What to Do When Someone Dies in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Probate in Lafourche Parish runs through the District Court: prove the will, settle the debts, and pass the house to the heirs. Here is how the local process works—and what each step actually costs.
When someone dies in Lafourche Parish, settling their estate runs through the District Court. This page covers the court record, whether probate is required, what it costs, how to file, transferring property, and the local attorneys who handle probate here.
Louisiana uses "succession" instead of "probate" (civil law tradition). Mailing address: P.O. Box 818, Thibodaux, LA 70302. Toll-free: 866-447-4841. Main office moved to 303 W. 3rd St. (main entrance now on the Maronge St. side). Branch offices: Lockport (710 Church Street, Lockport, LA; 985-532-7361; open Tue/Thu) and Galliano branch (16241 E Main St., Cut Off, LA 70345; 985-632-8111; open Mon/Wed/Fri). All recording and document processing is performed at the main Thibodaux office.
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 Lafourche Parish, probate runs through the District Court at 303 W. 3rd Street, Thibodaux. The court sits in the 17th 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. The 3 monthsLa. C.C.P. art. 3302Verified Sep 8, 2026View source creditor claim window is the largest fixed piece of that timeline — a mandatory wait regardless of how simple the estate is.
What Probate Costs in Lafourche Parish
What probate costs in Lafourche 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 303 W. 3rd Street, Thibodaux. The court is part of the 17th Judicial District.
Local procedures at this court that affect cost: Succession advance deposit required at filing. These are county-specific and not posted on the statewide court site.
Louisiana 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 Sep 8, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
The District Court accepts e-filing (https://eclerksla.com/). Paper filing remains available for self-represented filers.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Louisiana are negotiated, typically 1.9%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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Executor compensation is set by statute at 2.5%La. C.C.P. art. 3351 (2.5% of inventory default; court may increase if inadequate)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. 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%La. C.C.P. arts. 3151 (administrator security, 1.25x inventory), 3153 (testator-named executor not required to furnish security), 3154-3155 (forced heirs, surviving spouse, or creditor may compel), 3396.14 (independent administrator not required to provide security)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 Lafourche 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 17th Judicial District.
How to File Your Documents
Paper Filing Available
You can file your probate documents in person at the court or by mail.
E-Filing Also Available
If you prefer, you can file electronically through the state's online system. This is optional for families filing without an attorney.
Not every estate requires an attorney. Estate size, asset types, and whether beneficiaries agree determine if self-filing at the District Court is realistic.
To file at the District Court you need: the original will (or proof there isn't one), a certified death certificate, contact information for all heirs and beneficiaries, and a summary of what the estate owns and owes.
Transferring Property in Lafourche 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 Lafourche Parish are recorded with the Clerk of Court, led by Annette M. Fontana, at 303 W. 3rd Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301. Phone: 985-447-4841. Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 818, Thibodaux, LA 70302.
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.
Lafourche Parish accepts electronic recording through eClerksLA.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Court
Lafourche Parish · Annette M. Fontana
Address
303 W. 3rd StreetThibodaux, LA 70301Mailing: P.O. Box 818, Thibodaux, LA 70302
Louisiana uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Lafourche Parish — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Louisiana are based on reasonable compensation — typically 1.9%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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate's value, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Lafourche 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.
Serves Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes from the Lockport Town Hall office, helping families open and settle successions. Ann Mallett Barker, in practice more than 30 years, opens testate and intestate successions, puts heirs into possession, and handles related estate administration. Offers a free initial consultation.
Damon J. Baldone is a lifelong resident of Houma with over 30 years of legal experience. The firm handles succession proceedings, estate administration, and estate planning for families in Terrebonne Parish and surrounding areas.
John E. Sirois, JD, MBA, CFP, has served Louisiana families since 1996 with estate planning, successions and probate, wills, trusts, special needs planning, Medicaid and long-term care planning. He has been quoted in the Times Picayune, New Orleans City Business, and the Houma Courier.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawSpecial Needs Planningand 2 more
Houma firm a block from the courthouse, serving Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes and the surrounding bayou region. Guides families through the Louisiana succession process after a death — opening the succession, carrying out the decedent's wishes, and placing heirs in possession of property. Attorney Danna E. Schwab handles successions alongside family law.
Houma firm serving the bayou region with succession filings at both the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse (32nd Judicial District) and Lafourche Parish Courthouse (17th Judicial District). Offers reasonable rates on estate planning services.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbatePowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
Office
1750 Martin Luther King Blvd, Suite 109-265Houma, LA 70360
Handles successions, estates, and probate matters throughout Orleans Parish and surrounding Louisiana parishes including Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. John the Baptist, Lafourche, and Terrebonne parishes.
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.
Living trust assets, and accounts with a named beneficiary or surviving joint owner. These skip probate; some states charge the court fee only on what remains.
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Lafourche Parish Guides
Step-by-step tools for families in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.
