Lafayette Probate Lawyers

As a sole practitioner, our firm's founder, Carl Henry Franklin, dedicates his practice to working one-on-one with each client. Although there are thousands of lawyers and law firms throughout Louisiana, few can match the personalized attention, access to resources, wealth of local knowledge and decades of experience our firm offers.

The truth is, no lawyers win all their cases because legal matters vary on the merits. However, you deserve a lawyer you can trust who knows the law inside and out. We do not claim to be better than other law firms. It is your job to determine which lawyer is best for you and your case.

Bill Cherbonnier is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Jesuit High School and Tulane University Law School. He grew up on the West Bank and currently lives on the East Bank, and has offices on both sides of the river. His law practice includes all of South Louisiana and employs the latest technology to communicate with clients. Most initial consultations are conducted by telephone and are usually free. Bill is a trial lawyer who has represented plaintiff personal injury claimants, insurance company defendants, and an occasional alleged felon. He believes that the middle class in America is the forgotten...

I attended law school at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1978. I completed law school and was admitted to the State Bar in 1981. I have worked in the personal injury field and defended criminal cases throughout the State of Louisiana. I have worked as legal counsel for the State of Louisiana in children in need of care matters.

I have served as a college professor and taught in the paralegal programs, and criminal justice. I am comfortable in the small towns and in the big cities. Nothing satisfies me more...

With extensive experience in real estate and business management, Christie Tournet & Associates is the consummate business, estate planning, and successions/probate firm. Christie views legal issues through a unique lens and becomes a trusted legal and business adviser.

Ms. Casteix is Managing Partner of Barrios Kingsdorf & Casteix LLP. Her practice primarily focuses on business and real estate transactions as well as estate planning and administration (successions). She is a native and lifelong resident of New Orleans. After receiving her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law, Ms. Casteix began her legal career as a law clerk for the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans. In 1980 she became a partner in the firm of Cleveland, Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix where she remained a partner until 1995 when Barrios, Kingsdorf & Casteix was founded....

Scott Ruel is an attorney located in Madisonville, Louisiana. He is admitted to the Louisiana state bar and graduated from Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. He is the owner of The Ruel Law Firm in Madisonville, LA. Mr. Ruel specializes in personal injury law, successions, criminal law, DUI, possession and traffic tickets. Our firm takes cases in all parishes. Free consultations on traffic tickets. We also accept credit cards by phone and email link. If you need legal assistance and want to speak with Mr. Ruel now, call our office at 985-845-7031or visit us at www.ruellaw.net....

Ciolino & Onstott provides high-quality, cost-effective outside general counsel services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in Louisiana and across the United States. We represent clients across various industries, including niche areas such as real estate, construction, entertainment, medical marijuana, and non-profit.

In 2005, Gregory S. Marsiglia joined Lowe, Stein, Hoffman, Allweiss & Hauver, LLP, having practiced law in New Orleans since 1997 in a variety of commercial, corporate, and general civil litigation, and in a variety of corporate, real estate, and business transactions. Mr. Marsiglia also advises corporate and commercial clients on formation and planning issues, internal governance, in a variety of contractual matters. His construction litigation and contracting practice has been a steady and significant portion of the practice during the past ten years, as has general commercial litigation for clients in other industries. Mr. Marsiglia also has...

As an associate attorney of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LTD LLP, Ryan Cook maintains an active securities arbitration and litigation practice. Mr. Cook has worked on numerous cases dealing with individual investors, high net worth and institutional investors, corporate executives, regional banks and municipal issuers.

Prior to beginning his law practice, Mr. Cook worked in the securities industry as a licensed and registered representative with a large broker/dealer. He received his Juris Doctor (JD) degree from South Texas College of Law, where he earned his degree Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor) as the graduating salutatorian. Mr. Cook...

I have practiced law for the past 40 plus years. I am licensed in Louisiana, Mississippi, and the District of Columbia.

Bogalusa, LA – Patrick G. Murray, managing partner of Murray Law Office.

Born in Bogalusa, LA to Lewis and Debbie Murray. Graduated Valedictorian from Bowling Green High School in 2007 and went on to study International Business at The University of Southern Mississippi. After obtaining his Degree in International Business, he continued his education at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Working with the District Attorney's Office during the day while studying law at night, Patrick developed a passion for serving the community and a strong desire to start a practice in Bogalusa. Completing...

James is the managing member and managing attorney of Zitzmann Law, LLC and founded the firm in 2014.

He attended Louisiana State University for his undergraduate degree. While at Louisiana State, James was involved in Louisiana State University Student Government and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

He attended the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law where he was a member of the Loyola Law and Technology Annual. While attending, he received the Loyola Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and the Academic Excellence...

Peggy Gonsoulin Vallejo graduated from Tulane Law School in May 1999 and was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar in October 1999.

Her practice consists of civil litigation with a strong focus on personal injury, divorce, child support, spousal support, and succession matters. She has clients in all of the surrounding parishes in the Greater New Orleans Metro Area including St. Tammany, Orleans, Jefferson, Washington, Tangipahoa, Livingston and East Baton Rouge.

Robert T. Weimer is a partner of the firm and oversees its estate/succession litigation division. He holds in-depth experience with mental health disputes and family law matters, offering clients his expertise on complicated successions as well as conflicts among executors, legatees, and heirs. With extensive experience in family law, Robert is a reliable attorney who has successfully represented clients on numerous issues including but not limited to custody, visitation, divorce, tutorship and curatorship. Moreover, he regularly speaks at conferences related to estate matters in Louisiana. Licensed by both Texas and Louisiana Bar Associations as well as being an active member...

Are you looking for a probate lawyer in New Orleans, yet unsure of where you can even begin to search for the right attorney? While it is true that estate planning and probate are weighty and involve many serious facets and aspects, you do not need to be overwhelmed by them. Instead, be proactive and seek out the help your case requires. Attorney Gary S. Brown attended Louisiana State University, where he received his Juris Doctorate. He is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Attorney Robert Weimer received his...

Paul focuses on helping clients to probate estates, resolve construction disputes, and protect property and investments involved in the tax sale process. When Paul isn't busy helping his clients he enjoys photography, kayaking, engineering projects, and learning about Louisiana history.

Michael S. Donovan, and the Donovan Law Firm, LLC, provides effective and efficient advocacy for our clients that are looking to protect their family’s future.

Edward J. McCloskey has proudly served the Greater New Orleans area for over 45 years. He is an av-rated expert in Business and Successions Law, making him the one to trust while making important decisions for the future.

David Miller received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Vanderbilt University. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was a Lex Award recipient. As an associate attorney of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LTD LLP, Mr. Miller maintains an active securities arbitration and litigation practice. Mr. Miller has successfully represented individual investors, high net worth and institutional investors, corporate executives, regional banks and municipal issuers

Prior to beginning his law practice, Mr. Miller served as an officer in the corporate trust and investment banking groups at major...

Ms. Rosado is a licensed attorney and notary in the State of Louisiana. Ms. Rosado received her J.D., dual degree in civil and common law with a concentration in International Law, in 2009 from Loyola University School of Law where she was a member of the Loyola Trial Advocacy competition teams: – Michigan State in the Spring of 2008 – AAJ in the Fall of 2009 Ms. Rosado served as an officer on the Trial Advocacy Board from 2008-2009. While at Loyola, Ms. Rosado was involved in: – Loyola’s Law Clinic – Public Interest Law Journal –...

Peter Diiorio began his career as an attorney in 2005 by handling hundreds of first-party insurance claims following Hurricane Katrina. One month before Katrina, Mr. Diiorio sat for the 2005 Louisiana bar exam in the Superdome of New Orleans, and he began handling property insurance claims as an attorney two months later. Today, Mr. Diiorio continues to focus his law practice on representing homeowners and small businesses in first-party insurance claims, with an emphasis on bad faith claims against insurers. If someone has been wronged by an insurance company, or has an insurance problem they can’t handle, Mr. Diiorio works tirelessly...

It is important to act fast after an accident. Injury cases require immediate action to gather the required information to protect your rights. Whether it is assistance getting medical treatment or gathering experts necessary to prove your claim, our staff will get to work immediately to gather the information needed to prove your case. Use our 25+ years of experience to help you get the recovery you deserve.

My practice is primarily focused on estate and probate litigation as well as wrongful death litigation. My team and I represent families and clients throughout the country and internationally with legal matters in Louisiana. We handle a wide range of estate matters; from the simple transfer of assets from parents to kids to multimillion-dollar estate battles over rights of inheritance, we have handled it and everything in between. I was born and raised in Lafourche Parish, La., in a small community where I was related to almost everyone. My great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all lived there as well. We...

Phillip Lynch, Jr. BIO 2019
Phillip M. Lynch, Jr., has practiced law for over thirty years in the New Orleans area and
focuses on successions, real estate matters, and family law issues. In 1996, he was
elected as Justice of the Peace and served two 6-year terms in Ward Four of St.
Tammany Parish. He was also Captain of Professional Standards and a Staff Attorney
for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. A former president of the Greater Covington
Bar Association, he served the LSBA’s House of Delegates, and its MCLE Committee.
A former reserve deputy in Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, and St. Tammany Parishes,
he is a...

My name is Anton Martynenko, and I am a proud member of the Scott Vicknair team. My journey to becoming a lawyer started from humble beginnings in the former USSR during some of the most fascinating but challenging times. Today, I am oddly thankful for facing poverty and hardship from an early age because those struggles instilled in me a strong work ethic, a drive to succeed, and compassion for folks from all walks of life. At the age of 15, I had a rare opportunity to come to the United States as an exchange student. Three years later, I...

Joe has been practicing law for 40 years. His practice emphasizes estate planning, trusts, successions (probate), Medicaid, VA benefits, Social Security disability appeals, asset protection planning, and general family counseling in these areas. He realizes that each client has individual circumstances that require a unique plan. He plans with the overarching goal of protecting the client’s well-being and secondarily preserving the client’s assets over the long term. Joe has given frequent seminars for the public, financial planners, and other professional groups. He has been honored to present at attorney continuing-education seminars sponsored by LSU Law Center, Tulane Law School, and...

John Menszer has been practicing civil law in New Orleans since 1993. He has helped hundreds achieve greater financial security through filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. He also handles real estate issues and probate and estate problems. In 1995, he was the recipient of the Special Humanitarian Award of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities for his word preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors.

Randy Russell is a an experienced, skilled and aggressive trial attorney who has successfully litigated matters for his clients throughout Southeast Louisiana for the past eighteen (18) years involved in significant personal injury, wrongful death, workers' compensation and first party insurance cases. Randy's prior experience defending major casualty insurance companies gives him unique insight as to the insurance claims handling process. Through this experience, Randy understands the inner workings of how insurers evaluate claims and he knows how to successfully support and present claims to insurers to ensure that his clients timely recover all damages that they are entitled to....

Roy Bowes began his legal career serving as a judicial law clerk for one and a half years. For over 43 years, he operated a private civil practice, Roy M. Bowes & Associates, in the New Orleans area with concentrations in family law, personal injury, estate planning, successions, and collections. In 2022 he co-founded Bowes, Petkovich & Palmer, LLC by merging his practice into the firm. He is trained in the collaborative divorce model and is a charter member of the Collaborative Professionals Groups of Southeast Louisiana. He is a qualified registered divorce/custody/child support mediator. ...

Mr. Eckstein has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for over 30 years; he has been selected a "Louisiana Super Lawyer" since the inception of the rating, 2007 - 2023. He has also been named a "Best Lawyer". Eckstein Law Firm was also selected by Super Lawyers as the top law firm/sole proprietorship in Louisiana for Business and Transactions as well as being named a "Best Law Firm". Mr. Eckstein is a Board Certified Tax Attorney and a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist. Mr. Eckstein is also a certified agent of the NFLPA, NBPA, NCAA and...

John attended Louisiana State University where he earned his Bachelor degree in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing. At LSU, John was on the Dean’s List, he was a recipient of the LSU Centennial Award, and he was a recipient of the TOPS Honors Award. John was also an active member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, where he served as Scholarship Chair.

John earned his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. While at Loyola, John earned the Law Excellence Award multiple times for his top performance in Torts I, Regulation of Sports Industry, and the...

Doug Stinson is licensed as an attorney in the State of Louisiana. Doug received his undergraduate degree from LSU-Baton Rouge and his law degree from LSU Law School.

Doug has courtroom experience having participated in numerous jury trials and bench trials. His practice areas include personal injury, car and trucking accidents, divorce and child custody, and wills and successions.

PROFESSIONAL • Admitted to practice law, 1978, State of Louisiana, All Courts • Admitted to practice, 1979, U.S. District Courts, Louisiana Eastern & Middle Districts, U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • Member, Louisiana State, Slidell, & 22nd Judicial District Court Bar Associations • 45 years experience in Civil, Family, and Juvenile Court • Williams and Brandt, an Association for the Practice of Law, established 1980 • Appointed Judge Pro Tem for Slidell City Court by Louisiana Supreme Court, numerous times EDUCATION • Juris Doctorate, Tulane University...

The year before I began law school, I scored in the top 1% worldwide on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). This score earned me the Faculty Merit Scholarship to the Paul M. Hebert School of Law at Louisiana State University. In 2004 I was fortunate to be able to study International Comparative Law at Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon, France.

Since law school, my career has reflected my approach to life. I believe a person must be well rounded in order to be successful. Having a diversity of interests and experiences allows me to adapt more easily to...