Power Package Questionnaire, Part 4: Your Will

Part 4 of 4: Your will. This is the last part. When you finish, press Send and your answers go to S² Law right away.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Thank you. Your answers were sent to S² Law, and we’ll be in touch before our meeting. Questions? Call us at 504.513.8800.

About you and your family

Louisiana law treats spouses and children in special ways, so the details about your family shape your will.

Your information

Full legal name

Any other names you have used

Date of birth

YYYY-MM-DD

Home address

Mailing address, if different

Parish

Phone

Another phone number, if you have one

Another email, if you have one

Best way and time to reach you

Your marriage or partnership

In Louisiana, what married couples own is usually shared as “community property” unless they signed an agreement before or during the marriage. This affects what you can leave in your will.

If married: your spouse’s full name, and the date and parish or state where you married

If widowed: your spouse’s name and date of death

Did you and your spouse sign a marriage contract or prenuptial agreement? (If yes, please bring a copy to our meeting.)

Yes No Not sure Does not apply

Have you been married before? If yes, how did that marriage end?

Your children

Please list every child, including adopted children, stepchildren you raised, and any child who has died. Louisiana protects certain children in a will, so we need the full picture, even for children you are not close to.

Your children, one per line: full name, date of birth, other parent, and notes (adopted, stepchild, deceased, has a disability)

Does any child have a physical or mental condition that means they may never be able to take care of themselves or their money?

Does any child receive, or might they someday need, government benefits such as SSI or Medicaid?

If a child has died, did that child leave children of their own? Please list them.

Are there grandchildren or other relatives you want to include in your plans? Please list their names, ages, and how they’re related to you.

Your will

Your will (Louisiana law calls it a “testament”) says who receives your property when you die and who is in charge of wrapping up your affairs. Without a will, Louisiana law decides for you, and the result is often not what people expect.

Your executor

This person (or persons, as you should have backups) settles your estate after you die. When thinking about whom you might select, imagine your family six months after your funeral. Who will gather the paperwork, work with the lawyer, pay your final bills, and divide things fairly, while keeping the peace among your loved ones? Who will finish the job instead of letting it sit for years?

First choice: name, relationship to you, and city where they live

First choice: phone

First backup: name, relationship to you, and city where they live

First backup: phone

We usually recommend letting your executor act without court supervision and without posting a bond, which saves your family time and money. Is that all right with you?

Yes No Let’s discuss

Your spouse and the use of your property

If you are married, Louisiana law often gives your surviving spouse the right to use and live in property (called a “usufruct”) for the rest of their life, even while your children own it. You can expand, limit, or change that in your will.

If you die first, what do you want for your spouse? (For example: stay in the house for life, keep everything, or share with your children.)

Should that change if your spouse remarries?

Should anyone else be able to live in or use your property for a time, even though someone else will own it? Who, and for how long? (For example, a sister who lives in your house could stay there for life, or until she moves out.)

Children who are protected by law

Louisiana is the only state that requires you to leave a portion of your estate to certain children: those under 24 years old, and those of any age who have a permanent condition that prevents them from caring for themselves or their property. We will explain how this applies to your family when we meet.

Is there anyone you want to leave out of your will, or leave less to? Who, and why? (Louisiana lets you leave out a protected child only for specific reasons listed in the law, and the will must state the reason. We’ll go through this with you.)

Guardians for minor children

If you have children under 18, you can name the person who would raise them if both parents are gone. Louisiana calls this person a “tutor.” Imagine your children’s daily lives without you. Who would raise them with your values, keep them in touch with family, and be ready to take them in?

First choice and backup to raise your children (You can choose different people for different children.)

Is there anyone who should NOT have custody of your children?

Who should manage money you leave your children until they’re old enough to receive it? (This can be the person who raises them, or someone else who is good with money.)

Who receives your property

Think about the people and causes you want to take care of. You can leave specific items to specific people, and then leave everything else (“the rest”) to one or more people.

Specific gifts, one per line: the item, who should receive it, and a backup if that person dies first (The house, a car, jewelry, family photos, a quilt, a horn, tools…)

Who should receive the rest of your property, and in what shares?

If someone you name dies before you, where should their share go?

To their children To the others I named Let’s discuss

Do you want to leave anything to a church, school, or charity?

Do you have pets? Who should care for them, and should money go with them?

Friend of the estate

Most of what we own isn’t worth much on paper, but it means something to someone: a cast-iron skillet, a record collection, a favorite chair, a box of photos. A friend of the estate is a friend or family member who lives nearby and makes sure the personal belongings you haven’t left to a specific person go to friends and loved ones who would like a keepsake. This can be a big help if your family lives out of town or isn’t especially close, because it lets them focus on the funeral and burial instead of sorting through your home. Choose someone who knows your people and would be fair.

Friend of the estate, first choice: name, relationship to you, and city where they live

Friend of the estate, first choice: phone

Friend of the estate, backup: name, relationship to you, and city where they live

Friend of the estate, backup: phone

Is there anyone you especially hope will receive a keepsake, or anything your friend of the estate should know?

Family property

Do you own, or have a share in, a house or land that came down through your family? Was a succession ever opened for the relative who owned it?

Is anyone living in a property you own who expects to keep living there?

Anything else about your family we should know? (Such as blended-family concerns, a relative who struggles with money, or someone you expect may challenge your will.)

Signing

Your will must be signed in front of a notary and two witnesses. Your witnesses cannot be people who receive anything under your will. We can provide the notary and witnesses at our office or, if it’s easier, come to you.

Signing your documents

Louisiana has special signing steps for people who can’t see, hear, read, or sign their name. Telling us now lets us prepare the right documents and bring the right people. A “yes” here will not stop you from making a will.

Are you deaf or hard of hearing?

Yes No

Are you blind, or do you have trouble seeing?

Yes No

Are you unable to read?

Yes No

Are you physically unable to sign your name?

Yes No

Before we meet

Do you have existing wills, powers of attorney, or living wills? (Please bring copies, even old ones.)

Where would you like to sign?

At the S² Law office At my home At a hospital or care facility Let’s discuss

Do you need any accommodation, such as large print, an interpreter, or someone to read the documents aloud?

Where will you keep your original documents? Who should know where they are?

Is there anything else you want us to know, or anything that worries you?

Once your documents are signed, plan to look at them again every few years, and after any marriage, divorce, birth, death, or move.