Top Estate Lawyers Near Me in Baton Rouge Area

Siobhan Leger is a graduate of both Louisiana State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where she earned her Juris Doctor and herGraduate Diploma in Comparative Law. Siobhan graduated with honors for pro bono service and was admitted to practice in the State of Louisiana shortly thereafter.. After practicing in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, probate, and real estate law for several years with a boutique law firm in the Baton Rouge area, Siobhan Leger opened the Leger Law Group, LLC. As the managing attorney for the Leger Law Group, LLC, Siobhan now practices in all areas of civil law, but continues to focus her practice on wills & trusts, estates, real estate, medicaid qualification, and family law.. Siobhan serves her community as an active volunteer attorney with Wills for Heroes: an organization that provides no-cost estate planning legal services to veterans, members of law enforcement, and their families. Since 2011, she has served Baton Rouge residents in need of legal services as a volunteer attorney with Baton Rouge Bar Association's Pro Bono Panel and Thirst for Justice Initiative. She also serves on the board of the Women's Council of Greater Baton Rouge.In 2015, Siobhan was nominated to serve as a member of the Practice Assistance & Improvement Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Randy Roussel practices in the area of business and finance. His general business practice is concentrated in the areas of real estate, banking, and commercial transactions. Mr. Roussel has represented Wampold Companies, Waffle House, Whitney National Bank, Carmouche Construction, and a variety of multifamily and commercial developers.. Mr. Roussel’s practice emphasizes mixed-use real estate development. He works on HUD 221(d)(4) and other multi-family financing programs.. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, he was a certified public accountant for Arthur Andersen & Company in New Orleans from 1978 to 1981. From 1986 to 1987, he was an associate at Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson in Baton Rouge and in 1987 he became partner at Bradford & Roussel in Baton Rouge which merged with Gary Field Landry & Bradford in 1991. Mr. Roussel joined Phelps Dunbar in 1995.

Ragan Richard practices in the area of business law. He focuses in the areas of business, agricultural and corporate law, real estate, finance, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. Mr. Richard has represented both individuals, and companies and underwriters, and led legal teams in the acquisition, financing, development and sale of commercial, industrial, agricultural, office, restaurant, hotel, apartment and retail properties and businesses. His practice includes representation of banking and lending institutions in financing transactions, drafting and negotiating contracts, leases, and servitude agreements, acquiring and developing real estate and commercial business establishments, representing owners of large franchise chains, representing owners of multifamily apartment complexes, representing utilities, agriculture and marketing cooperatives and trade associations, drafting and enforcing subdivision and condominium restrictions for highly regulated developments, entity and joint venture formation, general counseling of both established and emerging businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity financing and restructuring.  Mr. Richard serves as general counsel to many of his clients and assists them, with the help of other experienced Phelps Dunbar attorneys, in accomplishing their legal needs. He frequently serves as a guest lecturer on purchase agreements at the LSU law school. Mr. Richard also serves as the managing partner of the Baton Rouge office.

Personal Injury Attorney with offices in Baton Rouge and Marrero.. Our practice also handles collections for many local businesses to collect on past due accounts.  Our staff is adept at locating debtors and assets and maximizing your collections.. Estate planning is the process whereby we tailor your estate planning based on your needs and the information you provide.  In addition to creating your last will and testament, we cover all of your needs including powers of attorney, trusts, living wills and medical powers of attorney.

Linda S. Melancon – Linda S. Melancon is an attorney practicing in the areas of Estate Planning,Elder Law, Medicaid and VA benefit’s planning, Special Needs Planning, and EstateAdministration (Probate, Successions and Trust Administration).Linda is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist, certified by theLouisiana Board of Legal Specialization. She is also accredited by the Veterans Administration togive advice regarding veterans’ benefits.. Linda graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University with a double major in businessadministration and history and then attended Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert LawCenter where she graduated with her law degree in 1997.. While in law school, Linda received the Order of the Coif award for graduating in the top 10% ofher class and was a member of the Louisiana Law Review. She is a member of the LouisianaElder Law Task Force, the Life Care Planning Law Firm Association, the Academy of SpecialNeeds Planners and ElderCounsel.. Also active in the community, Linda has served as a board member for Ascension Parish Councilon Aging and the ARC of East Ascension. She is also a member of the Baton Rouge Associationof Women Attorneys and the Baton Rouge Aging Network. Linda also regularly presentseducational seminars for the public, as well as professional groups, on the importance of properplanning.

Joy Allement Reily, a native of Baton Rouge, received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 2000. She spent nearly two decades building a career in the Baton Rouge business community, holding various positions in accounting, finance, management and marketing. Seeking greater fulfillment from her career, Joy decided to further her education and received her Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in May 2016. She also earned a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law and a Gradate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy.. After working as an associate in a small firm for a year, Joy knew it was time to start her own practice and officially opened her Louisiana practice early 2018. Her areas of practice in Louisiana include Estate Planning, Successions, Special Needs Planning, Real Estate and Debt Settlement. In 2021 Joy was admitted to the Florida State Bar and began practicing with My Pink Lawyer in August 2022, where she focuses solely on Estate Planning.  Currently she splits her time between her Louisiana practice and My Pink Lawyer in Pensacola, Florida.

Jon Benda practices in the areas of contract preparation and negotiation, mergers and acquisitions, documentation of commercial loans, commercial real estate transactions, joint ventures, and general corporate and business law.

I have closed my office and am not taking new clients.  I will continue to assist former and existing clients.

I have been practicing law for over 20 years, with an emphasis in commercial real estate, corporate, finance and business work.  Prior to joining WARC, I worked for 13 years at a large regional law firm.  I can bring you big firm solutions in a small firm environment.

I began my career at a big law firm in New Orleans. Pretty much as soon as I got there, I was unhappy because there was a huge disconnect between what I had dreamed about when I went to law school and the reality of being a lawyer. I had dreamed about going to law school and coming out and making a difference in people’s lives, but in reality, practice in a law firm was totally transactional and didn’t truly serve our clients.. Here’s what I mean …. First of all, everything we did was billed on an hourly basis. And, as you can imagine at more than $400/hour, my clients wanted me to do everything as quickly as possible with as little communication as possible. They didn’t want to talk about their families and they were afraid to call when they had changes in their lives or questions about their businesses because they didn’t know how much that call would cost them and whether it was worth it.. As a result, often they would have life changes, such as a new baby, a divorce, a new property purchase, or a new business started, but I wouldn’t hear about it because they didn’t want to pay to tell me. And, that meant that their plan was destined to fail when their family needed it most because it would be out of date pretty quickly after we created it.. They would leave the office with their fancy binder of estate planning documents, go to the bank because I had told them to change the name of their bank account to transfer their account into their plan and then they’d forget what I said, and call the office, only to get my voicemail, and leave the bank without having transferred the account and then it would never happen.. This is likely what happened to the father-in-law of one of my colleagues. He died when she was in law school and even though he had spent $3,000 on an estate plan, after his death, she and her family were stuck dealing with his ex-wife and the probate court, even though that’s exactly why he had spent the money to do his estate planning, to keep them from having to deal w his ex-wife or the the courts.. She thought for sure his lawyer must have committed malpractice, but then after she went to work at one of the best law firms in the country and saw that they did it exactly the same way, and that most firms did. What she found out is that it wasn’t malpractice at all, it was common practice.. What I noticed when I was at the big firm is that clients would come in, we’d prepare some documents for them, they’d sign the documents (most often not having a clear sense of what they were signing) and then take the documents, stick them in a drawer and not look at them again.. That’s just what the typical estate planning experience had become. And I knew my clients’ plans would fail as a result.. There was nothing abnormal about it, but it didn’t feel right to me. We didn’t have a mechanism for following up with our clients, making sure their assets were titled properly, or communicating regularly to make sure their plans continued to work throughout life.. So, I thought long and hard about whether I could change the way things were done at the firm and I was so disillusioned with the process, I gave up practicing law altogether for a while – that’s how unhappy I was.. I opened this new firm with the idea of bringing back the Personal Family Lawyer relationship - where initial planning is just the beginning of the relationship and we’re focused on putting in place a plan we know we will work for you and the people you love.. So, here are some of the things we do differently based on my experience with the traditional model of estate planning.. First of all – nothing we do is billed on an hourly basis. Everything we do is billed flat fee, agreed to in advance, so there are no surprises. You’ll know exactly what it will cost to work with us, after we’ve gotten clear about what you want, and you’ll even be able to choose your own fee. Then, after the initial planning process, we have options so that you can ensure your plan stays up to date throughout your life, and again you’ll know exactly what that costs and choose your own fee there.. Second – I have a team of people here to support you. That means, if you are at the bank and call our office to get a quick answer about how to title an account, you don’t have to leave the bank and return on another day because there was no one available to answer your question for hours or days. You’ll be able to speak to someone to get your questions answered right away. And, if you need to speak with me about something that my team cannot answer, we’ll get a call scheduled on my calendar so that I can be prepared and you can be prepared and we won’t waste your time playing phone tag.. Third – we see planning as just the beginning of the relationship whereas in the past the plan was viewed as a one-time transactional event.. Once you sign your planning documents, that is when the relationship really begins. At no additional charge, we review your plan at least every three years. And, we have two levels of membership programs that almost all of our clients participate in – either the gold program which provides you with a yearly plan review and unlimited changes to your plan or the gold plus program that includes an annual meeting with your attorney, CPA and financial advisor, plus ongoing legal guidance throughout the year.. Finally, we don’t just focus on passing on your financial assets, but your whole family wealth. When my colleague’s dad died, he left behind a little money, but more important to her, especially because the money was gone quickly, he left her a voicemail on her phone. It said “Lex, it’s your dad. Call me back.” And she listened to that voicemail all the time. Until the day it got deleted accidentally. She was devastated. That’s why we created a process and include it in every plan where we guide you to pass on more than your money, but also your intellectual, spiritual and human assets. We include that with every plan and our clients and their families love having that as part of their plan.. These are just a few of the things that make our firm different. We’re the best fit for people who don’t just want to leave their family a set of documents that may or may not work, but instead want to use the estate planning process to pass on a legacy of love and care and ease. And keep their family out of court and out of conflict.. On a personal note, I got into estate planning in the first place because of what happened when my grandfather passed away when I was about 10 years old. Because he didn’t leave a plan, when he died, it tore our family apart. My mom and her 6 siblings were in and out of court for almost 30 years to settle a modest estate, and to this day one side of the family doesn’t speak to the other.. I believe that proper estate planning is something that you do for the people you love the most. You won’t be the one to benefit from the plan we are going to design for you today – the people who will benefit are the people you love the most who will be dealing with things after you’re gone.

Hailey Manint is an attorney practicing in the areas of Estate Planning and Estate Administration. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Louisiana State University in 2018 before pursuing her law degree from Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. She graduated in the top 5% of her class and received her license to practice law in October of 2021.. Throughout her law school journey, Hailey demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership as an active member of the Public Interest Law Society. In her third year, she served as the President of the organization, showcasing her commitment to serving her community.. Driven by her passion for assisting others, she chose to focus her legal practice in an area of the law that that affects people in all stages of life. Hailey recognizes the significance of these areas of law, from estate planning to navigating the complexities of loss and bereavement.. Inspired by her grandfather, an esteemed attorney with his own practice in Baton Rouge, Hailey witnessed firsthand the transformative relationships he cultivated with his clients. This experience solidified her determination to pursue a legal career centered on making a positive difference in people’s lives.. Outside of her professional endeavors, Hailey finds joy in exploring new destinations through travel, discovering hidden treasures through thrifting and estate sale hunting, and nurturing her green thumb in the garden. Her diverse interests reflect her vibrant personality and commitment to embracing life’s adventures both inside and outside of the office.

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, I am a product of our local public schools. I graduated from LSU in 1983 with a degree in Finance. I graduated from Loyola New Orleans Law School in 1987, but before graduating, I tried my first jury case. It was a manslaughter charge. The Orleans District Attorney was impressed enough to offer me a job upon graduation. I was an Assistant District Attorney for Mr. Harry Connick from 1987 through 1990 and have been on my own since then.. As to public service after the District Attorney's Office, in 2009 I was elected to the Louisiana State Senate for the Baton Rouge area, District 16. It has been an honor to represent the people of Baton Rouge. During the process, I believe I have become a better lawyer.. Whether your issue is a government relations issue, maritime matter, serious personal injury matter, wrongful death, business litigation or criminal defense, I can help you. I have been helping folks just like you for a long time and am very good at what I do. Perhaps I can help you with an important matter.  Give me a call, day or night, and let's talk about your issue.

After graduating from Loyola Law School in New Orleans in 1990, Price McNamara served as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable John M. Shaw, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, from 1990 to 1991. Following his clerkship, he spent several years as an attorney at Hailey, McNamara, Hall, Larmann & Papale in Metairie, Louisiana, where he defended automobile and truck insurers, as well as industrial offshore vessel owners and drilling contractors, in a wide range of personal injury and insurance disputes. During this time, he also earned an advanced master's degree in Environmental Law from Tulane Law School.. In 1995, Mr. McNamara transitioned to public service, serving as a felony trial division prosecutor for the State of Louisiana at the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office until 1997. That same year, he founded the ERISA Insurance Claim Attorneys and began using his extensive experience to help professionals, executives, hard-working wage earners, and their families in recovering denied Long Term Disability, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Life Insurance Benefits. This includes claims that fall under federal ERISA law, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), and Service Members’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI). With offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Houston, the firm offers free initial consultations and handles all cases on a contingency basis. The firm selectively takes on cases, limiting the number of active cases to ensure each client receives the full attention and resources they deserve. Clients only pay attorney fees if the firm successfully secures financial compensation through a settlement or trial judgment.