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Red River Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Red River Parish details |
|---|---|
| Court | Thirty-Ninth Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | Red River Parish Clerk of Court |
| Courthouse address | 615 East Carroll Street, Coushatta, LA 71019 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 485, Coushatta, LA 71019 |
| Phone | (318) 932-6741 |
| Fax | (318) 932-3126 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed Saturday, Sunday, and state and federal holidays |
| Advance cost deposit | The civil page posted as of August 24, 2026 lists $225 for a small succession with no immovable property and $350 for a succession with immovable property. A separate PDF effective August 1, 2018 lists different succession deposits using a $125,000 dividing line that predates the current small succession figures in La. C.C.P. art. 3421. Call the clerk before filing. |
| Local forms | No succession-specific local petition, checklist, or affidavit form is published |
| E-filing | The clerk advertises civil e-filing through ClerkNet. The site does not say whether a self-represented succession filer may use it. Attorneys follow La. C.C.P. art. 253. |
| Case search | ClerkNet is the parish portal for 24/7 record search. The site does not identify succession-specific coverage. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the clerk when a matter is set. La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 may allow audio-visual appearance in a civil hearing that does not require witness testimony or evidence if timely written notice is given and the court has the required technology. |
| Website | https://redriverclerk.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Red River Parish, list the accounts, immovable property, vehicles, debts, and any testament. The right succession path depends on what the decedent owned, whether an original testament exists, whether property is community or separate, and whether administration is needed before a judgment of possession.
Sunset's estate settlement process can help you find accounts across more than 2,300 institutions, organize liabilities, and prepare a clearer filing conversation with the Red River Parish Clerk of Court or a Louisiana succession attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Red River Parish are filed with the Red River Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in Coushatta and heard in the Thirty-Ninth Judicial District Court. Red River Parish is the only parish in that judicial district, so there is no neighboring parish courthouse for ordinary Red River succession filings.
Louisiana venue is based on domicile. A proceeding to open a succession is brought 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 the deceased owned immovable property, 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, the original testament if one exists, a list of heirs or legatees, account information, debts, and documents for any immovable property in Red River Parish.
- Choose the Louisiana succession route with counsel if needed: a small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration.
- Prepare the petition or affidavit for the chosen route. Red River Parish does not publish a local succession packet, so the filing is usually drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure rather than copied from a local form.
- File with the Red River Parish Clerk of Court at 615 East Carroll Street in Coushatta, by mail to P.O. Box 485, Coushatta, LA 71019, or through an accepted electronic method if available for your filing type.
- Pay the advance cost deposit. The civil page posted as of August 24, 2026 lists $225 for a small succession with no immovable property and $350 for a succession with immovable property, while a separate PDF effective August 1, 2018 lists different figures. Confirm the amount before filing.
- Deliver the original testament on paper if there is one. Louisiana law allows the original testament to be filed in paper form, and the clerk retains the original in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. arts. 253(B)(3)(a), 2911).
- For an uncontested filing, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint a succession representative, such as an executor or administrator, when the Code allows it (La. C.C.P. arts. 282, 283).
- If administration is opened, the clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration after the succession representative qualifies (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Prepare the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, handle estate debts with required court authority, and keep the estate settlement moving toward closure.
- Ask the court to sign the judgment of possession. When immovable property is involved, record the required judgment or affidavit in the appropriate land records so title can be updated.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Red River Parish
The Red River Parish Clerk of Court publishes general civil, recording, marriage, and birth certificate materials, but it does not publish a succession-specific petition, checklist, or affidavit form.
Louisiana succession filings are usually prepared as petitions or affidavits that match the facts and the Code articles. Use the clerk's forms page to check filing logistics, but do not expect a local fill-in succession packet for Red River Parish.
Fees
Red River Parish publishes two different succession deposit references, so confirm the current deposit before you file.
| Fee item | Amount and date | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Live civil page succession deposit | $225 for a small succession with no immovable property, posted as of August 24, 2026 | This is the amount shown on the clerk's civil page. The page does not print an effective date. |
| Live civil page succession with immovable property | $350, posted as of August 24, 2026 | This is the amount shown on the clerk's civil page for a succession with immovable property. |
| Separate PDF succession deposit | $325 and $450 for petition types above the PDF's $125,000 dividing line, effective August 1, 2018 | The PDF uses a dividing line that predates the current small succession figures in La. C.C.P. art. 3421. |
| Separate PDF lower-band succession deposit | $350, effective August 1, 2018 | The PDF also says fees depend on the number of pages filed. |
An advance cost deposit is not the final cost of the succession. Costs draw against the deposit, and the clerk may require additional costs as the case proceeds under La. R.S. 13:842.
Local nuance
Red River Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Single-parish judicial district | Red River Parish is the only parish in the Thirty-Ninth Judicial District. Filings stay with the Red River Parish Clerk of Court in Coushatta. |
| Single-judge structure | The Louisiana Supreme Court appendix for the Thirty-Ninth Judicial District describes it as a single-judge district, so there is no local civil allotment process to explain for succession filings. |
| East Carroll Street address | The courthouse address includes East Carroll Street. That is a street name in Coushatta, not a reference to East Carroll Parish. |
| Two published fee references | The live civil page and the separate PDF list different succession deposits. Confirm the current amount with the clerk before sending payment. |
| ClerkNet portal | Red River Parish advertises its own ClerkNet portal for civil e-filing and 24/7 record search. The site does not state whether every succession filing appears in search results. |
| Multiple clerk functions | The clerk's office also handles land record, jury, and election functions, but succession filings still go through the civil filing side of the Clerk of Court's office. |
Recent updates
| Change | What changed |
|---|---|
| Small succession ceiling, effective August 1, 2026 | Act 293 changed the Louisiana-domiciled small succession ceiling to $200,000 under La. C.C.P. art. 3421. Older local fee materials may still use a $125,000 dividing line, which remains relevant only in the context stated in La. C.C.P. art. 3421. |
| Attorney filing rule, effective January 1, 2026 | La. C.C.P. art. 253 addresses filing by attorneys through paper delivery or authorized electronic transmission, and it preserves a paper route for an original testament. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Red River Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Identify whether the home was community property, determine the decedent's half, and address the surviving spouse's usufruct if descendants survive. A judgment of possession may be needed before title work can be completed. | Sunset helps organize the home, mortgage, account, and debt information so the estate settlement file is ready for a Louisiana succession attorney. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Start by checking domicile, Louisiana property, and whether a small succession affidavit is available under La. C.C.P. art. 3421. If filing is needed in Red River Parish, use the Coushatta clerk's office and confirm the current deposit. | Sunset helps locate accounts and prepare a practical asset list before you decide whether travel, mailing, or counsel is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property may require administration or independent administration before a judgment of possession or sale authority is complete. File in Red River Parish if venue belongs there under La. C.C.P. art. 2811. | Sunset helps assemble asset data, debts, and property information, then connects the family with local counsel when a sale or administration is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Red River Parish Clerk of Court | Accepts filings, provides the current advance cost deposit, maintains ClerkNet, and processes civil filings. Staff cannot choose your succession route or prepare your petition. | 615 East Carroll Street, Coushatta, LA 71019; (318) 932-6741; [email protected] |
| Acadiana Legal Service Corporation | Free civil help for eligible low-income people in its service area, subject to case priorities. The organization does not advertise succession representation. | 1-866-275-2572 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Public legal information site with an Estates, Wills, And Guardianships topic area and a legal help directory searchable by parish. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research resource from the Louisiana Supreme Court for self-represented litigants and legal researchers. | https://www.lasc.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Succession counsel is especially useful in Red River Parish when the estate includes immovable property, a home sale, a testament, heirs who disagree, a nonresident succession representative, forced heirship issues, or a need for administration or independent administration. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families identify accounts, balances, and assets that may belong in the Red River Parish succession.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information families need for estate settlement, including heirs, assets, liabilities, and property details, so the succession packet is easier to review with counsel.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Louisiana succession needs legal drafting, administration, a home sale, or a contested issue, Sunset helps connect the family with a vetted attorney familiar with local practice.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a guided estate settlement workspace, asset discovery, document organization, and attorney connection support at no cost to the family.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in Red River Parish?
File with the Red River Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in Coushatta. The court is the Thirty-Ninth Judicial District Court, and Red River Parish is the only parish in that district.
What is the courthouse address for Red River Parish successions?
The courthouse address is 615 East Carroll Street, Coushatta, LA 71019. Mail goes to P.O. Box 485, Coushatta, LA 71019.
Does Red River Parish have local succession forms?
No succession-specific local petition, checklist, or affidavit form is published by the Red River Parish Clerk of Court. Succession papers are usually drafted for the particular facts and the Louisiana Code articles.
How much is the Red River Parish succession filing deposit?
The civil page posted as of August 24, 2026 lists $225 for a small succession with no immovable property and $350 for a succession with immovable property. A separate PDF effective August 1, 2018 lists different deposits using a $125,000 dividing line that predates the current figures in La. C.C.P. art. 3421. Call the clerk before sending payment.
Can I e-file a Red River Parish succession?
The clerk advertises civil e-filing through ClerkNet. The site does not say whether a self-represented person may use ClerkNet for a succession filing. Attorneys follow the filing rule in La. C.C.P. art. 253, and an original testament is still delivered on paper under the statute's carve-out.
Can I look up a Red River Parish succession online?
Red River Parish uses ClerkNet for 24/7 record search. The clerk's site does not state whether a particular succession filing will appear there or whether search results include only index information or document images.
Will I need a hearing in Red River Parish?
Many Louisiana succession filings are presented without a routine hearing, especially when no one objects. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk how the Thirty-Ninth Judicial District Court will handle attendance for that setting.
Can I attend a Red River Parish succession hearing by video?
Remote attendance depends on the type of hearing, the presiding judge, the court's technology, and any timely written notice under La. C.C.P. art. 195.1. Ask about remote appearance when the matter is set.
Do I have to travel to Coushatta to open a succession?
Not always. Some filings may be handled by mail, counsel, or an accepted electronic process, depending on the filing type and clerk practice. Call the Red River Parish Clerk of Court before relying on a remote or mailed filing plan.
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.