Legal Definitions - forced heir

A forced heir is a person who, according to the law, cannot be disinherited by the testator or donor. In Louisiana, only descendants are considered forced heirs. This means that a portion of the estate must be reserved for them, regardless of the testator's wishes.

For example, if a person in Louisiana has three children and wants to leave everything to one child, they cannot completely disinherit the other two. The law requires that a portion of the estate be reserved for them as forced heirs.

This concept is unique to civil law jurisdictions and is different from common law jurisdictions, where a person has more freedom to distribute their property as they wish.