Prairieville practice serving Ascension Parish and the Greater Baton Rouge area, with succession and interdiction filings at the 23rd Judicial District Court in Gonzales. Handles testate and intestate Louisiana successions, interdictions and curatorships, wills, trusts, financial and medical mandates, and Medicaid planning. Initial consultations are free.
What to Do When Someone Dies in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
How probate works in East Baton Rouge Parish: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
East Baton Rouge Parish District Court
East Baton Rouge Parish · 19th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
OptionalPleadings in the 19th Judicial District Court and Family Court may be filed electronically through ClerkConnect, the same subscription system that serves the parish's online civil, probate and property records. Even when a succession is e-filed, the original will is filed in paper with the Clerk of Court.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedNew successions are filed with Suit Accounting in Room 3301 of the 19th JDC Courthouse, and filing costs are paid at the time of filing. A succession can no longer be walked through to the judge for signature; the court's staff attorney reviews it in the order received.
P.O. Box 1991
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1991
Fax
1-225-389-5594
Departments
- Suit Accounting1-225-389-3982 · Room 3301, 19th JDC Courthouse, 300 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70801Accepts new suits and later pleadings, including successions, and collects the advance deposit.
- Civil Suit Records1-225-389-3972 · Room 3310, 19th JDC Courthouse, 300 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70801Holds the civil, family and probate case records; older probate records are at City Hall and the Archives Building.
- Civil Duty Office, 19th JDC1-225-389-4935 · Suite 3602, 3rd Floor, 19th JDC Courthouse, 300 North Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70801The court's staff attorney here reviews every uncontested succession before it goes to the judge for signature.
- Airline Highway Branch Office, Suit Accounting1-225-295-4745 · 9050 Airline Highway, Suite 100, Baton Rouge, LA 70815
- Archives1-225-389-3988 · 444 St. Louis StreetIn the basement of the West River Center Parking Garage; holds records older than five years.
About the court
- Louisiana uses "succession" instead of "probate" (civil law tradition). The clerk's main office is in City Hall, but successions are filed and kept at the 19th JDC Courthouse, 300 North Boulevard.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in East Baton Rouge Parish
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In East Baton Rouge Parish, probate runs through the District Court at 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge. The court sits in the 19th Judicial District.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Louisiana intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Louisiana estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 3 monthsLa. C.C.P. arts. 3241-3249, 3301-3308; La. C.C. art. 3276Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the date of death.
What Probate Costs in East Baton Rouge Parish
What probate costs in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the District Court at 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge. The court is part of the 19th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: A new succession requires a $520.00 advance deposit.
The District Court charges $300 - $400 (based on estate value)La. R.S. 13:841; La. CCP Art. 3421-3422; Acts 2026, No. 293, §1 (HB 215); Acts 2024, No. 90, §1 (SB 32)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Louisiana are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Louisiana sets executor compensation at 2.5% of the estate by statuteLa. C.C.P. art. 3351 (2.5% of inventory default; court may increase if inadequate)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under La. C.C.P. arts. 3151 (administrator security, 1.25x inventory), 3153 (testator-named executor), 3154-3155 (forced heirs, spouse or creditor may compel), 3396.14 (independent administrator)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Louisiana typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the District Court
Probate documents in East Baton Rouge Parish can be filed in person at the District Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available. The court sits in the 19th Judicial District.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Suit Accounting, Civil Suit Records, Civil Duty Office, 19th JDC, and Airline Highway Branch Office, Suit Accounting.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Louisiana has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the East Baton Rouge Parish Self-Filing Assessment.
East Baton Rouge Parish Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Document Requirements
The original will is filed in paper with the Clerk of Court, even when the succession itself is e-filed.
The staff attorney requests the record from the clerk when an original will is filed. The clerk also keeps the paper original of promissory notes and foreign judgments.
SourceRecords Access
Probate proceedings are the sole case type that the civil suit records department still maintains as paper files.
Since October 1, 2020, the civil suit records department keeps no paper files except for probate proceedings.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the District Court: Proof of the decedent’s death and of the heirs’ relationship — EITHER an official certificate issued by the proper public officer (a certified death certificate) OR an affidavit executed by two persons having knowledge of the facts, filed in the record of the succession proceeding (CCP arts. 2821-2822). The affidavit route — the customary "Affidavit of Death, Domicile and Heirship" — is what Louisiana practice actually files; no article requires a death certificateLa. Code Civ. Proc. arts. 2811, 3001-3198 (succession opening, appointment, letters); arts. 3396-3396.20 (independent administration)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish
In Louisiana a death is registered locally, and in East Baton Rouge Parish certified copies of the death certificate are issued by East Baton Rouge Parish Health Unit as well as by Louisiana Department of Health - Vital Records Registry.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
East Baton Rouge Parish · East Baton Rouge Parish Health Unit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
353 North 12th Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Website
Also issued by
The county recorder
Fax
1-225-342-5821
Local rule
- By law the health unit's local registrar can issue a death certificate only in the ten days after it is filed. The Clerk of Court also issues death certificates at its downtown City Hall location, walk-in only, for deaths from June 2012 on.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $7 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
East Baton Rouge Parish · East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
4030 T. B. Herndon Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70807
Website
Mail and offices
Fax
1-225-389-3447
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in East Baton Rouge Parish
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Clerk of Court.
Deeds and other real property documents for East Baton Rouge Parish are recorded with the Clerk of Court at 222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Phone: 1-225-389-3985. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to Attn: Recording Department, 1st Floor, P.O. Box 1991, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1991.
The Clerk of Court charges $100 for 1-5 pages, $200 for 6-25 pages, $300 for 26-50 pages, $300 plus $5 for each page beyond 50.
East Baton Rouge Parish accepts electronic recording through ClerkConnect.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Court
East Baton Rouge Parish
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
222 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Website
E-recording
available via ClerkConnect
Attn: Recording Department
1st Floor
P.O. Box 1991
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1991
Fax
1-225-389-5594
Recording fees
| 1-5 pages | $100 |
| 6-25 pages | $200 |
| 26-50 pages | $300 |
| 51+ pages | $300 |
| Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal feeRequired with most deeds | $5 |
La. R.S. 13:844(A)(1)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving East Baton Rouge Parish
Louisiana allows independent administrationLa. C.C.P. art. 3396.2Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Louisiana are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an East Baton Rouge Parish firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the District Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Baton Rouge practice of managing attorney Siobhan Leger, handling testate and intestate Louisiana successions. Work covers small succession affidavits, federally taxable estate administrations, ancillary probates, trust administration, contested succession litigation, and tutorship and interdiction proceedings. Consultations are free for most matters, excluding Medicaid consultations.
Baton Rouge family law and estate firm founded in 2022 by Deanna C. Johnson, serving East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston and ten other nearby parishes. It handles successions from the petition and appointment of the representative through inventory, debts and division of property, and drafts wills, trusts and powers of attorney. Estate planning case evaluations are complimentary.
Baton Rouge estate planning firm that opens and administers successions in East Baton Rouge Parish and helps trustees administer trusts. Handles will contests, capacity and undue influence claims, heirship disputes, breach of fiduciary duty by succession representatives, and trust litigation. Founded by Myrna Arroyo in 2002; offers a free 15-minute consultation call.
Represents families in Baton Rouge, where East Baton Rouge Parish successions are filed in the 19th Judicial District Court, and in West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Jefferson, Orleans, Caddo and Ouachita parishes. Opens and administers successions, including small succession affidavits, and handles probate litigation. Attorneys on staff hold LLM degrees in tax law.
Baton Rouge firm on St. Ferdinand Street serving residents of East Baton Rouge Parish. Handles Louisiana succession and probate matters and drafts wills, living wills, trust agreements, durable and medical powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. The firm has served the Baton Rouge area since 1984 alongside its criminal defense and personal injury practice.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- La. C.C.P. art. 3351 (2.5% of inventory default; court may increase if inadequate)
- La. C.C.P. art. 3396.2
- La. C.C.P. arts. 3241-3249, 3301-3308; La. C.C. art. 3276
- La. Code Civ. Proc. arts. 2811, 3001-3198 (succession opening, appointment, letters); arts. 3396-3396.20 (independent administration)
- La. R.S. 13:841; La. CCP Art. 3421-3422; Acts 2026, No. 293, §1 (HB 215); Acts 2024, No. 90, §1 (SB 32)
- La. R.S. 13:844(A)(1)
- East Baton Rouge Parish District Court, official page
- East Baton Rouge Parish Clerk of Court, official page
- East Baton Rouge Parish vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Louisiana statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Louisiana
Free tools for settling an estate in Louisiana: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Louisiana.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Louisiana: creditors have 3 monthsLa. C.C.P. arts. 3241-3249, 3301-3308; La. C.C. art. 3276Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 3 months to 6 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Louisiana happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteLa. R.S. 9:1721 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Louisiana has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
Get the Answer
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