Executor Compensation and Fees (LA)

In Louisiana, executor compensation is governed by the will, as long as the amount specified by the will is "reasonable".

If there is no will, or the amount specified by the will is "unreasonable", then the executor, any surviving spouse, and the heirs can agree on a compensation amount for the executor.

If neither the will nor such an agreement specifies an amount, then the executor is entitled to compensation equal to 2.5% of the succession assets. In Louisiana, settling the estate is known as "succession", and the assets subject to succession (the "succession assets") are simply the gross estate assets minus any assets with named beneficiaries (such as life insurance policies or IRAs).

For example, a Louisiana estate with qualified gross assets of $500K would generate $12.5K in executor fees.

The court may increase this compensation amount if it deems that the usual commission is inadequate.

See Louisiana State Legislature, Code of Civil Procedure 3351.

EstateExec provides the following executor compensation estimator for LA estates, but please keep in mind that circumstances may vary, and that there may be special situations addressed by local custom or law. By using this estimator, you acknowledge that EstateExec provides any results as informational input only, not as legal advice, and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies for, or misunderstandings about, any given estate.

You can use this calculator now, but if you use EstateExec to help you track the settlement process, it will automatically perform the sometimes complex calculations to determine Succession Assets (you can create an estate for free).