A. If no inventory of the property left by the deceased has been taken, any heir, legatee, or other interested party shall file in the succession proceeding a detailed descriptive list, sworn to and subscribed by him, of all items of property composing the succession of the deceased, stating the actual cash value of each item at the time of the death of the deceased. B. The detailed descriptive list shall be sealed upon the request of an heir or legatee. C. If the detailed descriptive list is sealed, a copy shall be provided to the decedent's universal successors and surviving spouse. Upon motion of any successor, surviving spouse, or creditor of the estate, the court may furnish relevant information contained in the detailed descriptive list regarding assets and liabilities of the estate.
Art. 2952.Descriptive List of Property, If No Inventory
Book VI. Probate Procedure · Title I. General Dispositions · Chapter 5. Detailed Descriptive List In Lieu of Inventory · Last amended 2020 · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2952 lets an heir, legatee, or other interested party file a sworn detailed descriptive list of succession property in place of a formal inventory, allows the list to be sealed at an heir's or legatee's request, and guarantees successors, the surviving spouse, and creditors continued access to its contents.
Full Text of Art. 2952
Amendment History
Amended by Acts 2020, No. 19, §2, eff. 8/1/2020.
Plain-English Summary
Louisiana successions do not always need a formal inventory, the more elaborate accounting that Title III's administration chapters describe. Article 2952 supplies an alternative: any heir, legatee, or other interested party can file a detailed descriptive list instead, sworn to and signed by the person filing it, itemizing every piece of property in the succession and giving each item's actual cash value as of the date of death.
Because that list can include sensitive financial detail about a family's affairs, Article 2952 lets an heir or legatee request that it be sealed, keeping it out of the public succession record. Sealing does not mean secrecy from everyone with a stake in the estate, though. The decedent's universal successors and surviving spouse are entitled to a copy of a sealed list as a matter of course.
Anyone else with a legitimate interest is not shut out either. A successor, the surviving spouse, or a creditor of the estate can move the court for the relevant information the sealed list contains about the estate's assets and liabilities. The article balances a family's interest in keeping its financial details away from public view against the competing need of people with a real stake in the succession to know what it holds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a detailed descriptive list under Louisiana succession law?
A sworn, itemized statement of the property in a succession, listing each item's actual cash value at the date of death, filed instead of a formal inventory under Article 2952.
Who can file a detailed descriptive list?
Any heir, legatee, or other interested party in the succession.
Can a detailed descriptive list be kept private?
Yes. Article 2952 lets an heir or legatee request that it be sealed, keeping it out of the public succession record.
If the list is sealed, can anyone still find out what it says?
Yes. The decedent's universal successors and surviving spouse automatically receive a copy, and a successor, spouse, or creditor can ask the court for relevant information about the estate's assets and liabilities.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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