The court may appoint a provisional administrator of a succession, pending the appointment of an administrator or the confirmation of an executor, when it deems such appointment necessary to preserve, safeguard, and operate the property of the succession. On the application of an interested party, or on its own motion, when such an appointment is deemed necessary, the court may appoint a qualified person as provisional administrator forthwith.
Art. 3111.Appointment
Book VI. Probate Procedure · Title III. Administration of Successions · Chapter 1. Qualification of Succession Representatives · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 3111 lets the court appoint a provisional administrator, on its own motion or an interested party's application, to preserve, safeguard, and operate succession property whenever such temporary, urgent protection is necessary before a permanent administrator is appointed or an executor confirmed.
Full Text of Art. 3111
Plain-English Summary
Qualifying a permanent succession representative takes time. Testaments have to be probated, notice periods have to run, oppositions have to be tried. A provisional administrator fills the gap: a temporary succession representative appointed to protect property while that permanent process plays out, not a long-term replacement for it.
Article 3111 lets the court make that appointment whenever it decides one is necessary to preserve, safeguard, and operate the succession's property, and it can act quickly. The court may appoint a qualified person forthwith, either on the application of an interested party or entirely on its own motion, without waiting on the notice and hearing machinery that governs a regular administrator's appointment under Articles 3091 through 3096.
The word provisional signals the office's temporary character. It exists only to bridge the interval between a decedent's death and the moment a permanent executor or administrator is ready to take over, and Article 3112 makes clear that the office ends automatically once that moment arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a provisional administrator in Louisiana succession law?
A temporary succession representative appointed to preserve, safeguard, and operate succession property during the interval before a permanent administrator is appointed or an executor confirmed.
When would a court appoint a provisional administrator?
Whenever it decides such an appointment is necessary to protect succession property, often when urgent action is needed before the ordinary appointment process can run its course.
Can the court appoint one without anyone requesting it?
Yes. Article 3111 lets the court act on its own motion, as well as on the application of an interested party.
How long does a provisional administrator serve?
Only until an administrator or executor has qualified, or until the heirs or legatees have been sent into possession, as Article 3112 describes.
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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