Lockport attorney in the Lockport Town Hall whose practice is limited to successions, estate administration and probate in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. Ann Mallett Barker, practicing since 1984, opens successions whether or not the deceased left a will, makes the court filings and puts the heirs into legal possession of estate property. She offers a free initial consultation.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
How probate works in Lafourche Parish: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Lafourche Parish District Court
Lafourche Parish · 17th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
303 West 3rd Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
OptionalCivil e-filing and e-recording run through the clerk's public portals and the eClerksLA statewide portal once a filer creates an account.
P.O. Box 818
Thibodaux, LA 70302
Fax
1-985-447-5800
Departments
- Toll-free1-866-447-4841
- Lockport Office1-985-532-7361 · Lockport Civic Complex, 710 Church Street, Lockport, LA 70374 · Tuesday, Thursday 8:30 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:30 PMAll recording and document processing is done at the Thibodaux office.
- Galliano Office1-985-632-8111 · Lafourche Parish Government Building, 16241 East Main Street, Cut Off, LA 70345 · Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:30 PMAll recording and document processing is done at the Thibodaux office.
About the court
- Louisiana uses "succession" instead of "probate" (civil law tradition). The main office is in the Lafourche Parish Courthouse Annex in Thibodaux, with its entrance on the Maronge Street side, and every civil filing is handled there.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Lafourche 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 Lafourche Parish, probate runs through the District Court at 303 West 3rd Street, Thibodaux. The court sits in the 17th Judicial District. Lafourche Parish runs probate e-filing through eclerksla.com, one of at least 8 Louisiana counties on that system.
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 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 West 3rd Street, Thibodaux. The court is part of the 17th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Succession advance deposit required at filing.
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 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.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Toll-free, Lockport Office, and Galliano Office.
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 Lafourche Parish Self-Filing Assessment.
What 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 Lafourche Parish
In Louisiana a death is registered locally, and in Lafourche Parish certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Lafourche Parish (Thibodaux) Health Unit as well as by Louisiana Department of Health - Vital Records Registry.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Lafourche Parish · Lafourche Parish (Thibodaux) Health Unit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
2535 Veterans Boulevard, Thibodaux, LA 70301
Website
Also issued by
The county recorder
Fax
1-985-447-0897
Local rule
- By law the local registrar at this unit or at Cut Off can issue a death certificate only in the ten days after it is filed. The Clerk of Court also issues death certificates at Thibodaux, for deaths from July 2012 on, usually within 90 days of the death.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $7 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Lafourche Parish · Lafourche Parish Coroner
Mail and offices
P.O. Box 1562
Raceland, LA 70394
Fax
1-985-537-3021
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
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 at 303 West 3rd Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301. Phone: 1-985-447-4841. 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 ClerkConnect.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Court
Lafourche Parish
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
303 West 3rd Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301
Website
E-recording
P.O. Box 818
Thibodaux, LA 70302
Fax
1-985-447-5800
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 Lafourche 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 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.
Houma practice of Damon J. Baldone, a lifelong Houma resident with over 30 years of law practice, serving Terrebonne Parish, with a second office in Metairie. Opens succession proceedings and handles estate administration, from transferring property titles and accessing bank accounts to paying funeral expenses, taxes and debts and completing the required accounting.
Practices from Metairie and handles successions in Orleans, St. Tammany, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. John and Terrebonne parishes. Represents heirs and succession representatives in successions with and without administration, probate of wills and small successions, and litigates will contests and representative removals. Also answers Medicaid estate recovery claims.
Slidell solo practice of D. Bruce Cameron, with more than 20 years of succession and estate administration work in St. Tammany Parish and along the Northshore. Represents heirs, beneficiaries and executors from identifying assets and paying creditors to distribution, and in estate disputes over undue influence, incapacity and fraud. Evening and weekend appointments are available.
Shreveport attorney Carl H. Franklin has handled successions and probate for over 39 years, for clients in Caddo, Bossier, Webster, De Soto, Lincoln, Rapides and other parishes. Handles testate and intestate successions, from inventorying property and creditor notices to transferring titles, and works with out-of-state executors remotely. He offers a free phone consultation.
Baton Rouge firm serving clients throughout Louisiana, including out-of-state heirs with Louisiana property. Handles uncontested, contested, ancillary and corrective successions, trust administration, interdictions, succession litigation and appeals. Morgan Field has represented succession clients before the Louisiana Supreme Court; flat fees are available for many uncontested matters.
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)
- Lafourche Parish District Court, official page
- Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court, official page
- Lafourche 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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