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Cameron Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Local detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | Cameron Parish Clerk of Court, Cameron Parish Courthouse, 119 Smith Circle Room 21, Cameron, LA 70631 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 549, Cameron, LA 70631 |
| Phone | (337) 775-5316, listed for the Civil Department |
| Fax | (337) 775-7172 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is stated on the clerk's site. |
| Filing fee | $400.00 advance deposit for Successions/Probate, as posted by the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court and reviewed August 24, 2026 |
| Local forms | No local succession forms, checklist, cover sheet, or small succession affidavit form is published by the clerk or the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court self-help forms site. |
| E-filing | ClerkConnect is listed for e-filing. Attorneys use walk-in filing or e-filing because civil filing by U.S. mail ended January 1, 2026. The clerk's site does not state whether self-represented filers may use ClerkConnect. |
| Case search | The clerk links eClerksLA and ACT DataScout. The clerk's site does not spell out what either online tool returns for a Cameron Parish succession. The clerk also lists a $15.00 10-year civil name search, reviewed August 24, 2026. |
| Remote appearance | The Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court states that it hears matters in person and by Zoom video conference. Succession hearings are not always needed, and remote appearance for any particular setting should be arranged with the court. |
| Website | https://cameronparishclerk.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Cameron Parish, identify the assets, debts, heirs, legatees, and any original testament. Louisiana succession work depends on whether property is community or separate, whether immovable property is involved, whether an administration is needed, and whether the family can proceed by agreement.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then helps organize the information needed for the local succession packet. That preparation matters in Cameron Parish because the clerk posts a succession-specific advance deposit and does not publish a local succession form set.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Cameron Parish are filed with the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court at 119 Smith Circle Room 21 in Cameron and are heard in the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court. Cameron Parish is the sole parish in that judicial district, and the clerk does not list a satellite office for succession filings.
Louisiana venue is based on the decedent's domicile. A succession is opened in the district court of the parish where the deceased was domiciled at death. If the deceased 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 there is no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811).
The jurisdiction process
- Collect the death certificate, the original testament if one exists, asset information, debts, heir and legatee information, and any documents showing community property or separate property.
- Choose the Louisiana succession route before filing. Depending on the facts, the family may use a small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. The current Louisiana-domiciled small succession figure is $200,000, effective August 1, 2026, under La. C.C.P. art. 3421.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents for the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court. Cameron Parish does not publish a local succession packet, so the filing is drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure rather than a local fill-in form.
- File the petition with the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court at the Cameron courthouse or by the filing method allowed for the filer. Attorneys use walk-in filing or ClerkConnect e-filing because U.S. mail filing for civil matters ended January 1, 2026. Ask the clerk how a self-represented filer may file.
- Pay the Cameron Parish advance deposit. The clerk posts $400.00 for Successions/Probate, reviewed August 24, 2026. Additional costs can be charged as the case proceeds under the Louisiana advance-cost structure (La. R.S. 13:842).
- Deliver any original testament in paper form. Louisiana law allows the original testament to be filed in paper form, and the clerk retains a probated or filed testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a); La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
- If the matter is uncontested, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint the succession representative, which means an executor, administrator, or dative testamentary executor as applicable (La. C.C.P. arts. 282, 283).
- Obtain the authority document if administration is opened. The clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration after the representative qualifies (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Prepare the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, handle debts with the required court authority, and administer assets as the court order and Louisiana law require.
- Close the succession by obtaining a judgment of possession from the court. If immovable property is involved, record the judgment or other required succession document in the appropriate conveyance records so title can be updated.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Cameron Parish
Cameron Parish does not publish local succession forms, a succession checklist, a succession cover sheet, a small succession affidavit form, or a tutorship form on the clerk's Links and Forms page. The forms shown there are recording-related items such as business-name, cancellation, marriage-officiant, release, and lien or mortgage cancellation forms.
The Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court self-help forms site also does not list a succession category. It lists civil self-help categories such as child support, court procedure, custody, divorce, domestic violence protection, fee delay, and name change. For a Cameron Parish succession, expect a petition and supporting papers drafted to Louisiana law rather than a local fill-in packet.
Fees
| Fee item | Cameron Parish amount |
|---|---|
| Successions/Probate advance deposit | $400.00, one service included, as posted by the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court and reviewed August 24, 2026 |
| General new civil suit advance deposit | $350.00, one service included, plus $85.00 for each additional service, reviewed August 24, 2026. This is not the succession-specific deposit. |
| Filing a document | $6.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page, reviewed August 24, 2026 |
| Name indexing | $2.00 per name in civil, succession, adoption, and similar filings, reviewed August 24, 2026 |
| Copies | $3.00 for a conformed copy, $1.00 per page for copies, and $5.00 for a certified copy, reviewed August 24, 2026 |
| 10-year civil name search | $15.00, reviewed August 24, 2026 |
Cameron Parish also posts an attorney filing rule for civil matters: civil filing by U.S. mail ended January 1, 2026, and attorneys use walk-in filing or e-filing. The statewide attorney filing rule is in La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2).
Local nuance
Cameron Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for Cameron Parish |
|---|---|
| Sole-parish judicial district | Cameron Parish is the only parish in the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District. File with the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court in Cameron. |
| Succession-specific deposit | The clerk posts a $400.00 Successions/Probate advance deposit, reviewed August 24, 2026, which is separate from the $350.00 general new civil suit advance deposit reviewed the same date. |
| Attorney filing by mail ended | For attorneys, the clerk states that civil filing by U.S. mail ended January 1, 2026, leaving walk-in filing or ClerkConnect e-filing. The site does not state the self-represented e-filing rule. |
| Two online search links | The clerk links both eClerksLA and ACT DataScout. The clerk does not say whether either tool returns Cameron succession documents, an index, or both. |
| Zoom practice | The Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court states that it hears matters in person and by Zoom. Louisiana also gives a party in a qualifying civil proceeding a remote-appearance notice right with ten days' written notice, technology availability, and a good-cause exception (La. C.C.P. art. 195.1). |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Small succession ceiling, effective August 1, 2026 | Act 293 of 2026 raised the Louisiana-domiciled small succession figure to $200,000 under La. C.C.P. art. 3421. The nonresident ancillary figure remains governed by the same article. |
| Attorney filing rule, effective January 1, 2026 | Louisiana's attorney filing rule took effect under La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2). Cameron Parish also states that attorneys no longer file civil matters by U.S. mail and instead use walk-in filing or e-filing. |
| Cameron Parish attorney mail-filing notice, effective January 1, 2026 | The Cameron Parish Clerk of Court's Services page states that attorney civil filing by U.S. mail ended on that date. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Cameron Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating community property from separate property. The decedent's half of community property may be affected by the surviving spouse's usufruct if descendants survive (La. C.C. art. 890). A judgment of possession is usually needed to update title to the Cameron Parish immovable property. | Sunset organizes accounts, home information, debts, and family details so the attorney can prepare the petition and judgment of possession for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the decedent was domiciled in Louisiana and the gross value fits the current small succession rule, the family may be able to use a small succession affidavit. The Louisiana-domiciled figure is $200,000, effective August 1, 2026, under La. C.C.P. art. 3421. If a court filing is still needed in Cameron Parish, the clerk posts a $400.00 succession deposit, reviewed August 24, 2026. | Sunset helps find financial accounts, estimate the asset list, and connect the child with Louisiana counsel if local filing or recordation is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often points toward administration or independent administration so someone has authority to act before the judgment of possession. File in Cameron Parish if venue belongs there under La. C.C.P. art. 2811. | Sunset helps build the asset inventory, prepare an estate settlement plan, and find a local probate attorney familiar with Cameron Parish succession filings. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Parish Clerk of Court | Filing office for Cameron Parish successions, civil-cost information, copies, and local filing questions. Staff can provide filing information but cannot give legal advice. | 119 Smith Circle Room 21, Cameron, LA 70631. Phone (337) 775-5316. Fax (337) 775-7172. |
| Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court | Court site with general court information, an FAQ, Zoom guidance, and civil self-help form links. No succession forms are listed. | https://38jdc.com/ |
| Acadiana Legal Service Corporation | Free civil legal help for low-income Louisianians in its service area, subject to eligibility and case priorities. It does not advertise succession representation. | 1-866-275-2572 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | State legal information site with an Estates, Wills, And Guardianships topic and a legal-aid directory searchable by parish. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research guides and self-represented-litigant materials from the Louisiana Supreme Court's law library. | https://www.lasc.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel is especially useful in Cameron Parish when there is an original testament, immovable property, mineral or coastal property issues, a home sale, disagreement among heirs, a nonresident succession representative, forced-heirship questions, or a need for administration or independent administration. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney for Louisiana succession and estate settlement work.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can identify accounts, balances, and assets before filing in Cameron Parish.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information, asset list, debts, and heir details into an organized succession packet that can be reviewed by counsel and adapted for the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Cameron Parish filing needs legal drafting, administration authority, a judgment of possession, or help with immovable property, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand the next filing steps, and decide when local legal help is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Cameron Parish?
File with the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court at the Cameron Parish Courthouse, 119 Smith Circle Room 21, Cameron, LA 70631. Cameron Parish successions are heard in the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court.
Is the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court shared with another parish?
No. Cameron Parish is the sole parish in the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District, so you do not file a Cameron Parish succession in another parish.
How much is the Cameron Parish succession filing deposit?
The Cameron Parish Clerk of Court posts a $400.00 advance deposit for Successions/Probate, reviewed August 24, 2026. The clerk can charge additional costs as the matter proceeds under the Louisiana advance-cost rules.
Does Cameron Parish have local succession forms?
No local succession forms are published by the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court, and the Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court self-help forms site does not list a succession category. A succession filing is usually a petition drafted to Louisiana law.
Can attorneys e-file a Cameron Parish succession?
The clerk lists ClerkConnect for e-filing and states that attorney civil filing by U.S. mail ended January 1, 2026. Attorneys use walk-in filing or e-filing. The clerk's site does not say whether self-represented filers may use ClerkConnect.
Can I mail the original testament to the clerk?
The original testament is handled in paper form under Louisiana law and is retained by the clerk once probated or ordered filed (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a); La. C.C.P. art. 2911). Call the Cameron Parish Clerk of Court before sending an original document by mail.
Can I look up a Cameron Parish succession online?
The clerk links eClerksLA and ACT DataScout, but the clerk's site does not state what either tool returns for Cameron Parish succession matters. The clerk also lists a $15.00 10-year civil name search, reviewed August 24, 2026.
Can I attend a Cameron Parish succession hearing by Zoom?
The Thirty-Eighth Judicial District Court states that it hears matters in person and by Zoom video conference. Louisiana law also provides a remote-appearance notice process for qualifying civil proceedings with ten days' written notice and other limits (La. C.C.P. art. 195.1). Ask the court when a hearing is set, because many uncontested successions are handled ex parte.
Do I have to travel to Cameron Parish for estate settlement?
Not always. Many uncontested succession steps can be handled through filings, counsel, and the clerk's office. If a hearing is set, ask the court about Zoom and the procedure for remote appearance before making travel plans.
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.