The inclusion of the claim of a creditor of the succession in the succession representative's petition for authority to pay debts or in his tableau of distribution creates a prima facie presumption of the validity of the claim; and the burden of proving the invalidity thereof shall be upon the person opposing it.
Art. 3244.Effect of Inclusion of Claim In Petition Or In Tableau of Distribution
Book VI. Probate Procedure · Title III. Administration of Successions · Chapter 5. Enforcement of Claims Against Successions · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 3244 gives a claim a prima facie presumption of validity once it is included in the succession representative's petition for authority to pay debts or in the tableau of distribution, placing the burden of proving invalidity on whoever opposes it.
Full Text of Art. 3244
Plain-English Summary
A tableau of distribution is the succession representative's formal, filed accounting of how the estate's assets will be applied to its debts and legacies. Getting listed in it matters, because Article 3244 treats inclusion itself as evidence the claim is legitimate.
Once a creditor's claim appears in the representative's petition for authority to pay debts, or in the tableau of distribution, Article 3244 creates a prima facie presumption that the claim is valid. Anyone who wants to challenge it, whether an heir, a legatee, or another creditor, carries the burden of proving the claim invalid rather than making the claimant reprove it from scratch.
This works alongside, but independently of, Article 3243's acknowledgment-based presumption. A claim can reach the tableau because the representative acknowledged it, but inclusion in the tableau or petition generates its own presumption of validity regardless of how the claim got there. Chapter 7's rules on filing and homologating the tableau of distribution govern the process that puts a claim in front of the court in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tableau of distribution in a Louisiana succession?
It is the succession representative's formal list showing how the estate's assets will be used to pay its debts and legacies, filed with the court as part of administration.
Does listing a claim in the tableau prove it is valid?
It creates a prima facie presumption of validity under Article 3244. That presumption can be overcome, but the person opposing the claim carries the burden of proving it invalid.
Who has to prove a claim is wrong once it is in the tableau?
The party opposing the claim. Article 3244 shifts that burden onto the objector rather than requiring the creditor to reprove the debt.
Does a claim need the representative's acknowledgment before it can appear in the tableau?
Not necessarily. Article 3244's presumption arises from inclusion in the petition or tableau itself, separate from the acknowledgment-based presumption under Article 3243.
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
Also known as: tableau of distribution presumption of validityArticle 3244 Louisianaburden of proof opposing succession claimpetition for authority to pay debts Louisianainclusion of claim in tableau