Ruston Estate Planning Lawyers

The Law Office of John F. Aplin is mainly focused on providing quality experienced legal representation in the areas of criminal defense law and personal injury law. We also provide general civil litigation services.

As a sole practitioner, our firm's founder, Carl Henry Franklin, dedicates his practice to working one-on-one with each client. Although there are thousands of lawyers and law firms throughout Louisiana, few can match the personalized attention, access to resources, wealth of local knowledge and decades of experience our firm offers.

I am a CPA and attorney. I have been a CPA since 1994 and an Louisiana attorney since 2000. The Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization has designated me as a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist (since 2008), as well as a Board Certified Tax Law Specialist (also since 2008). My practice focuses strongly on the needs and issues particular to farmers, middle income clients and small business owners. These include issues such as estate tax reduction, medicaid long-term care planning, special needs planning, asset protection planning, and small business protection planning. Plans I regularly recommend and personally draft for...

Jimmy D. Long, Jr. specializes in protecting assets and minimizing taxes for his clients. Through careful planning and trust drafting, Jimmy can shelter assets from creditors, nursing home spend-down, or children who are not well suited to manage an inheritance. His plans defer, reduce, or eliminate capital gains taxes on the sale of highly appreciated land and businesses, reduce income taxes for high earners, and reduce or eliminate estate taxes at death. Jimmy has an active state-wide practice throughout Louisiana, and occassionally consults on asset protection, estate planning, and tax matters in other states in conjunction with...

Rich is a shareholder with Wiener, Weiss & Madison. He joined the firm in 2013 and advises businesses, families and individuals in the areas of Taxation, Corporate Law, Securities Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Real Estate Law, Estate Planning, Successions/Probate, Title Insurance and Nonprofit Law.

Allen P. Jones is a shareholder in Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. He practices in the areas of estate planning, tax law, succession and probate law, business and corporate law, and real estate. Allen represents individuals and families in all aspects of estate planning, including the preparation of wills, trusts, partnerships and limited liability companies. His work in the area of business and corporate law includes business succession planning, corporate reorganizations, and business sale transactions. He is Board Certified by the Louisiana State Bar in Estate Planning, and is licensed as a title insurance agent in the state...

Armand Roos is Of Counsel for the firm of Wiener, Weiss & Madison, A Professional Corporation. He has been in private practice for more than 40 years. Armand is certified as a specialist in estate planning and estate administration by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).

John has been repeatedly recognized as a Louisiana “Super Lawyer” by SuperLawyers.com and as a “Top Attorney” by SB Magazine. He is a former member of the Shreveport City Council and served as Chairman of the City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Bar Foundation, a master of the bench of the Harry V. Booth and Judge Henry A. Politz Inn of Court, a past governor-at-large for Louisiana of the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit, and a past president of the Shreveport Bar...

Adam Young grew up in Abbeville, Louisiana and attended Tulane University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2005. Following graduation, Adam worked for law firms and companies in the Oil & Gas industry in Louisiana, gaining business law experience that he has transferred to his own practice. He has experience in bankruptcy law, in which he focuses on complex bankruptcy situations. Adam is a member of the Bankruptcy Section of the Louisiana Bar Association, as well as the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing clients in divorce and family law cases,...

Jeffrey W. Weiss attended high school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, from which he graduated with honors, and college at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, from which he received a B.A. degree in 1983, graduating magna cum laude, with honors in economics. Upon graduation from Claremont McKenna College, Jeff was admitted to Phi Beta Kappa.

Jeff obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane School of Law in 1986, from which he graduated summa cum laude. At Tulane, Jeff served as a member of the Tulane Law Review, and was admitted to the Order of the Coif honor society.

Jeff has...

Joe has been practicing law for 40 years. His practice emphasizes estate planning, trusts, successions (probate), Medicaid, VA benefits, Social Security disability appeals, asset protection planning, and general family counseling in these areas. He realizes that each client has individual circumstances that require a unique plan. He plans with the overarching goal of protecting the client’s well-being and secondarily preserving the client’s assets over the long term. Joe has given frequent seminars for the public, financial planners, and other professional groups. He has been honored to present at attorney continuing-education seminars sponsored by LSU Law Center, Tulane Law School, and...

Cliffe Laborde is licensed to practice law in Louisiana and Texas, and has more than 24 years of experience in a wide variety of business and commercial real estate transactions, and estate planning and administration matters, including:

Asset and stock purchase transactions, and other agreements (employment, non-competition, etc.) arising in connection with business acquisitions and divestitures.
Formation of corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships, including the drafting of complex shareholder, operating and partnership agreements, and the purchase and sale of ownership interests in such entities.
Negotiation and documentation of purchase, sale, financing, development and leasing transactions related to all types of commercial real...

J. Graves Theus, Jr. is a fourth-generation Louisiana lawyer with deep roots in this community. He received an LL.M. in Tax Law from Boston University School of Law in 1997, after graduating, cum laude, from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1996. He practiced in Seattle, Washington until 1999, when he joined a prestigious law firm in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was a shareholder there until 2013, when he began his private practice. Graves is certified by the Louisiana State Board of Legal Specialization as a Specialist in Tax Law, as well as Estate Planning and Administration, and is an approved title...

Nancy Jane Karam is an estate planning attorney in Shreveport. Nancy Jane can help design and customize your estate plan to meet all your needs now and prepare to take care of your loved ones in the future.

Ethan P. Arbuckle, Attorney at Law, LLC is a general practice, specializing in Probate/Succession Law, Family Law, and Criminal Defense. Our practice is committed to providing skilled, high-quality representation to all of our clients.

Ethan P. Arbuckle’s passion to help people in need is the main reason he chose a legal career. He prides himself on the longstanding relationships and loyalty his personalized service has created. Mr. Arbuckle is committed to winning your case and alleviating any stress you may have, by building a relationship with you that begins and ends with practicing open and honest communication.

Everything he does...

With extensive experience in real estate and business management, Christie Tournet & Associates is the consummate business, estate planning, and successions/probate firm. Christie views legal issues through a unique lens and becomes a trusted legal and business adviser.

The Law Office of Cougle Law, LLC is managed by David J. Cougle, Attorney at Law.

Mr. Cougle graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2003 with a B.S. in Computer Science. He then spent 1 year as a C.A.S.A., providing volunteer representation for children in troubled homes. Realizing that he could do more as a licensed attorney, Mr. Cougle decided to attend Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge from August 2005 until his graduation in May of 2008. Upon passage of the July 2008 Louisiana State Bar Examination, Mr. Cougle was sworn in as an attorney before...

We do things differently from other lawyers. We don't just give you a stack of documents. We advise and guide you to the best possible outcome for your family when you can't be there for them yourself. Our firm represents Louisiana families and individuals on matters involving estate planning, succession, probate, wills, trusts, and long-term care planning. We help you make the best planning decisions for your family and ensure that the estate plan you create with us will work when your loved ones need it most. Our team includes an expert estate planning attorney with 20+ years of experience in wills, trusts...

Author and attorney Morgan Allison earned a Juris Doctorate from the LSU Hebert Law Center in 2001. He practices family and estate law in Houma, Louisiana with his wife and law partner Elizabeth Allison. In addition to his legal skills, Mr. Allison brings extensive technological skills from years of computer software coding and forensic computer investigation to the service of his clients. Mr. Allison has served the community as a volunteer EMT/firefighter, District Chairman for the Boy Scouts of America, and currently as a member of the board of directors of the Houma Rotary Club.

Ciolino & Onstott provides high-quality, cost-effective outside general counsel services to individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in Louisiana and across the United States. We represent clients across various industries, including niche areas such as real estate, construction, entertainment, medical marijuana, and non-profit.

I was born in Lafayette, in the heart of Cajun country. My grandparents lived next door, and there was rarely a day without a visit to or from someone in the extended family. Growing up, the family indulgence was season tickets to Saints games in the fall. I played volleyball at LSU, the culmination of a childhood dream. I went to LSU law school. There I enrolled in a tax law course and discovered that I really am a numbers person, and thrived in a program that appealed to my logical brain. After graduating, I headed north to pursue a Master...

Oskar is originally from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish. He has been practicing law in the New Orleans metro area since 2005. He has a diversified background in law, engineering, finance, marketing and accounting. Oskar has a BS in International Relations and Electrical Engineering from Boston University, graduated Magna Cum Laude and as a Crowe Scholar from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and has a Master of Health Administration in Health System Management from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. During his time at Loyola, Oskar was the Managing Editor of the Loyola...

Robert T. Weimer is a partner of the firm and oversees its estate/succession litigation division. He holds in-depth experience with mental health disputes and family law matters, offering clients his expertise on complicated successions as well as conflicts among executors, legatees, and heirs. With extensive experience in family law, Robert is a reliable attorney who has successfully represented clients on numerous issues including but not limited to custody, visitation, divorce, tutorship and curatorship. Moreover, he regularly speaks at conferences related to estate matters in Louisiana. Licensed by both Texas and Louisiana Bar Associations as well as being an active member...

Gissel is originally from Puerto Rico and is fluent in Spanish. She has been practicing law in the New Orleans metro area since 2004. After working as an Assistant District Attorney for Orleans Parish and as an Associate at a local insurance defense firm, she joined her husband, Oskar Pérez, in 2011 and founded Ferriol Pérez, LLC, a Hispanic-owned, full service law firm specializing in client-focused legal representation for the local community. Gissel has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Classics from the University of Arizona, and a law degree, with a Certificate in International Law, from Loyola University School of...

I am a life-long Louisiana native admitted to practice in all Louisiana state and federal courts. For over 40 years I have handled trials and appeals on many different legal issues. Although my representation has involved many other matters, I have concentrated my current practice in the areas of bankruptcy cases (consumer and business, debtor and creditor); business law and litigation (forming, reorganizing, selling, and purchasing small businesses and handling business disputes); storm/hale damage insurance claims and litigation; successions, wills, and estate law; collections, foreclosures, and real estate litigation; and construction claims, arbitration, and litigation. Bar Admissions All Louisiana state courts U.S. District...

John P. "Johnny" Barron is a native of the Lafayette, La. area. He graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1995. He later went to Law School at Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge. where he received his MBA and Law Degree in 2011. Johnny is dedicated to the probate of estates throughout Louisiana and is licensed to appear in all Louisiana probate courts. He handles probate both large and small. He has dedicated himself to helping people efficiently and effectively navigate the Louisiana probate process. When you reach out to him, he provides you with...

Attorney Doug Bryan has been serving the local community since 1991 with individualized, experienced legal counsel. As a lifelong resident of Louisiana, he understands the needs of clients and their families. You can rely on his knowledge and compassion throughout your case, whether you were in a car accident, injured at work, want to adopt a child or were charged with a traffic offense. The Bryan Law Firm L.L.C. provides representation in a range of areas of law with a focus on personal injury and work injuries. Doug Bryan began his legal career with a personal injury law firm and...

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 Estate
Administration (Probate, Successions and Trust Administration).
Linda is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist, certified by the
Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. She is also accredited by the Veterans Administration to
give advice regarding veterans’ benefits.

Linda graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University with a double major in business
administration and history and then attended Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law
Center where she graduated with her law degree in 1997.

While in law school, Linda received the Order...

Trenton A. Grand, a native of Baton Rouge practices law in areas of consumer and commercial bankruptcy, debt reorganization, estate planning-wills and trusts, personal injury, and residential and commercial real estate transactions.

James Graham has worked as an educator in New Orleans. He then served in executive positions in real estate and education. After earning a degree from Loyola Law School, Mr. Graham sought to use his real world experience to benefit clients in his community. He is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Mr. Graham is admitted to practice before state and district courts in Louisiana.

A shining moment for Mr. Graham came when he assisted his first client to secure incorporation papers so that he could legally operate his new business in Louisiana. Another...