Probate in Orleans Parish runs through the Civil 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 Orleans Parish, settling their estate runs through the Civil 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.
Probate Court Record
Orleans Parish · Orleans Parish Civil District
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Phone
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Louisiana uses "succession" instead of "probate" (civil law tradition). Orleans Parish has its own court system separate from the 41 other judicial districts. All successions, tutorships, interdictions, and emancipations are handled by the Clerk of Civil District Court. Civil Division office: 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402; after-hours filing available via an on-call employee 5:00 PM to midnight. Judgment of Possession recording deadlines are governed by Louisiana statute.
Verified July 3, 2026 · Source
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 Orleans Parish, probate runs through the Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans. The court sits in the Orleans Parish Civil 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 Orleans 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 Civil District Court at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans. The court is part of the Orleans Parish Civil District.
Local procedures at this court that affect cost: Non-refundable filing fees are set by the Court sitting En Banc; In Forma Pauperis is available. These are county-specific and not posted on the statewide court site.
The Civil 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 Sep 8, 2026View source to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
The Civil District Court accepts e-filing. 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.
Probate documents in Orleans Parish can be filed in person at the Civil District Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available. The court sits in the Orleans Parish Civil District.
How to File Your Documents
You can file your probate documents in person at the court or by mail.
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 Civil District Court is realistic.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Orleans Parish Self-Filing Assessment.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Successions are filed at Docket 1 (Successions Department).
All succession matters in Orleans Parish are filed in the Civil Division under Docket 1, the Successions Department, on the 4th floor at 421 Loyola Avenue.
SourceSuccession petitions use a numbered standardized-form system.
The Civil District Court provides standardized numbered succession forms (Form 1 and following) for download; the consolidated packet is published as the All Succession Forms PDF.
SourceBefore You Go
You can file in person without an appointment. Successions are filed in person at the Successions Department (Docket 1), Room 402, during business hours; after-hours filing is available via an on-call employee from 5:00 PM to midnight. No appointment required.
To file at the Civil 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.
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 Civil District Court, Land Records Division.
Deeds and other real property documents for Orleans Parish are recorded with the Clerk of Civil District Court, Land Records Division, led by Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Recorder Chelsey Richard Napoleon, at 1340 Poydras Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112. Phone: 504-407-0005. Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
The Clerk of Civil District Court, Land Records Division charges $100 for 1-5 pages, $200 for 6-25 pages, $300 for 26-50 pages, $300 plus $5 for each page beyond 50.
Orleans Parish does not offer e-recording.
Recording Office Record
Orleans Parish · Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Recorder · Chelsey Richard Napoleon
Address
Phone
Fax
Hours
E-recording
Recording fees
| 1-5 pages | $100 |
| 6-25 pages | $200 |
| 26-50 pages | $300 |
| 51+ pages | $300 |
| Courthouse Building Fund fee (Orleans Parish)Required with most deeds | $30 |
| Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority (LCRAA) portal feeRequired with most deeds | $5 |
| Court Modernization and Technology Fund feeRequired with most deeds | $5 |
| Ordinance #20527 New Orleans Documentary Transaction TaxRequired with most deeds | $325 flat (most documents transferring real estate) |
La. R.S. 13:844(A)(1); La. R.S. 13:1211
Verified September 5, 2026 · Source
Louisiana uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Orleans 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 Orleans Parish firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Civil 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.
FirmGretna, LA
A Gretna law firm that has served the New Orleans area since 1980 with experienced succession lawyers handling all types of estate and succession matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateWills Trusts
FirmMetairie, LA
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawMedicaid Planning
Solo PracticeMetairie, LA
Serves Jefferson and Orleans parishes from Metairie, handling successions and estate administration for families settling a relative's estate. Attorney R. Scott Buhrer guides clients through succession proceedings, wills, trusts, and succession litigation, applying an MBA background to estates with financial or valuation questions.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateSuccession LitigationWills Trusts
FirmMetairie, LA
Metairie firm serving Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes from offices in Metairie, New Orleans, and Hammond. Handles testate and intestate succession administration, estate and trust administration, and estate and trust litigation involving will validity and contested distributions. The succession practice dates to the firm's founding in 1989.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 3 more
FirmNew Orleans, LA
Many & LoCoco has served New Orleans families since 1967. Led by Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco, who has over 25 years of experience and is consistently named one of the top estate planning attorneys in the New Orleans area. The firm specializes in probate, wills, estate planning, interdictions, powers of attorney, and trusts.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawSpecial Needs Planningand 3 more
FirmCovington, LA
Scott Law Group specializes in Louisiana succession and probate law, handling approximately 200 estates annually. The firm provides experienced succession representation with offices across the New Orleans metro area including Covington, New Orleans, Kenner, and Gretna.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationWrongful Death
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.
Data sourced from Louisiana statutes and official state code. How we research.
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Probate fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value, or net property after debts. This calculator provides educational estimates only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Actual costs vary significantly by county, attorney, and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.
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