Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Louisiana

When a spouse dies and does not leave a will and a succession is done and the surviving spouse and childern are given the property with no one having usurfurt. The childern do an establisment of usurfurt so that the mother can pay bills and keep the property up. The mother remarries and when she dies she leaves usurfurt to the second husband. Can she do this or would her children also have to give the second husband usurfurt? I guess what I am trying to say can she leave usurfurt to anyone upon her death or did her usurfurt die with her??


Asked on 10/02/11, 1:44 pm

3 Answers from Attorneys

Martha Amanda Mandi Lucas Mandie Seale Lucas

The children of the first marriage have naked ownership of the entire property and own one half outright. Your mother could leave her half to anyone she chooses. However, as this was community property from the first marriage, you may have argument that she could not leave use of the first community property to her second spouse. You should bring all the documents to an attorney to review everything.

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Answered on 10/02/11, 4:27 pm
Nick Pizzolatto, Jr. Pizzolatto Law Office

The surviving spouse's usufruct dies when she died....however, I disagree with Ms Lucas....when your dad died, since you called her mom, I am assuming the house is the community of your parents' marriage...therefore, your mom owns 1/2 and you kids own 1/2 subject to mom's usufruct.....a granted usufruct is subject to the terms of the instrument wherein the usufruct is granted......unless the kids gave her permission to grant a usufruct after her death, then she can leave her usufruct to the next husband but only of her 1/2 interest. In fact, she could have given her the ownership of 1/2 of the house to anyone, including her next husband.

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Answered on 10/03/11, 3:17 pm


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