Alexandria firm with offices in Lafayette, Shreveport and Monroe that administers small and large successions across Louisiana. Handles opening the succession, the detailed descriptive list, creditor claims, tax returns and the judgment of possession, and contests or defends wills and fiduciary acts. J. Graves Theus, Jr. is board certified in tax law and in estate planning and administration.
Shreveport is in Caddo Parish.
Probate in Caddo Parish
Probate Court Record
Caddo Parish District Court
Caddo Parish · 1st Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
501 Texas Street, Room 103, Shreveport, LA 71101
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Caddo Parish →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Caddo Parish? →Settling an estate in Caddo 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.
Get Started
Free
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.
Get Started
Free
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Get Started
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.
Get Started
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.
Calculate Costs
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.
Calculate Costs
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.
Get the Answer
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.
Get the Answer