What to Do After a Death in Orleans Parish, Louisiana
The first weeks after losing someone involve time-sensitive tasks. Here's what to prioritize and what can wait.
The weeks after a death in Orleans Parish come with urgent responsibilities. Securing the property and ordering death certificates are the first priorities, followed by contacting the Civil District Court about whether probate is needed.
Death certificates are typically the first requirement—banks, insurance companies, and the Civil District Court all require certified copies. You can often find ordering information through Orleans Parish vital records, though many families order extra copies during the initial filing to avoid delays later.
1. Order Death Certificates
Calculate the number of death certificates you'll need for banks, courts, and insurers:
2. Estate Settlement Checklist
Track your progress through the probate process:
Louisiana requires publishing a notice to creditors in a local newspaper. Creditors then have 3 monthsLa. C.C.P. art. 3302Verified May 7, 2026 to file claims against the estate.
Start by securing the deceased's property—collect mail, lock up valuables, and document everything. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report the death and stop benefit payments before overpayments create a debt the estate must repay.
Reach out to each financial institution to lock down accounts. Banks and credit card companies need to know about the death to prevent unauthorized access.
When you're ready to start the probate process, contact the Civil District Court at 504-407-0000 to confirm what documents you'll need. You can file in person or by mail—families handling probate themselves don't need to use e-filing.
Submit life insurance claims as soon as you identify the policies. These payouts go directly to named beneficiaries outside of probate and are often available within weeks.
Straightforward estates can often be handled without an attorney. But disputes, will contests, or assets like business interests and multi-state real estate usually warrant professional help.
Expect attorney fees of 2%La. C.C.P. art. 3351.1 (limits dual-role compensation; attorney fees reasonable per court discretion)Verified May 7, 2026 to 4%La. C.C.P. art. 3351.1 (limits dual-role compensation; attorney fees reasonable per court discretion)Verified May 7, 2026 of estate value in Louisiana. For simple estates without disputes, many New Orleans firms offer flat-fee alternatives.
Professional help is especially worthwhile when the estate triggers Louisiana estate tax requirements, involves procedures the executor hasn't navigated before, or raises liability concerns.
Legal Sources
- La. C.C.P. art. 3302
- La. C.C.P. art. 3351.1 (limits dual-role compensation; attorney fees reasonable per court discretion)
Data sourced from Louisiana statutes and official state code. How we research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before anything court-related, handle three things: get the doctor or coroner to sign the death certificate, secure the home and any valuables, and locate the will. Only then does probate planning make sense.
Plan on 8–12 certified copies. Each financial institution, title company, insurer, and the Orleans Parish probate court will ask for an original. Ordering too few is the most common delay families run into. Use the Louisiana death certificate calculator for a personalized count.
Louisiana does not set a strict filing deadline for opening probate, but delay has costs: the creditor claim period is 3 months, assets stay frozen until probate opens, and some banks refuse to act without letters. Most families file within 30–60 days.
Funeral homes typically report the death to Social Security. Bank and brokerage notifications are on the executor — accounts freeze on notification, so timing matters. The Louisiana estate settlement checklist walks through the order.
Yes. A revocable living trust keeps the estate out of Orleans Parish probate entirely — no filing, no hearings, no public record. Families who plan ahead settle in weeks instead of months. Create a revocable trust online before the next generation has to go through what you're handling now.
Civil District Court
Orleans Parish
421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone:
504-407-0000Fax:
504-592-9128
Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Paper Filing Available
E-Filing Optional
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
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