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St. James Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | St. James Parish information |
|---|---|
| Court | The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | St. James Parish Clerk of Court |
| Courthouse address | 5800 LA Highway 44, 2nd Floor, Convent, LA 70723 |
| Mailing address | Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 63, Convent, LA 70723 |
| Civil line | (225) 562-2270 or (225) 562-2360 |
| Fax | (225) 562-2383 |
| Hours | The clerk does not post separate counter hours. The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court posts 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Call the civil line before traveling or mailing an original testament. |
| Filing fee | Succession filing fee of $400.00, effective August 1, 2025. Double succession filing fee of $500.00, effective August 1, 2025. Each additional service is $100.00, effective August 1, 2025. |
| Local forms | No local succession form packet is published by the St. James Parish Clerk of Court. |
| E-filing | St. James Parish offers civil e-filing through the portal linked from the clerk site. Attorneys use paper filing or an authorized electronic system under Louisiana's filing rule effective January 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 253). The original testament is delivered on paper and retained by the clerk (La. C.C.P. art. 2911). Self-represented filers should call the civil line for current local acceptance. |
| Case search | The clerk site links to the LCRAA portal and to a St. James conveyance and mortgage search. The clerk site does not say that succession case filings are searchable online. Call the civil line to check a specific succession. |
| Remote appearance | The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court publishes video conference instructions that require a meeting ID or division password. State law also gives a notice route for some non-evidentiary civil hearings when its conditions are met (La. C.C.P. art. 195.1). Ask the clerk or assigned division before relying on video appearance. |
| Website | stjamesclerk.com and 23rdjdc.org |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a succession path in St. James Parish, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, title documents, account statements, and any original testament. Louisiana procedure turns on the type of property, whether immovable property is involved, who must be sent into possession, and whether a succession representative such as an executor or administrator is needed.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then turns that information into a local filing plan. That helps you avoid opening a St. James Parish succession before you know what the estate actually owns and owes.
Which court handles jurisdiction
St. James Parish successions are filed with the St. James Parish Clerk of Court at 5800 LA Highway 44, 2nd Floor, Convent. The matter is heard in the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court, which also serves Ascension and Assumption Parishes, but St. James Parish filings stay with the St. James Parish Clerk of Court.
Louisiana venue is based on domicile. A proceeding to open a succession is brought in the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Louisiana, the succession may be opened in a parish where the decedent had immovable property, or where movable property is located if the decedent had no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original testament if one exists, property descriptions, account information, debt information, and names and addresses for heirs and legatees.
- Decide which Louisiana succession route fits: a small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. The choice depends on the property, debts, family structure, and whether a succession representative is needed.
- Prepare the petition or affidavit for the Louisiana route selected. St. James Parish does not publish a local succession packet, so the filing is built from the Code of Civil Procedure rather than a parish form set.
- File with the St. James Parish Clerk of Court in Convent. Use the civil line, (225) 562-2270 or (225) 562-2360, to confirm current delivery and e-filing options before submitting.
- Pay the St. James Parish succession filing fee. The published local schedule lists $400.00 for a succession, effective August 1, 2025, and $500.00 for a double succession, effective August 1, 2025. Each additional service is $100.00, effective August 1, 2025.
- Deliver the original testament on paper if there is one. Louisiana law allows certain original documents, including an original testament, to be delivered in paper form, and the clerk retains the original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911).
- If the matter is uncontested, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint a succession representative where the Code allows it (La. C.C.P. arts. 282, 283). Contested issues go before the court.
- Obtain the authority document 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 court authorization where required, and administer the property under the applicable Louisiana route.
- Close the succession by judgment of possession when the estate is ready to be placed in the hands of the heirs or legatees. If immovable property is involved, make sure the judgment or other required instrument is recorded where Louisiana law requires recordation.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. James Parish
St. James Parish does not publish a local succession petition template, checklist, or cover sheet. A direct forms page is not part of the clerk site's published succession materials, and the site's public navigation does not list a succession form packet.
Louisiana also does not publish a statewide succession form packet for parish filings. A St. James Parish succession is opened by petition, or by the proper affidavit route when Louisiana law allows it, and the civil line can tell you what the clerk's office currently wants for filing mechanics. The clerk can accept filings and quote costs, but does not choose the legal route or draft the petition for you.
Fees
The St. James Parish Clerk of Court publishes a civil filing fee schedule that lists succession costs separately from other civil filings.
| Local charge | Amount and effective date |
|---|---|
| Succession filing | $400.00, effective August 1, 2025 |
| Double succession filing | $500.00, effective August 1, 2025 |
| Each additional service | $100.00, effective August 1, 2025 |
Treat the payment as an advance cost deposit under Louisiana cost practice. Costs can be applied as the matter moves, and the clerk may require additional costs when more services are needed (La. R.S. 13:842).
Local nuance
St. James Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a St. James Parish succession |
|---|---|
| Shared judicial district | The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court serves Ascension, Assumption, and St. James Parishes. A St. James Parish succession is still filed with the St. James Parish Clerk of Court in Convent. |
| Local fee schedule | The clerk publishes a flat succession filing amount of $400.00, effective August 1, 2025, and a double succession amount of $500.00, effective August 1, 2025. |
| Online records | The clerk's dedicated search is described for conveyance and mortgage records. The public materials do not say that succession case filings are searchable online. |
| E-filing rules | The clerk has adopted civil e-filing rules effective May 12, 2025. Those rules are general and do not separately explain self-represented succession filings. |
| Video conference practice | The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court publishes video conference instructions that require a meeting ID or division password. Ask before assuming a succession setting can be handled by video. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| St. James Parish fee schedule | The clerk's civil schedule lists a succession filing fee of $400.00, effective August 1, 2025, a double succession filing fee of $500.00, effective August 1, 2025, and each additional service at $100.00, effective August 1, 2025. |
| St. James Parish e-filing rules | The clerk's electronic filing rules took effect May 12, 2025, and allow electronic filing of documents that may be filed conventionally unless law requires a different method. |
| Louisiana small succession law | Act 293 of 2026, effective August 1, 2026, raised the Louisiana-domiciled small succession figure to $200,000 and left $125,000 for a nonresident decedent's ancillary succession (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). |
| Attorney filing rule | Louisiana's attorney filing rule took effect January 1, 2026. Attorneys use in-person paper filing or an authorized electronic system, and the original testament remains a paper original under the Code (La. C.C.P. art. 253). |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying community property and separate property. Louisiana community property rules mean the decedent's one-half interest may be the succession property, and the surviving spouse's usufruct may matter when descendants survive (La. C.C. arts. 2336, 890). File any needed succession in Convent with the St. James Parish Clerk of Court. | Sunset helps collect title, mortgage, account, and debt information so the attorney can prepare the estate settlement papers around the correct Louisiana property categories. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Confirm domicile, Louisiana property, and whether the affidavit route fits. For a Louisiana-domiciled decedent, the current small succession figure is $200,000, effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). If a court filing is needed in St. James Parish, use the Convent clerk's office and confirm e-filing or mail options before sending originals. | Sunset helps identify accounts and generate an organized packet so an out-of-state child can decide what must be filed locally and what can be handled remotely. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often requires a more formal succession path, especially when debts, title issues, or multiple heirs are involved. The St. James Parish filing starts with the clerk in Convent, and the final authority to put heirs or legatees in possession comes through a judgment of possession. | Sunset helps organize property, debt, and heir information and can connect the family with a local attorney for the sale and succession strategy. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| St. James Parish Clerk of Court | Accepts civil succession filings, quotes current filing costs, receives original documents, and maintains the court filing record. Staff cannot give legal advice or draft a petition. | 5800 LA Highway 44, 2nd Floor, Convent, LA 70723. Civil line: (225) 562-2270 or (225) 562-2360. |
| Twenty-Third Judicial District Court | Publishes division information and video conference instructions for matters in Ascension, Assumption, and St. James Parishes. | 23rdjdc.org |
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services | May assist income-eligible people in St. James Parish with uncontested successions, wills, and powers of attorney. | 1-844-244-7871 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Public legal information site with an Estates, Wills, And Guardianships topic area and a legal help directory searchable by parish. | louisianalawhelp.org |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research resource from the Louisiana Supreme Court system, including self-represented-litigant materials and guides. | lasc.org |
When to hire an attorney
A St. James Parish succession is often lawyer-led when there is immovable property, a testament, forced heirship questions, a sale, a nonresident succession representative, disputed heirs, creditor problems, or a need for independent administration. Counsel is also useful when the family needs a judgment of possession that title companies and financial institutions will accept. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can identify bank, investment, retirement, insurance, and debt accounts before choosing a St. James Parish succession path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized estate settlement packet with the documents and details a Louisiana attorney needs to prepare the petition, affidavit, descriptive list, and related papers.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal help in the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney who understands St. James Parish succession filings.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate settlement, find assets, and understand next steps without paying Sunset for the core service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession for someone who lived in St. James Parish?
File with the St. James Parish Clerk of Court at 5800 LA Highway 44, 2nd Floor, Convent. The matter is heard in the Twenty-Third Judicial District Court, but St. James Parish filings are not sent to Ascension or Assumption Parish.
What is the St. James Parish succession filing fee?
The St. James Parish Clerk of Court's published schedule lists a succession filing fee of $400.00, effective August 1, 2025. A double succession is listed at $500.00, effective August 1, 2025, and each additional service is $100.00, effective August 1, 2025.
Does St. James Parish publish succession forms?
No local succession packet is published by the St. James Parish Clerk of Court. A succession is prepared as a petition or affidavit under Louisiana law, then filed with the clerk.
Can I e-file a St. James Parish succession?
St. James Parish offers civil e-filing through the portal linked from the clerk site, and the clerk adopted e-filing rules effective May 12, 2025. Attorneys follow Louisiana's filing rule effective January 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 253). The local materials do not separately explain self-represented succession filings, so call the civil line before submitting.
What happens to the original testament in St. James Parish?
The original testament is delivered on paper when it must be filed, and the clerk retains the original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911). Do not mail an original until you have confirmed the delivery address and filing instructions with the civil line.
Can I look up a St. James Parish succession online?
The clerk site links to the LCRAA portal and to a St. James conveyance and mortgage search. The dedicated St. James search is described for conveyance and mortgage records, and the public materials do not say that succession case filings appear online. Call (225) 562-2270 to check a specific succession.
Can I appear by video for a St. James Parish succession hearing?
The Twenty-Third Judicial District Court publishes video conference instructions that require a meeting ID or division password. Louisiana law also allows a notice route for some non-evidentiary civil proceedings when the conditions of La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 are met. Ask the clerk or assigned division before relying on remote appearance.
Do I have to travel to Convent to start the estate settlement?
Not always. Some filings may be mailed or submitted electronically depending on the document and the filer, but the original testament has special paper handling rules. Call the St. James Parish civil line before traveling, mailing originals, or relying on e-filing.
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.