§314. Trust deposits; death of depositor; payment

A. Upon the death of a depositor who has deposited a sum in any bank account evidencing an intention that upon the death of the depositor, the funds shall belong to one or more named beneficiaries of the depositor, the bank may pay the deposit, together with the dividends or interest accruing thereto, to the named beneficiaries for whom the deposit was made. The depositor shall give to the depository bank an affidavit in authentic form or an act under private signature executed in the presence of an officer or a branch manager of the depository bank and two additional persons, stating the names of one or more beneficiaries. The bank may conclusively rely on this affidavit or act for the disbursal of funds. Upon receiving a death certificate, the bank may disburse funds to the named beneficiaries.

B. The title of such an account must include the terms "in trust for", "as trustee for", or "payable on death to", such beneficiary or beneficiaries. Such beneficiaries must be specifically named in the deposit account records of the bank.

C. Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 499, §2.

D.(1) When an account described in Subsection A of this Section is established by more than one depositor, the respective interests of each depositor shall be deemed equal to that of each other depositor, unless otherwise stated in the bank's deposit account records.

(2) When an account described in Subsection A of this Section is established for more than one beneficiary, the respective interests of each shall be deemed equal to that of each other beneficiary, unless otherwise stated in the bank's deposit account records.

E. No bank paying a beneficiary in accordance with this Section shall be liable to the estate or any heir of the decedent nor shall the account holder be liable for any estate, inheritance, or succession taxes which may be due the state, and delivery of the funds shall constitute a full and complete discharge of the bank for the payment or delivery so made and shall relieve the bank from all adverse claims thereto by a person claiming as a surviving or former spouse or a successor to such a spouse. No tax collector, creditor, heir, legatee, personal representative, or any other person shall have any right or cause of action against the financial institution on account of such payment, and R.S. 47:2410 shall not apply to such cases.

F. The provisions of this Section shall apply notwithstanding the fact the decedent designates a beneficiary by last will and testament. The provisions of this Section shall not prohibit any right of forced heirship or the collation or collection of funds due any spouse, heir, legatee, creditor, or other person having rights or claims to funds of the deceased depositor.

Acts 1984, No. 719, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1985; Acts 1991, No. 535, §1; Acts 1999, No. 633, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 2009, No. 499, §§1 and 2; Acts 2016, No. 166, §1.