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Lafourche Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Local information |
|---|---|
| Court | Seventeenth Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court, Civil Department |
| Courthouse address | 303 W. 3rd Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301, Lafourche Parish Courthouse Annex. Main entrance on the Maronge Street side. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 818, Thibodaux, LA 70302 |
| Phone | Main: (985) 447-4841. Toll free: (866) 447-4841. Civil Department: (985) 447-5550. |
| Fax | (985) 447-5800 |
| Hours | Thibodaux office: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The death certificate counter is in person only and closes at 3:30 p.m. |
| Advance deposit | The Civil Department publishes estimated advance deposits of $300.00 for a succession with one decedent and $500.00 for a succession with two decedents, as published on August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date. Confirm current deposits with the Civil Department before filing. |
| Local forms | The clerk and the Seventeenth Judicial District Court do not publish succession forms. The local court publishes an in forma pauperis, or fee delayer, application. |
| E-filing | The clerk routes electronic civil filing through ClerkConnect. The clerk's procedures describe registered users as attorneys, government agencies, and people representing themselves, and registration is required. An original testament is filed conventionally on paper. |
| Case search | Lafourche civil records are available through the clerk's ClerkConnect search by subscription, with civil indexes from July 1, 1982, minute entries from January 1, 2001, and images from March 2018, with older images released after redaction. The clerk also links a Court Date Finder for upcoming civil and criminal dates. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Civil Department or the assigned division when a matter is set. La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 allows remote participation in a civil proceeding that does not require witness testimony or evidence if written notice is given at least ten days before the hearing, the court has the technology, and the court does not decline in writing for good cause. |
| Website | https://lafourcheclerk.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Lafourche Parish, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, family relationships, and whether there is an original testament. A Louisiana succession petition depends on facts such as community property, separate property, immovable property, heirs, legatees, and whether a succession representative will be needed.
Sunset's estate settlement platform can help you organize that first pass before a Lafourche filing. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, insurance, and financial relationships that are easy to miss when the court papers are being prepared.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Lafourche Parish are filed with the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse annex in Thibodaux and are heard in the Seventeenth Judicial District Court. Lafourche is the only parish in the Seventeenth Judicial District, so the filing stays with the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court and is not routed through another parish.
The parish communities reflected in the clerk's local materials include Thibodaux, Raceland, Lockport, Larose, Cut Off, Galliano, Golden Meadow, and Gheens. Louisiana venue is based on domicile: a succession is opened in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Louisiana, the filing may be made 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
- Gather the death certificate, family information, asset and debt details, and the original testament if one exists. The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court issues Louisiana death certificates at the Thibodaux office in person only, and that counter closes at 3:30 p.m.
- Choose the Louisiana succession route with counsel or another qualified adviser. The local clerk does not publish succession forms, so the filing is usually a petition drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure rather than a fill-in local form.
- File the petition with the Civil Department of the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court at 303 W. 3rd Street in Thibodaux, or use the clerk's ClerkConnect route if electronic filing is appropriate for the filing. The clerk's procedures require registration and preauthorization of the estimated charges for an electronic filing.
- Pay the advance cost deposit. The clerk publishes estimated deposits of $300.00 for one decedent and $500.00 for two decedents, as published on August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date, plus $75.00 for each additional service beyond the one included in the deposit, as published on the same date.
- Submit the original testament on paper. The clerk's electronic filing procedures say an original will must be filed by conventional filing, and Louisiana law requires the clerk to retain the original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
- After filing, the matter is randomly allotted to one of the five divisions of the Seventeenth Judicial District Court. The division letter on the docket number is the guide for questions about a setting or division-specific video instructions.
- In an uncontested matter, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint a succession representative, and the clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration when the representative qualifies (La. C.C.P. arts. 282, 283, 3159).
- File the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list and handle debts through the required court process. The Lafourche civil schedule prices a descriptive list at $6.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page, as published on August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date.
- When the succession is ready to close, submit the materials needed for the court to sign a judgment of possession. If the succession involves Lafourche Parish immovable property, record the judgment of possession with the clerk's Conveyance Department at the parish recording rates.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Lafourche Parish
The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court does not publish succession forms, and the Seventeenth Judicial District Court does not publish a local succession packet. The clerk's civil forms link points to the Louisiana State Bar Association self-represented litigant forms library, whose listed forms cover topics such as divorce, custody, eviction, fee delayer, and name change rather than successions.
The practical local form for many families is not a succession form but a death certificate application. The Lafourche clerk issues Louisiana death certificates at the Thibodaux office in person only. The clerk lists entitled requesters such as a current spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild, and publishes a separate authorization form for non-entitled parties.
If the filing cost is the immediate barrier, the Seventeenth Judicial District Court publishes an in forma pauperis application, also called the fee delayer application. That form addresses court costs, not the merits of the succession.
Fees
| Charge | Local amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Succession advance deposit, one decedent | $300.00, as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date | Estimated advance deposit published by the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court Civil Department. |
| Succession advance deposit, two decedents | $500.00, as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date | Useful for a double succession, such as when two estates are opened together. |
| Additional service | $75.00 each, as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date | The clerk's new-suit deposits include one service. |
| Pass-through charges on new suits | $10.00, $29.50, $0.50, and $1.50, as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date | The clerk itemizes these as amounts collected for other agencies and invites filers to ask the Civil Intake Department for a detailed explanation. |
| Descriptive list filing | $6.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page, as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date | This is the local charge for filing a descriptive list by the page. |
| Recording a judgment of possession | $105.00 for 1 to 5 pages, $205.00 for 6 to 25 pages, $305.00 for 26 to 50 pages, and $305.00 for the first 50 pages plus $5.00 for each additional page for 51 or more pages, effective August 1, 2017 | The recording schedule says the charge includes a $5.00 LCRAA fee, up to 10 indexed names, and 1 certified copy, effective August 1, 2017. Extra indexed names are $5.00 per name, effective August 1, 2017. |
Local nuance
Lafourche Parish-specific considerations
- Three offices, one civil filing counter. The clerk has offices in Thibodaux, Lockport, and Galliano, but the clerk states that all civil work and all document processing happen in Thibodaux. A succession filing goes to the Thibodaux office.
- Recent office move. The Thibodaux office returned to 303 W. 3rd Street in June 2026, and the main entrance is now on the Maronge Street side. Older address information can send a visitor to the wrong place.
- Random civil allotment. Lafourche civil matters are randomly allotted among five divisions of the Seventeenth Judicial District Court when filed. The division letter on the docket number matters for later settings and division-specific instructions.
- Detailed local cost lines. Lafourche prices a succession by the number of decedents and separately prices the filing of a descriptive list by the page.
- Records reach back in stages. The clerk's online civil index reaches back to July 1, 1982, minute entries to January 1, 2001, and images to March 2018, with older images released after redaction.
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| June 15, 2026 | The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court announced that the Thibodaux office returned to 303 W. 3rd Street and that the main entrance is on the Maronge Street side. |
| August 1, 2026 | Act 293 of 2026 changed the Louisiana small succession ceiling for a Louisiana-domiciled decedent (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). |
| January 1, 2026 | The Louisiana filing rule for attorney filings took effect, allowing attorney filings in person on paper or electronically through a system established by a clerk of court or by the Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority, with the original testament filed on paper (La. C.C.P. art. 253). |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | This is usually a community property and usufruct analysis. The surviving spouse already owns that spouse's half of the community property, and the succession addresses the decedent's half. In Lafourche Parish, the petition is filed with the Civil Department in Thibodaux, the clerk publishes a $300.00 one-decedent advance deposit as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date, and the judgment of possession is recorded with the Conveyance Department if the home is in Lafourche Parish. | Sunset helps identify accounts, mortgages, insurance, and title clues before the petition and judgment of possession are prepared. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small succession question | Start by asking whether the statewide small succession affidavit rules fit. Locally, the Lafourche clerk publishes a toll-free number, (866) 447-4841, and a mailing address at P.O. Box 818, Thibodaux, LA 70302. The local catch is the death certificate counter: it is in person only and cash only at the Thibodaux office, and it closes at 3:30 p.m. | Sunset helps organize assets and family information so you can decide whether a small succession affidavit, possession route, or administration discussion is the next step. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often points toward administration, possibly independent administration. In Lafourche Parish, the filing starts with the Civil Department, the clerk publishes a $300.00 one-decedent advance deposit as published August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date, each additional service is $75.00 as published on that same date, and the eventual judgment of possession is recorded at the recording rates effective August 1, 2017. | Sunset helps assemble the asset picture, flag real property issues, and connect the family with a local attorney for the sale and succession filings. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services | SLLS serves Lafourche Parish and says it helps with wills, powers of attorney, and uncontested successions, subject to eligibility. Its nearest listed office for Lafourche families is in Houma. | Intake: 1-844-244-7871. Houma office: 1340 W Tunnel Blvd Suite 101, Houma, LA 70360, (800) 256-1660 or (985) 851-5687. |
| Seventeenth Judicial District Court and SLLS self-help desk | The court's self-help site lists a desk on the first floor of the Old Courthouse at 201 Green Street in Thibodaux on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Confirm the current schedule before going. | Old Courthouse, 201 Green Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301. |
| Seventeenth Judicial District Court online self-help center | The court's self-help site provides general information for people without a lawyer and includes court procedure, custody, divorce, domestic violence protection, and fee delayer topics. It does not list a succession topic. | https://www.17thjdcselfhelp.com/ |
| Louisiana Civil Justice Center Legal Helpline | The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court lists this as a civil legal helpline resource. | (800) 256-1175 |
| Louisiana State Bar Association Find Legal Help | The court's self-help site points people to this attorney-locator resource. | 1-800-421-LSBA (5722) |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | The clerk and the court both link this statewide legal information site, including its sections for legal aid organizations by parish and estates, wills, and guardianships. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | A research resource operated through the Louisiana Supreme Court for people looking up Louisiana legal materials. | https://www.lasc.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider counsel when a Lafourche succession involves a testament, immovable property, a home sale, heirs who disagree, forced heirship questions, a nonresident succession representative, missing heirs, or debts that need court authority before payment. Local free resources are meaningful but limited: the clerk publishes no succession forms, the court's self-help center does not list successions as a topic, and Southeast Louisiana Legal Services identifies uncontested successions as a service subject to eligibility. Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for bank accounts, insurance, investments, retirement accounts, and other assets that can be missed during estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. For Louisiana families, Sunset helps organize the information a succession attorney or filing team needs, including family details, asset lists, debts, and documents.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Lafourche Parish succession needs legal help, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney who understands local filing practice.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools are designed to reduce the administrative burden after a death, without charging families to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Lafourche Parish?
File with the Civil Department of the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court at 303 W. 3rd Street in Thibodaux. The office is in the Lafourche Parish Courthouse Annex, and the main entrance is on the Maronge Street side.
Which court hears Lafourche Parish successions?
Lafourche Parish successions are heard in the Seventeenth Judicial District Court. Lafourche is the only parish in that judicial district.
Does Lafourche Parish publish succession forms?
The Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court does not publish succession forms, and the Seventeenth Judicial District Court does not publish a local succession packet. The court does publish an in forma pauperis, or fee delayer, application for people asking to delay court costs.
What is the advance deposit for a Lafourche Parish succession?
The clerk publishes estimated advance deposits of $300.00 for a succession with one decedent and $500.00 for a succession with two decedents, as published on August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date. The schedule also lists $75.00 for each additional service beyond the one included in the deposit, as published on August 24, 2026, with no printed effective date. Confirm the current amount with the Civil Department before filing.
Can I e-file in Lafourche Parish?
The clerk routes electronic civil filing through ClerkConnect, and the clerk's procedures describe registered users as attorneys, government agencies, and people representing themselves. Registration is required. The original testament is different: the clerk's procedures say an original will must be filed conventionally on paper.
How do I look up a Lafourche Parish succession?
Successions are civil matters. The clerk's ClerkConnect civil search is subscription based and lists civil indexes from July 1, 1982, minute entries from January 1, 2001, and images from March 2018, with older images released after redaction. The clerk also links a Court Date Finder for upcoming civil and criminal court dates.
Can a Lafourche Parish succession hearing be attended by video?
Ask the Civil Department or the assigned division when a matter is set. La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 allows remote participation in a civil proceeding that does not require witness testimony or evidence if written notice is given at least ten days before the hearing, the court has the technology, and the court does not decline in writing for good cause. The Seventeenth Judicial District Court publishes division-specific video conference pages, but it does not publish a succession-specific video rule.
Do I have to travel to Thibodaux to get the death certificate?
The Lafourche clerk issues Louisiana death certificates at the Thibodaux office in person only, and the counter closes at 3:30 p.m. The clerk lists direct family relationships that can request a certificate and publishes an authorization form for non-entitled parties.
Do the Lockport or Galliano offices take succession filings?
The clerk states that all civil work and all document processing happen at the Thibodaux office. A succession filing should be directed to the Civil Department in Thibodaux.
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.