Probate in Lafayette Parish

Probate Court Record

Lafayette Parish District Court

Lafayette Parish · 15th Judicial District

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

Office

800 South Buchanan Street, Lafayette, LA 70501

E-filing

Self-represented filing

Allowed

How to file probate in Lafayette Parish →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Lafayette Parish? →Settling an estate in Lafayette Parish →

Asset Protection Firms Serving Lafayette Parish

Houma attorney with a Metairie office by appointment, handling successions in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, Orleans and every other Louisiana parish. Handles administered successions, simple possessions, small-succession affidavits, successions for relatives who died years ago, and ancillary probate for out-of-state owners of Louisiana real estate. John E. Sirois is also a CFP.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateElder LawSpecial Needs PlanningAsset Protection+2

Baton Rouge elder law firm, in practice since 1976, serving the Baton Rouge, Denham Springs and Gonzales areas and clients across Louisiana. It handles succession administration, including locating heirs, valuing assets and managing creditor claims, alongside wills, trusts, special needs trusts and Medicaid planning. Founder Peter J. Losavio, Jr. is a Certified Elder Law Attorney.

Since 1976Serves the whole stateFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax PlanningSpecial Needs Planning+2

All 3 Louisiana asset protection firms serving Lafayette Parish →

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Louisiana

Free forms for planning your estate in Louisiana: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Louisiana.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Pour-Over Will

In Louisiana, a pour-over will is signed before 2La. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and a notaryLa. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

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Free

Last Will and Testament

In Louisiana, a will is signed before 2La. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and a notaryLa. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyLa. C.C. Art. 1576Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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All Louisiana forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Louisiana

Free tools for planning your estate in Louisiana: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Louisiana.

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Louisiana, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.9%Modeled estimate under La. C.C.P. arts. 3301, 3303 (attorney fees are an administration expense — La. Civ. Code art. 1415 — payable only on court authorization); art. 3351.1 (dual-role limit): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%Modeled estimate under La. C.C.P. arts. 3301, 3303 (attorney fees are an administration expense — La. Civ. Code art. 1415 — payable only on court authorization); art. 3351.1 (dual-role limit): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Louisiana runs $2,470Estimate: 10 hours at $247, Clio's Louisiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $3,705Estimate: 15 hours at $247, Clio's Louisiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Louisiana does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 3 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Louisiana automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceLa. C.C. art. 1608(5); La. R.S. 9:2449.1; La. R.S. 22:911.1; La. R.S. 9:2449Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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All Louisiana tools