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Assumption Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Assumption Parish information |
|---|---|
| Court | Twenty-Third Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | Assumption Parish Clerk of Court |
| Courthouse address | 4809 Hwy 1, Napoleonville, LA 70390 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Drawer 249, Napoleonville, LA 70390 |
| Phone | (985) 369-6653 |
| Fax | (985) 369-2032 |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Advance cost deposit | Civil fee schedule effective August 1, 2017: successions $400.00, double successions $500.00, plus $100.00 per additional service. Advance court costs are due at filing. Call the clerk to confirm the current amount before filing. |
| Local forms | No succession-specific form or checklist is posted. The downloadable forms are for recording, UCC and lien matters. |
| E-filing | Civil e-filing is available through eClerksLA. Attorneys are subject to the Louisiana filing rule effective January 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 253). Self-represented filers should ask the clerk what the office accepts. |
| Records access | The clerk offers a subscription search for civil, criminal and property records, and the LCRAA page links to eClerksLA for civil and criminal e-filing and e-recording. The clerk does not state that succession matters specifically appear in those searches. |
| Remote appearance | No Assumption Parish civil or succession-specific remote rule is posted. Ask the clerk when a matter is set. |
| Website | assumptionclerk.com |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before opening a succession in Assumption Parish, identify the decedent's assets, debts, title documents, account holders, and whether any immovable property is located in Louisiana. Estate settlement moves faster when you know whether the matter is a small succession affidavit, possession without administration, or an administration requiring letters.
Sunset can search across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help locate accounts and assets before you prepare the Assumption Parish filing packet. That asset discovery step helps families avoid filing a petition that leaves out an account, loan, or property interest.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Assumption Parish are filed with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in Napoleonville and heard in the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court, which also serves Ascension and St. James parishes. Do not file an Assumption Parish succession in Gonzales or Convent just because the judicial district is shared.
Louisiana venue is based on domicile. A proceeding to open a succession is brought in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Louisiana, the succession may be opened in a parish where Louisiana immovable property is located, or where movable property is located if the decedent owned no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original testament if one exists, the legal description for any immovable property, account information, debts, and the names and addresses of heirs and legatees.
- Choose the succession route before filing. Assumption Parish does not post a local succession form, so the petition or affidavit must match the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure route you are using.
- File the petition or other succession papers with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court at 4809 Hwy 1 in Napoleonville or by a filing method the clerk accepts. Attorneys are subject to the Louisiana filing rule effective January 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 253).
- Pay the Assumption Parish advance court costs at filing. The civil fee schedule effective August 1, 2017 lists successions at $400.00, double successions at $500.00, and $100.00 per additional service. Call (985) 369-6653 before filing to confirm the current deposit and service costs.
- Submit the original testament on paper if there is one. Louisiana allows the original testament to be filed in paper form, and the clerk retains the original in perpetuity when it is probated or ordered filed and executed (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911).
- In an uncontested matter, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint a succession representative when the Code allows it (La. C.C.P. arts. 282, 283). Contested issues go to the district judge.
- If administration is needed, obtain the appropriate letters after the succession representative qualifies. Louisiana uses letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration depending on the appointment (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Prepare the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, address succession debts through the court process, and keep records of receipts, payments, and property transfers.
- Ask the court for a judgment of possession when the succession is ready to close. The judgment of possession is the document that sends heirs or legatees into possession, and any judgment affecting immovable property should be recorded where required.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Assumption Parish
Assumption Parish does not post a succession-specific form, small succession affidavit template, or succession checklist. The clerk's posted forms are for recording, UCC, lien, mortgage certificate, trade name, cancellation, identity affidavit, and related filing matters.
A Louisiana succession is usually opened by a petition drafted to the Code, not by completing a parish form. Call the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court at (985) 369-6653 to ask what the office wants filed with your papers and what current advance costs apply.
Fees
| Fee item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Succession advance court costs | $400.00, effective August 1, 2017 |
| Double succession advance court costs | $500.00, effective August 1, 2017 |
| Additional service | $100.00 per additional service, effective August 1, 2017 |
Assumption Parish states that advance court costs must be paid at the time of filing. Because the posted civil schedule is dated August 1, 2017, call (985) 369-6653 before filing to confirm the current amount and any service costs for your estate settlement.
Local nuance
Assumption Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Shared judicial district | The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court also serves Ascension and St. James parishes, but Assumption Parish successions are filed with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court in Napoleonville. |
| Historic courthouse | The Assumption Parish Clerk of Court is located in the historic 1896 courthouse at 4809 Hwy 1 in Napoleonville. |
| Local fee schedule | The clerk's civil fee schedule effective August 1, 2017 lists successions at $400.00, double successions at $500.00, and $100.00 per additional service. Confirm the current amount before filing. |
| Records access | The clerk operates a subscription search for civil, criminal and property records. The site does not state that succession records specifically are included. |
| Remote appearance | The Twenty-Third Judicial District appendix posts criminal audio-visual rules, but no Assumption Parish civil or succession-specific remote rule. Louisiana civil remote appearance rules may apply only when their conditions are met (La. C.C.P. art. 195.1), so ask when the matter is set. |
Recent updates
| Change | What changed |
|---|---|
| Small succession ceiling | Act 293 of 2026 took effect August 1, 2026 and raised the Louisiana-domiciled small succession ceiling to $200,000 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). |
| Attorney filing rule | On January 1, 2026, Louisiana's attorney filing rule took effect for filings made in paper or electronically through a clerk-established system or the Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority (La. C.C.P. art. 253). |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Assumption Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by identifying whether the home is community property and whether descendants survive. Louisiana community property and usufruct rules can affect who receives possession and how the judgment of possession should describe the interests. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and property records so the attorney or family can prepare a cleaner estate settlement packet for filing in Napoleonville. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If the decedent was domiciled in Louisiana, the current small succession ceiling is $200,000, effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). If Assumption Parish is the proper venue, the affidavit or petition should be prepared for filing or recordation through the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court. | Sunset helps find accounts and organize the information needed to decide whether the small succession affidavit route fits. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often requires administration or independent administration before the judgment of possession, especially when title must be cleared for a buyer. The filing still starts with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court in Napoleonville. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, generate a probate packet, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when a sale is part of the estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Assumption Parish Clerk of Court | Accepts filings, states current advance costs, and maintains the local civil records. Staff cannot give legal advice. | 4809 Hwy 1, Napoleonville, LA 70390. Phone (985) 369-6653. Fax (985) 369-2032. |
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services | Provides free civil legal help for eligible people in its service area, including help with uncontested successions. | 1-844-244-7871 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Statewide legal information site with an Estates, Wills, And Guardianships topic and a parish-searchable legal aid directory. | louisianalawhelp.org |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research resource operated by the Louisiana Supreme Court for self-represented litigants. | lasc.org |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with a Louisiana succession attorney if the family disagrees, the testament may be challenged, the estate includes immovable property that must be sold, heirs are hard to locate, debts are disputed, or you need independent administration. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify bank, investment, retirement, insurance, and loan relationships before the Assumption Parish succession is filed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the family information, asset details, debt list, and filing choices into a packet that makes the next step of estate settlement easier to review.
Find a local probate attorney. When a succession needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney who understands Assumption Parish filings and the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, locate assets, and decide what help they need without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Assumption Parish?
File with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in Napoleonville. The court is the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court, which also serves Ascension and St. James parishes, but Assumption Parish filings stay with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court.
What is the Assumption Parish succession filing fee?
The clerk's civil fee schedule effective August 1, 2017 lists successions at $400.00, double successions at $500.00, and $100.00 per additional service. Advance court costs are due at filing, and you should call (985) 369-6653 to confirm the current amount before you file.
Does Assumption Parish have local succession forms?
No succession-specific form or checklist is posted. The clerk's forms are for recording, UCC, lien, mortgage certificate, cancellation, trade name, identity affidavit, and similar filing matters.
Can I e-file a succession in Assumption Parish?
The Assumption Parish Clerk of Court offers civil e-filing through eClerksLA. Attorneys are subject to the Louisiana filing rule effective January 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 253). A self-represented filer should ask the clerk what filing methods the office accepts.
What happens to the original testament?
If there is an original testament, Louisiana allows it to be filed in paper form, and the clerk retains the original in perpetuity after it is probated or ordered filed and executed (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911).
Can I search Assumption Parish succession records online?
The clerk offers a subscription search for civil, criminal and property records, and the LCRAA page links to eClerksLA for civil and criminal e-filing and e-recording. The clerk does not state that succession matters specifically appear in those searches, so ask the office if you need a succession file.
Can I appear remotely for an Assumption Parish succession hearing?
No Assumption Parish civil or succession-specific remote rule is posted. Louisiana civil remote appearance rules may apply only when their conditions are met, including written notice timing and court technology (La. C.C.P. art. 195.1). Ask the clerk when the matter is set.
Do I have to travel to Ascension or St. James Parish because the district is shared?
No. Assumption Parish shares the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court with Ascension and St. James parishes, but Assumption Parish successions are filed with the Assumption Parish Clerk of Court in Napoleonville.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.