Credit unions may pay up to $10,000 to a surviving spouse, or to major children if there is no surviving spouse, without court proceedings if an affidavit is provided.
§1514. Credit unions; payment to surviving spouse without court proceedings A.(1) Any credit union in Louisiana may pay to the surviving spouse the value of any shares standing in the name of the decedent in the credit union not in excess of ten thousand dollars without any court proceedings, order or judgment authorizing the same and without determining whether the shares belong to the separate estate of decedent or to the community which existed between the decedent and the surviving spouse. The surviving spouse shall give to the paying depository an affidavit that the total funds withdrawn do not exceed ten thousand dollars from all depositories. (2) The receipt of the surviving spouse for the payment shall constitute a full release and discharge of the credit union for the amount paid. No person, natural or juridical, shall have any right or cause of action against a credit union because of the payment. (3) In the event such deceased member of the credit union leaves no surviving spouse, the credit union may pay the balance in the deceased member's share account to the major children of the deceased upon presentment of an affidavit that the total funds withdrawn do not exceed ten thousand dollars from all depositories. (4) The receipt of a major child of the deceased member for the payment shall constitute a full release and discharge of the credit union for the amount paid. No person, natural or juridical, shall have any right or cause of action against a credit union because of the payment. B.(1) Any credit union may pay to the surviving spouse of a depositor a sum not to exceed ten thousand dollars out of the deposits of a decedent or out of deposits of the community between the survivor and the decedent, deposited in the name of decedent or of the survivor or in the name of the decedent jointly with the survivor or otherwise, without any court proceedings, order or judgment authorizing the same. The surviving spouse shall give the paying depository an affidavit that the total funds withdrawn do not exceed ten thousand dollars from all depositories. (2) The receipt of the surviving spouse to whom payment is made is a full release and discharge of the payor credit union for the amount paid, and no tax collector, creditor, heir, personal representative, or any other person shall have any right or cause of action against any credit union on account of the payment. C. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section or any other provision of law, the provisions of R.S. 6:664 shall establish the exclusive method for payment of funds from a multiple party account. Acts 1964, No. 166, §1. Amended by Acts 1966, No. 235, §2; Acts 1974, No. 20, §1; Acts 1978, No. 153, §1; Acts 1984, No. 54, §1; Acts 1995, No. 293, §2; Acts 2010, No. 175, §2.