information on specific filing procedures. This article's Resources section has a link to a list of contact information. In your petition, cite the claim upon which you wish to reopen the estate -- the reason why you think it should be reopened -- along with any evidence.
- 2). Obey the judge's requirements for notifying relevant parties and attend the scheduled hearing. Under the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure 3394, judges have discretion to set notification requirements and make the decision as whether to reopen probate.
- 3). If successful, continue to the probate process to distribute new assets or to rectify any other outstanding issues.
- 4). If unsuccessful, you file an appeal with the county's appellate clerk. When appealing a judge's decision not to reopen a closed estate, it is best to retain a qualified attorney to prepare the motion.
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