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Orleans Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Orleans Parish information |
|---|---|
| Court | Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Civil Division, Successions, Docket 1 |
| Courthouse address | 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans, LA 70112 |
| Mailing address | Mail goes to the street address: Clerk of Civil District Court, 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans, LA 70112 |
| Phone | Successions line: (504) 407-0047. Main line: (504) 407-0000. Record room: (504) 407-0036. |
| Fax | (504) 592-9128 for the Civil Division |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. Check the clerk's notices before travel during hurricane season and around Mardi Gras Day or General Election Day. |
| Filing fee | $443.50 for a succession under administration or by simple possession, or $256.50 at the clerk's reduced rate for a smaller gross estate, under the Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026. The clerk states this is a non-refundable filing fee, not a deposit. |
| Local forms | Yes. Orleans publishes Docket 1 succession forms, an Orleans new-suit cover sheet with succession case-type codes, an in forma pauperis affidavit, and a Land Records recording cover sheet. |
| E-filing | The clerk publishes in-person and mail contact channels for the Civil Division. Louisiana's attorney filing rule is at La. C.C.P. art. 253, and the original testament is delivered in original paper form under La. C.C.P. arts. 253 and 2911. Confirm any electronic route with Docket 1 before sending a succession filing. |
| Case search | Civil court records are available through the clerk's Remote Access subscription system, with civil entries from 1985 and images from 2010. Deputy clerks in the Record Room can give factual case information by phone at (504) 407-0036. Land records are searched separately. |
| Remote appearance | The published Orleans court appendices do not state a video appearance rule for succession matters. Ask the assigned division if a matter is set. |
| Website | https://www.orleanscivilclerk.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose an Orleans succession route, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, community property, separate property, and any immovable property in New Orleans. The right estate settlement path depends on what exists, whether there is a testament, whether an administration is needed, and whether the judgment of possession will have to be recorded with Land Records.
Sunset's asset discovery checks more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and benefits that families often miss. That inventory helps you decide what Docket 1 filing, letters, descriptive list, publication notice, or recording step may be part of the estate settlement.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One filing counter serves Orleans Parish successions: the Civil Division of the Clerk of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans. The Land Records Division and the Notarial Archives Research Center at 1340 Poydras Street are part of the same clerk's office, but they are for recording and historical research, not for opening the succession.
The parish and the city of New Orleans cover the same ground, so an address in New Orleans is in Orleans Parish for venue. A succession is opened in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent domiciled outside Louisiana, in a parish where immovable property is situated, or where movable property is situated if there is no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811). For Orleans, that court is the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original testament if one exists, asset information, debt information, and details on any Orleans immovable property that may need a recorded judgment of possession.
- Decide the route before filing: small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. If a testament exists, the original testament is delivered in original paper form and the clerk retains it in perpetuity under La. C.C.P. arts. 253 and 2911.
- Prepare the petition and any local Orleans documents that Docket 1 requires. The clerk publishes Docket 1 forms for orders, letters, oath, bond, and publication notices, plus a new-suit cover sheet whose case-type codes include simple possession, petition to probate will with administration, petition to probate will without administration, petition to search for will, and other succession filings.
- File with the Civil Division of the Clerk of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Successions, Docket 1, at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans. The successions line is (504) 407-0047.
- Pay the Orleans filing fee due with the original petition: $443.50 for a succession under administration or by simple possession, or $256.50 at the clerk's reduced rate for a smaller gross estate, under the Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026. A party who cannot pay may use the clerk's in forma pauperis affidavit and ask the court for permission to proceed without paying up front.
- If there is no opposition, the clerk of court may handle unopposed steps allowed by Louisiana law, including probate of the testament and confirmation or appointment of a succession representative, while contested matters go to the court (La. C.C.P. arts. 282 and 283).
- Obtain the authority document after the succession representative qualifies. Depending on the filing, Docket 1 may issue letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Complete the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, address debts through the court process where administration is used, and use the clerk's Orleans publication forms only when a step such as an account, tableau of distribution, application for authority, or private sale requires publication.
- Ask about remote attendance only if a matter is actually set. The published Orleans court appendices do not state a video rule for succession matters, and many uncontested Louisiana successions proceed ex parte.
- After the court signs the judgment of possession, request the three free copies of the dispositive judgment at the time it is signed if you are a party. If Orleans immovable property is involved, record the judgment at the Land Records Division, 1340 Poydras Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Orleans Parish
Orleans is unusual for Louisiana because the Clerk of the Civil District Court publishes a Docket 1 succession form set. A succession is still opened by a petition drafted to the Louisiana Code, and the clerk does not publish a petition template or step-by-step succession guide. The local forms are the supporting orders, letters, oath, bond, and publication notices used with the petition.
| Form group | What Orleans publishes |
|---|---|
| Docket 1 succession forms | Letters Testamentary, Letters for administration and related appointments, Administrator's Bond, Notarial Will Order, Statutory Will Order, Order to Dispense with Process Verbal for an olographic will, Oath, and publication notice forms. |
| All succession forms packet | A combined PDF of the Docket 1 forms on the clerk's Forms page. |
| Orleans cover sheet | The Clerk of Civil District Court Cover Sheet for new suits includes succession case-type codes, including simple possession, petition to probate will with administration, petition to probate will without administration, petition to search for will, and other. Ask Docket 1 whether it accompanies your filing. |
| In forma pauperis affidavit | Used by a party who asks the court for permission to proceed without paying the Orleans filing fee up front. |
| Land Records recording cover sheet | Used when a judgment of possession or other document is presented for recording at the Land Records Division. |
Fees
Orleans has its own fee structure. The Civil District Court judges sitting en banc set a lump-sum filing fee that the clerk collects when initial pleadings are filed, in place of the itemized Orleans fee schedule, under La. R.S. 13:1213.1. The clerk's Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 states that these amounts are non-refundable filing fees, not deposits.
| Charge | Amount and date | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| Succession filing fee | $443.50 under the Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 | Applies to administration or simple possession on the clerk's schedule. |
| Reduced succession filing fee | $256.50 under the Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 | The clerk sets this lower rate for a smaller gross estate. Call Docket 1 at (504) 407-0047 to confirm which rate applies. |
| In forma pauperis route | No dollar amount stated on the clerk's form page | The clerk publishes an affidavit for a party asking the court to proceed without paying filing fees up front. |
| Record judgment of possession, one to five pages | $100.00 under the Land Records schedule effective August 1, 2017, plus a $30.00 building fund fee effective August 28, 2017 | At 1340 Poydras Street, 4th Floor. The recording price includes one certified copy and indexing of up to ten names. |
| Additional indexed names | $5.00 per name under the Land Records schedule effective August 1, 2017 | Applies after the first ten names included in the recording fee. |
| Civil Division copies | $3.00 per certified page and $1.00 per uncertified page under the Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 | Use the Record Room for case copies and factual case information. |
| Free judgment copies | $0.00 for three copies when requested contemporaneously with signing, under the Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 | The clerk states a party is entitled to three free copies of a dispositive judgment if requested when the judgment is signed. |
Local nuance
Orleans Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Separate civil court | Orleans has legally distinct Civil and Criminal District Courts. A succession goes to the Clerk of the Civil District Court, and the court has no judicial district number. |
| Docket 1 | Successions have a named Docket 1 counter, a direct line at (504) 407-0047, and a local form group on the clerk's Forms page. |
| Flat filing fee | The Orleans filing fee is a non-refundable filing fee set by the judges sitting en banc under La. R.S. 13:1213.1, not the advance cost deposit used elsewhere in Louisiana. |
| Two buildings, two functions | The succession petition is filed at 421 Loyola Avenue. A judgment of possession involving Orleans immovable property is recorded at the Land Records Division at 1340 Poydras Street. |
| Historical records | The Notarial Archives Research Center at 1340 Poydras Street holds notarial records from 1735 to July 1970, which can matter when an heir is tracing an older New Orleans family property title. |
| Official journal | Beginning July 1, 2026, judicial advertisements for the clerk run in The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, with the Louisiana Weekly as auxiliary journal. The clerk's memo states a three-day lead time for advertisements. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | The Clerk of the Civil District Court's Civil Filing Fee Schedule took effect, setting the Orleans succession filing fee at $443.50 and the reduced rate at $256.50. |
| July 1, 2026 | The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate became the clerk's official journal for advertisements required in judicial proceedings, with the Louisiana Weekly as auxiliary journal. |
| June 8, 2026 | The Civil District Court reassigned sections among divisions. If an Orleans succession was already open, check the current section and division before filing another pleading. |
| April 30, 2026 | La. R.S. 13:1213.1, the statute authorizing the Orleans lump-sum filing fee structure, was amended by Acts 2026, No. 15. |
| January 1, 2026 | Louisiana's filing rule at La. C.C.P. art. 253 took effect for attorney filings, while preserving the original testament as an original paper document delivered to the clerk. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Orleans path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | This is often a community property and usufruct analysis. The spouse already owns an undivided half of the community property, and the succession addresses the decedent's half. File the succession through Docket 1 at 421 Loyola Avenue, then record the judgment of possession at 1340 Poydras Street if the home is in Orleans Parish. | Sunset organizes the home, mortgage, accounts, debts, and family information so the estate settlement plan starts with a complete asset picture. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small succession | Call Docket 1 before mailing anything because Orleans charges a flat non-refundable filing fee at the start and a reduced rate may apply. For case lookup, the Record Room can provide factual case information by phone at (504) 407-0036, and civil records can also be searched through the clerk's Remote Access subscription system. | Sunset helps identify accounts, prepare a filing checklist, and coordinate local attorney review so the child does not travel just to learn what is missing. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Orleans immovable property often points toward administration or independent administration. Docket 1 handles the succession forms and letters, the clerk publishes a private-sale notice form, and the final judgment of possession or sale-related document is recorded through Land Records on paper. | Sunset helps assemble account, property, debt, and heir information and can connect the parent with a Louisiana succession attorney for the sale steps. |
Self-help resources
| Help option | Contact | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Corp. (SLLS) | Statewide intake for its service area: 1-844-244-7871. New Orleans office: 1340 Poydras, Suite 600, New Orleans, LA 70112. Local phone: (504) 529-1000. | SLLS lists Orleans Parish in its service area and states that it helps with wills, powers of attorney, and uncontested successions, subject to eligibility and priorities. |
| The Pro Bono Project | 935 Gravier Street, Suite 1340, New Orleans, LA 70112. Phone: (504) 581-4043, extension 216. Intake email: [email protected]. | Serves Orleans and nearby parishes. It may help with uncontested succession paperwork and inherited-property title issues, subject to income eligibility and volunteer attorney availability. It states that it does not assist with contested successions. |
| Louisiana State Bar Association | 601 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130-3404. Phone: (800) 421-5722 or (504) 566-1600. | The Orleans clerk's FAQ points readers to the state bar as a way to locate an attorney. |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ | Publishes Louisiana public legal information, including sections for estates, wills, and guardianships, a legal aid organization directory by parish, and online application links. |
| Law Library of Louisiana | https://lasc.org/ and https://lasc.libguides.com/ | A Supreme Court operated law library and reference guide system for self-represented litigants and researchers. |
| Clerk of the Civil District Court | Successions, Docket 1: (504) 407-0047. Record Room: (504) 407-0036. | The clerk can provide filing and factual case information. Court staff cannot give legal advice, choose a route, or draft a petition for you. |
When to hire an attorney
An Orleans succession is a good place to get legal help when there is a testament, forced-heirship issue, community property question, family disagreement, missing heir, immovable property sale, or need for administration. Orleans publishes useful Docket 1 forms, but it does not publish a petition template or instructions, and the filing fee is paid up front, so choosing the wrong route can be expensive. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts, and other assets that can drive the Orleans succession route.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into an organized estate settlement packet, including asset lists, family details, debt information, and filing questions for Docket 1 or a Louisiana attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When the succession needs administration, independent administration, a property sale, or court-specific drafting, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Louisiana attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, find assets, and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Orleans Parish?
File with the Clerk of the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Civil Division, Successions, Docket 1, at 421 Loyola Avenue, Room 402, New Orleans, LA 70112. The successions line is (504) 407-0047.
Does Orleans Parish use a numbered judicial district?
No. Orleans is structurally different from other Louisiana parishes. The court is the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, and it has no judicial district number.
What does it cost to open a succession in Orleans Parish?
The clerk's Civil Filing Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 lists $443.50 for a succession under administration or by simple possession, and $256.50 at the clerk's reduced rate for a smaller gross estate. The clerk states that the amount is a non-refundable filing fee, not a deposit.
Does Orleans Parish have local succession forms?
Yes. The clerk publishes Docket 1 succession forms, including letters, will orders, oath, bond, and publication notice forms. The clerk also publishes a new-suit cover sheet with succession case-type codes and an in forma pauperis affidavit.
Can I file an Orleans succession electronically?
The clerk publishes in-person and mail contact channels for the Civil Division, but does not publish a public electronic filing route for Orleans succession pleadings on its site. Attorney filings are governed by La. C.C.P. art. 253. Call Docket 1 at (504) 407-0047 before relying on any electronic route, and remember that the original testament is delivered in original paper form and kept by the clerk under La. C.C.P. art. 2911.
How do I look up an Orleans succession case?
The clerk's Remote Access system covers Civil District Court records, with civil entries from 1985 and images from 2010. The Record Room can provide factual case information by phone at (504) 407-0036. Older completed successions may require Record Room retrieval, and land records are searched separately through the Land Records Division.
Where do I record a judgment of possession for Orleans property?
Record it with the Land Records Division at 1340 Poydras Street, 4th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112, not at the Docket 1 filing counter. For a one to five page judgment, the Land Records schedule effective August 1, 2017 lists $100.00, plus a $30.00 building fund fee effective August 28, 2017, including one certified copy and indexing of up to ten names.
Can I attend an Orleans succession matter by video?
The published Orleans court appendices do not state a video appearance rule for succession matters. If a matter is set, ask the assigned division what it permits. Many uncontested Louisiana successions proceed ex parte, so a hearing may not be part of the route.
Do I have to travel to New Orleans to get case information?
Not always. The Record Room can provide factual case information by phone at (504) 407-0036, civil records can be searched through the clerk's Remote Access subscription system, and land records have a separate online subscription system and public search computers at 1340 Poydras Street.
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.