What to Expect from a Louisiana Bankruptcy Trustee
The Role of a Louisiana Bankruptcy Trustee
The Louisiana bankruptcy court system is divided into the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts. The Louisiana bankruptcy trustee is assigned automatically upon filing for bankruptcy, and the primary role of the Louisiana bankruptcy trustee is to oversee the administration of your case, whether it’s a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filing.
Bankruptcy trustees don’t represent you—they represent the bankruptcy estate, which includes everything you own. Their primary role is to protect those assets, scrutinize your financial disclosures, and, if any assets aren’t exempt (i.e., not legally shielded), sell them off to repay your creditors (liquidation).
The trustee’s role is to separate exempt assets (which you keep) from non-exempt assets (which can be sold). In Chapter 7, the trustee may liquidate your non-exempt property and use the proceeds to pay your creditors.
In Chapter 13, the trustee acts more like a payment processor, collecting your monthly plan payments and distributing them to creditors according to the court-approved schedule.
The 341 Meeting is a key part of the trustee’s job. The trustee conducts the 341 Meeting of Creditors, which typically occurs a few weeks after you file. Here, you meet with the trustee and answer questions under oath about your financial situation. Creditors may attend, but they rarely do.
Trustees are also empowered to investigate any potential fraud or improper financial transactions, such as payments made to a family member shortly before filing. If they suspect foul play, they can take legal action to recover assets and protect the integrity of the bankruptcy estate.
It’s important to distinguish the bankruptcy trustee, a private individual administering your case, from the Office of the U.S. Trustee, a Department of Justice entity that supervises bankruptcy trustees to ensure compliance with their obligations.
Trustees in the Eastern District of Louisiana
Wilbur J. Babin, Jr.
3027 Ridgelake Drive
Metairie, LA 70002
E-mail: Babin@derbeslaw.com
Phone: (504) 834-1230
Greta Brouphy
650 Poydras St., Suite 2500
New Orleans, LA 70130
E-mail: gbrouphytrustee@hellerdraper.com
Phone: (504) 299-3351
Barbara N. Rivera-Fulton
P.O. Box 19980
New Orleans, LA 70179
E-mail: barbararfulton2015@gmail.com
Phone: (504) 402-1220
Fax: (504) 569-0041
Middle District of Louisiana
Samera L. Abide
525 JEAN LAFITTE AVENUE
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
E-mail: slabide@abide-law.com
Phone: (225) 923-1404
Dwayne M. Murray
One American Place
301 Main Street, Suite 810
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
E-mail: dmm@murraylaw.net
Phone: (225)925-1110
Martin A. Schott
7922 Wrenwood Blvd. Suite B
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
E-mail: martin@schottlawfirm.com
Phone: (225)928-9292
Western District of Louisiana
John C. Conine
1150 Miller Farm Road
Natchitoches, LA 71457 -5322
E-mail: coninejc@gmail.com
Phone: (318)354-8413
Fax: 1-866-887-7413
John W. Luster
P.O. Box 488
Natchitoches, LA 71458 -0488
E-mail: luster_j@bellsouth.net
Phone: (318)352-3602
Lucy Sikes
P. O. Box 52545
Lafayette, LA 70505 -2545
E-mail: lucygsikes1@gmail.com
Phone: (337) 366-0214
Fax: (337) 628-1319
Mark K. Sutton
P.O. Box 2239
Natchitoches, LA 71457
E-mail: mksutton@cp-tel.net
Phone: (318)352-6267
Thomas R. Willson
1330 Jackson Street
Alexandria, LA 71301
E-mail: Rocky@rockywillsonlaw.com
Phone: (318)442-8658
Chapter 13 Trustees in the Eastern District of Louisiana
Sterling J. Beaulieu, Jr.
433 Metairie Road, Suite 307
Metairie, LA 70005
E-mail: sjb@ch13no.com
Phone: (504) 831-1313
Middle District of Louisiana
Annette C. Crawford
8778 Goodwood Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70896
P.O. Box 64868
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
E-mail: acclsu@annettecrawford.com
Phone: (225)928-2531
Western District of Louisiana
Dinorah Gonzalez
209 Pecan Park Avenue #C
Alexandria, LA 71303
E-mail: dgonzalez@ch13alex.com
Phone: (318) 448-1306
E. Eugene Hastings
P.O. Box 14839
Monroe, LA 71207
E-mail: ghastings@ch13monroe.com
Phone: (318)651-7733
Fax: (318)651-7742
Keith A. Rodriguez
700 St. John Street, Suite 201
Lafayette, LA 70502 -3445
P.O. Box 3445
Lafayette, LA 70501
E-mail: krodriguez@keithrodriguez.com
Phone: (337)233-4413
Daryl Smith
229 Milam Street, 2nd Floor
Shreveport, LA 71101
Phone: (318) 673-8244
Information on the Louisiana bankruptcy courts can be found via this link.
You can learn more about filing for bankruptcy and the bankruptcy petition via this link. Information on the bankruptcy court system, contact information for trustees, and your state’s exemptions can be found here. The federal bankruptcy exemptions are listed here. The latest version of the 341 Meeting of the Creditors can be found here.
Colleges and universities can purchase my bankruptcy law textbook directly from Routledge Publishing. Paralegals and students who are buying single copies can do so via Amazon Books. To access my YouTube channel, click this link. You can also listen to my podcast on Spotify.
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Please note that the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only.