Except as otherwise provided by law, the trustee of an express trust is the proper plaintiff to sue to enforce a right of the trust estate.
Art. 699.Trust Estate
Title III. Parties · Chapter 2. Parties Plaintiff · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 699 makes the trustee of an express trust the proper plaintiff to sue on behalf of the trust estate, keeping the responsibility for litigating the trust's rights with the person who manages and administers those assets.
Full Text of Art. 699
Plain-English Summary
A trust estate is the body of property and rights an express trust holds — assets a settlor has placed under a trustee's management for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries. Article 699 puts the trustee in charge of suing to enforce whatever rights belong to that trust estate, rather than requiring the beneficiaries to appear as plaintiffs themselves.
This mirrors the pattern found elsewhere in this chapter for successions and partnerships: the person or entity managing the property involved in the dispute is the one who litigates over it, while the people who ultimately benefit from that property stay out of the suit unless some other rule calls for their participation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sues to enforce a right belonging to a trust in Louisiana?
The trustee of the express trust is the proper plaintiff under Article 699, not the trust's beneficiaries.
Do the trust beneficiaries need to be named as plaintiffs?
No. Article 699 places that responsibility with the trustee, who manages and administers the trust estate.
What is a trust estate under this article?
It refers to the property and rights held by an express trust, which the trustee administers and can sue to protect.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the vLex (Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, 2026 Edition). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: trustee proper plaintiff Louisianatrust estate lawsuitArticle 699 Louisiana Code of Civil Procedureexpress trust suing to enforce rightstrust beneficiaries not required to join suit