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Livingston Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Livingston Parish details |
|---|---|
| Court | Twenty-First Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | Livingston Parish Clerk of Court, Civil Department |
| Courthouse address | Livingston Parish Courthouse, 20300 Government Blvd., 1st Floor, Livingston, LA 70754 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 1150, Livingston, LA 70754 |
| Phone | (225) 686-2216. Toll free: (877) 854-1579. |
| Fax | (225) 686-1867. The clerk states that no civil filing may be made by fax as of January 1, 2026. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except published holidays. Death certificate applications are received until 3:30 p.m. |
| Filing fee | Succession filings use an advance cost deposit under (La. R.S. 13:842). The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court requires the deposit before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected, but does not publish the amount. Call the Civil Department before filing. |
| Local forms | No published succession form, checklist, petition template or cover sheet from the clerk or the Twenty-First Judicial District Court. |
| E-filing | As of August 24, 2026, Livingston Parish civil electronic filings use Clerk Connect at clerkconnect.com. A person filing without a lawyer may file electronically or on paper in person, by United States mail or by commercial courier. An attorney may file electronically or on paper in person, with limited paper exceptions for original documents under (La. C.C.P. art. 253). |
| Case search | As of August 24, 2026, online public records searches for successions use Clerk Connect. Land and plats, charters, conveyances, marriages, mortgages, recorded wills and miscellaneous records remain on eClerks or the clerk's Public Records Search account. |
| Remote appearance | The Twenty-First Judicial District Court publishes a Video Conference page with links by division. Ask the clerk or the court when a matter is set, because the page does not say which succession matters are heard by video. |
| Website | Clerk: https://www.livclerk.org/. Court: https://www.21stjdc.org/. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Livingston Parish, list the assets, debts, heirs, testament status and whether any immovable property is in Livingston Parish. Those facts affect the local path because the clerk requires an advance cost deposit before filing or service and because immovable property adds a recording step for the judgment of possession.
Sunset's estate settlement platform helps families search across 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets before choosing a succession route. That asset picture makes it easier to call the Livingston Parish Civil Department, describe the filing and ask for the current deposit amount.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Livingston Parish are filed with the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in Livingston and heard in the Twenty-First Judicial District Court, which also serves Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes (La. R.S. 13:477). The shared judicial district is a shared bench, not a shared filing counter, so a Livingston Parish succession is opened with the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court.
The clerk's office serves Livingston Parish, including Denham Springs, Albany, French Settlement, Killian, Livingston, Port Vincent, Springfield and Walker. The clerk also operates a Denham Springs Satellite Office for birth and death certificates, but the clerk does not publish that office as a succession filing location.
Venue follows Louisiana's succession rule: a succession is opened in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death. For a decedent domiciled outside Louisiana, the proceeding may be opened in a parish where Louisiana immovable property is situated, or where movable property is situated if there is no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, asset list, debt list, heir information and the original testament if one exists. The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court issues Louisiana death certificates at the courthouse and at the Denham Springs office for qualifying Louisiana deaths after July 7, 2012, with applications received from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Decide which Louisiana succession route fits before preparing papers. Livingston Parish publishes no fill-in succession packet, so the petition and any descriptive list, affidavits and proposed orders must be drafted to Louisiana law.
- File with the Civil Department of the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court at 20300 Government Blvd., 1st Floor, Livingston, or mail the paper filing to P.O. Box 1150, Livingston, LA 70754. A person filing without a lawyer may also file electronically through Clerk Connect or send paper by courier.
- Pay the Livingston Parish advance cost deposit. The clerk requires the deposit before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected, but does not publish the amount, so call (225) 686-2216 before filing.
- Submit the original testament on paper if there is one. Louisiana allows paper filing for an original testament even when other filings are electronic, and the clerk retains the original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 253; La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
- Handle any required service, notice or setting instructions that apply to the petition. Livingston Parish publishes no succession hearing day, and most uncontested succession filings are handled ex parte rather than through a scheduled hearing.
- If an unopposed testament is probated or a succession representative is confirmed or appointed, the clerk may perform those uncontested acts and issue letters testamentary, letters of administration or letters of independent administration, as applicable (La. C.C.P. art. 282; La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Administer the succession by preparing the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, addressing debts with court authority where required and keeping the filing record current.
- Close with a judgment of possession signed by the court. If the succession includes Livingston Parish immovable property, record the judgment in the parish conveyance records and obtain certified copies after outstanding court costs are paid.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Livingston Parish
The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court publishes no succession form, checklist, petition template or cover sheet. The Twenty-First Judicial District Court's form library also does not include a succession form.
That means a Livingston Parish succession is opened by a petition drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, not by completing a local form packet. The clerk does publish a Birth/Death Certificate Request Form, which is often the first local document an estate settlement needs, but it is not a succession pleading.
Fees
| Cost item | Livingston Parish clerk publication |
|---|---|
| Advance cost deposit | Required before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected under (La. R.S. 13:842). The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court does not publish the deposit amount. Call (225) 686-2216 for the current figure before filing. |
| Recording a judgment of possession | Published as of August 24, 2026: $125.00 for one to five pages, $225.00 for six to twenty-five pages and $325.00 for twenty-six to fifty pages. |
| Indexing beyond included names | Published as of August 24, 2026: first ten names per book included, then $5.00 for each additional name per book. |
| Format noncompliance charge | Published as of August 24, 2026: $10.00 per document that does not meet the caption and margin format for recordation. |
| Copies | Published as of August 24, 2026: plain copies are $1.00 per page, certified copies are $10.00 each and conformed copies are $5.00 each. |
Local nuance
Livingston Parish-specific considerations
- Shared judicial district, local filing counter. The Twenty-First Judicial District Court serves Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, but Livingston Parish successions are filed with the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court in Livingston.
- Two portal split. As of August 24, 2026, online public records searches for successions use Clerk Connect. Recorded wills, conveyances and mortgages remain on eClerks or the clerk's Public Records Search account.
- Denham Springs satellite. The clerk operates a Denham Springs office at 145 Del Orleans Avenue, Bldg. 2, Suite E, for birth and death certificates. It shares the main phone and fax and closes from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.; the clerk does not publish it as a succession filing location.
- Filing choices for a person without a lawyer. Livingston Parish publishes that a non-attorney may file a civil document electronically or on paper in person, by United States mail or by commercial courier.
- No civil fax filings. The fax number remains an office contact number, but the clerk states that no civil filing may be made by fax as of January 1, 2026.
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| August 24, 2026 | The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court moved civil electronic filing and online public records searches for successions to Clerk Connect. Land and plats, charters, conveyances, marriages, mortgages, recorded wills and miscellaneous records remain on eClerks or the clerk's Public Records Search account. |
| January 1, 2026 | The clerk states that no civil filing may be made by fax. The same local page describes the current paper and electronic filing paths for attorneys and non-attorneys. |
| August 1, 2026 | Act 293 of 2026 changed Louisiana's small succession ceiling for a Louisiana-domiciled decedent under (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). Check current Louisiana law before relying on older handouts. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Livingston Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating the spouse's own community property half from the decedent's half. The surviving spouse may have a legal usufruct over the decedent's community share that ends at death or remarriage (La. C.C. art. 890). File the succession with the Civil Department in Livingston, then record the judgment of possession if the home is in Livingston Parish. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title issues and documents before the family decides whether the estate settlement can proceed by possession or needs administration. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | A small succession route may fit depending on the statewide rules. Livingston Parish makes travel less likely because a person filing without a lawyer may file electronically through Clerk Connect or send paper by United States mail or commercial courier. The Civil Records Section can also help locate an existing succession if you have the full name of the deceased. | Sunset helps gather asset information, organize the affidavit or petition materials and connect the family to local counsel if the route is uncertain. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often points to administration or independent administration. File in Livingston, pay the advance cost deposit, obtain the appropriate letters if a succession representative is appointed and record the later judgment or sale-related documents at the clerk's Recording Desk. | Sunset helps find accounts and debts, prepare the working packet for counsel and coordinate the local recording and certified-copy needs. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Corp. | Serves Livingston Parish and states that it helps with wills, powers of attorney and uncontested successions, subject to eligibility and case priorities. | Area intake: 1-844-244-7871. Online application is available through SLLS. |
| Twenty-First Judicial District Court representing yourself page | General orientation for self-represented litigants in Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa Parishes. It is not a substitute for Louisiana law or court rules. | https://www.21stjdc.org/representing-yourself |
| Livingston Parish Clerk of Court research help | Deputy clerks can assist with researching public records in the clerk's care, and the clerk states there is no charge for staff assistance. Copies cost $1.00 per page as published on August 24, 2026. The clerk cannot give legal advice or title opinions. | Call (225) 686-2216 and ask for the appropriate records section. |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Statewide legal information site with sections for estates, wills and guardianships, legal aid organizations by parish and online free legal help applications. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research guides and legal research resources operated by the Louisiana Supreme Court's law library. | https://lawlibrary.lasc.org/ |
| Louisiana Free Legal Answers | Online civil legal questions for qualifying users, answered by volunteer lawyers. The service states that volunteers cannot call users or represent them in court. | https://la.freelegalanswers.org/ |
| Louisiana State Bar Association | Lawyer location help listed by the Twenty-First Judicial District Court. | 1-800-421-5722 |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in Livingston Parish when the succession involves immovable property to sell, forced-heir issues, an opposed filing, a nonresident decedent, unclear title or a need for independent administration. The local reason is practical: neither the clerk nor the Twenty-First Judicial District Court publishes a succession form, and the clerk can help with records but cannot give legal advice or title opinions. Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across 2,300 institutions to help families build the asset picture needed for a Livingston Parish estate settlement, including accounts that may not be obvious from mail or family records.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the death certificate, testament information, asset list, debt list and heir details so the family and attorney can prepare the Louisiana succession petition, affidavits and proposed judgment of possession.
Find a local probate attorney. Louisiana succession practice is local and civil-law specific. Sunset helps connect families with a vetted attorney who can file in Livingston Parish and work with the Twenty-First Judicial District Court process.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to start estate settlement support, organize information or get matched with appropriate professional help.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Livingston Parish?
File with the Civil Department of the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court at 20300 Government Blvd., 1st Floor, Livingston, LA 70754. Mail paper filings to P.O. Box 1150, Livingston, LA 70754. The case is heard in the Twenty-First Judicial District Court, which also serves Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, but Livingston Parish filings stay with the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court.
Can I file electronically in Livingston Parish?
Yes. As of August 24, 2026, Livingston Parish civil electronic filings use Clerk Connect. A person filing without a lawyer may file electronically or on paper in person, by United States mail or by commercial courier. An attorney may file electronically or on paper in person, with limited exceptions for certain original documents under (La. C.C.P. art. 253). The original testament is filed on paper and kept by the clerk (La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
How much does it cost to open a succession in Livingston Parish?
The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court requires an advance cost deposit before a civil pleading is filed or service is perfected under (La. R.S. 13:842), but the office does not publish the succession deposit amount. Call (225) 686-2216 before filing. If the succession includes Livingston Parish immovable property, recording the judgment of possession is a separate cost.
Can I look up a Livingston Parish succession online?
As of August 24, 2026, online public records searches for successions use Clerk Connect. Recorded wills, conveyances and mortgages remain on eClerks or the clerk's Public Records Search account. You can also call the clerk's office and ask for the Civil Records Section; have the full name of the deceased ready.
Does the Livingston Parish Clerk of Court have succession forms?
No published succession form, checklist, petition template or cover sheet appears from the clerk or the Twenty-First Judicial District Court. A Livingston Parish succession is opened by a petition drafted to Louisiana law.
Will I have to attend a hearing in Livingston Parish?
Many uncontested Louisiana successions are handled ex parte. Livingston Parish publishes no succession hearing day or filing-to-judgment window. If a matter is set, call the Civil Records Section to ask about the date and the division handling it.
Can I appear by video for a Livingston Parish succession?
The Twenty-First Judicial District Court publishes a Video Conference page with links by division and a virtual waiting room instruction. The page does not say which succession matters are heard by video. Ask the clerk or the court when the matter is set.
Do I have to travel to Livingston to file?
A person filing without a lawyer may file electronically through Clerk Connect or send a paper filing by United States mail or commercial courier. The Denham Springs Satellite Office issues birth and death certificates, but the clerk does not publish it as a succession filing location.
Where do I get a death certificate for a Livingston Parish succession?
The Livingston Parish Clerk of Court issues qualifying Louisiana death certificates at the courthouse and at the Denham Springs Satellite Office for Louisiana deaths after July 7, 2012. Applications are received from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the Denham Springs office closes from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. For an earlier death, the clerk points families to Vital Records in New Orleans at 504-593-5100.
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.