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.
What to Do When Someone Dies in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
How probate works in St. Tammany Parish: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
St. Tammany Parish District Court
St. Tammany Parish · 22nd Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
701 North Columbia Street, Covington, LA 70433
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
OptionalNew suits, including successions, and later pleadings can be e-filed through CottFile, and most e-filed documents become the originals once the clerk receives them. A curator who e-files selects "Government Agency" as the fee-waiver reason so that no filing fees are charged. On paper: Original documents that La. C.C.P. art. 253 and La. R.S. 9:2602 and 9:2603 keep out of e-filing.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedNew suits and pleadings can be filed at the Civil Department in the basement of the Justice Center in Covington, or at the Slidell Annex, which sends its filings to Covington for processing. The Slidell Annex offers limited services, so a call ahead is advised.
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented filers can e-file through CottFile or file in person. The Civil page offers an In Forma Pauperis Affidavit for a filer who cannot pay the costs in advance.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Credit card, Debit card, Money order.The Civil Department takes cash, checks, credit and debit cards, and money orders unless a fee says otherwise. Costs can also be paid online.
P.O. Box 1090
Covington, LA 70434
Departments
- Civil Filing & Costs1-985-809-8776For filing questions and the estimated costs of a civil filing, including a succession.
- Civil Customer Service1-985-809-8733 · 701 North Columbia Street, Basement Level · civil@sttammanyclerk.org
- Slidell Annex Office1-985-643-6969 · 520 Old Spanish Trail, 5th Floor, Slidell, LA 70458 · Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM and 2:00 PM-4:30 PM (closed for lunch)The annex takes civil filings and forwards them to Covington. It receives no mail or packages.
About the court
- Louisiana uses "succession" instead of "probate" (civil law tradition). The 22nd JDC also includes Washington Parish. FedEx and UPS packages for the clerk go to the Justice Center street address.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in St. Tammany 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 St. Tammany Parish, probate runs through the District Court at 701 North Columbia Street, Covington. The court sits in the 22nd Judicial District. Probate e-filing in St. Tammany Parish goes through cottfile.com, a system used by at least 8 Louisiana counties.
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 St. Tammany Parish
What probate costs in St. Tammany 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 701 North Columbia Street, Covington. The court is part of the 22nd Judicial District.
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 St. Tammany 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 22nd Judicial District. The same 22nd Judicial District also serves Washington.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Civil Filing & Costs, Civil Customer Service, and Slidell Annex 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 St. Tammany 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 St. Tammany Parish
In Louisiana a death is registered locally, and in St. Tammany Parish certified copies of the death certificate are issued by St. Tammany Parish (Slidell) Health Unit as well as by Louisiana Department of Health - Vital Records Registry.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
St. Tammany Parish · St. Tammany Parish (Slidell) Health Unit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
520 Old Spanish Trail, Suite 2A, Slidell, LA 70458
Website
Also issued by
The county recorder
Fax
1-985-646-6474
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 Covington and Slidell, for deaths from July 9, 2012.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $7 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
St. Tammany Parish · St. Tammany Parish Coroner
Mail and offices
Fax
1-985-781-1147
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in St. Tammany 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 St. Tammany Parish are recorded with the Clerk of Court at 701 North Columbia Street, Covington, LA 70433. Phone: 1-985-809-8740. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 1090, Covington, LA 70434.
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.
St. Tammany Parish accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN and Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Court
St. Tammany Parish
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
701 North Columbia Street, Covington, LA 70433
Website
E-recording
available via CSC, ePN and Simplifile
P.O. Box 1090
Covington, LA 70434
Fax
1-985-809-8712
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 St. Tammany 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 St. Tammany 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.
Mid-City New Orleans firm founded in 1967, now run by Vincent B. "Chip" LoCoco, serving Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany and St. Bernard parishes. It handles probate of the will and the succession, from the petition and executor appointment through inventory, payment of debts and distribution to heirs, as well as interdictions and special needs planning.
Mandeville estate and elder law firm led by Christie Tournet, serving St. Tammany Parish and the Greater New Orleans area. Opens successions, including those that can proceed without administration, assists with funding and administering trusts, and handles non-contested interdictions and continuing tutorships. Christie Tournet is a Certified Dementia Practitioner.
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.
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.
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)
- St. Tammany Parish District Court, official page
- St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court, official page
- St. Tammany 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
Hire a Louisiana Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Louisiana attorneys handling probate matters.
Browse firms
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
