111 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, Louisiana, 70448
Practice Areas : Estate Planning
245 Pontchartrain Drive, Slidell, Louisiana, 70458
Practice Areas : Business Law
245 Pontchartrain Drive, Slidell, Louisiana, 70458
Practice Areas : Business Law
400 Convention Street, Suite 700, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802
Practice Areas : Business Law
400 Convention Street, Suite 700, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802
Practice Areas : Business Law
1795 W. Causeway Approach, Mandeville, Louisiana, 70471
Practice Areas : Business Law
909 Poydras Street, Suite 3600, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112
Practice Areas : Asbestos & Mesothelioma
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Real estate attorneys handle the ownership and transfer of property: purchase and sale contracts, title problems, closings, easements and boundary disputes, zoning and land use applications, commercial leases, construction and development agreements, and litigation over all of it.
In some states an attorney is required at a residential closing; in others the work is done by a title company and a lawyer appears only when something goes wrong. Commercial deals almost always involve counsel on both sides.
Before you hire
- Bring the contract before you sign it, not after. Most of what a real estate lawyer can fix cheaply is fixable only at the drafting stage.
- For a purchase, ask what the flat fee covers: contract review, title review, closing attendance, or all three.
- For disputes — boundaries, undisclosed defects, easements, HOA fights — ask about experience in the county where the property sits. Land records and local practice vary.
Landlord-tenant, construction, foreclosure defence and municipal land use matters have their own categories in this directory.
Real Estate Law: frequently asked questions
What are squatters' rights?
“Squatters' rights” usually refers to adverse possession — a legal doctrine that can let someone who openly occupies another's land for a long statutory period, often 10 to 20 years, become its legal owner. Separately, squatters in a home cannot simply be thrown out by the owner; in most states removal requires a legal process.
What is a lien on a property?
A lien is a legal claim against a property that secures a debt. It gives the creditor the right to be paid from the property — through foreclosure or when it is sold or refinanced — if the debt is not paid. Common liens include mortgages, tax liens, contractors' mechanic's liens and court judgment liens.
What is a quitclaim deed?
A quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest the signer has in a property — if any — without promising that the title is valid or free of liens. It is quick and cheap, and is commonly used between family members, spouses in a divorce, or to put property into a trust, but it offers the buyer no protection.
What is an easement?
An easement is a legal right to use someone else's land for a specific purpose without owning it — for example, a driveway across a neighbor's lot, utility lines, or a path to the beach. Most easements run with the land, so they bind future owners of the property and benefit future owners of the land they serve.
What is eminent domain?
Eminent domain is the government's power to take private property for public use, as long as it pays the owner just compensation. The Fifth Amendment allows it for projects such as roads, schools, pipelines and utilities. Owners cannot usually stop a lawful taking, but they can challenge it and fight for a higher payment.
What is escrow?
Escrow is an arrangement in which a neutral third party holds money or documents until the conditions of a deal are met. In a home purchase, the escrow agent holds the buyer's deposit and funds and the seller's deed until closing. After closing, a mortgage escrow account collects property taxes and insurance with each payment.
What is real estate law?
Real estate law governs land and anything permanently attached to it: how property is bought, sold, financed, leased, used and passed on. It covers deeds and titles, purchase contracts, mortgages and foreclosure, landlord-tenant relations, zoning and land use, easements, boundary disputes and homeowners' associations. It is mainly state and local law.
What is title insurance?
Title insurance protects a property owner or lender against financial loss from defects in the title that existed before the purchase — such as forged deeds, unknown liens, errors in public records or undisclosed heirs. It is paid once at closing. A lender's policy protects the bank; an owner's policy protects the buyer.