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St. John the Baptist Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | St. John the Baptist Parish information |
|---|---|
| Court | The Fortieth Judicial District Court |
| Courthouse address | St. John the Baptist Parish Courthouse, 2393 Highway 18, Edgard, LA 70049 |
| Second clerk location | 1811 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace, LA 70068. Call before filing a succession to confirm which office should receive the papers. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 280, Edgard, LA 70049 |
| Phone | Edgard: (985) 497-3331. LaPlace: (985) 652-8041. |
| Fax | Civil fax: (985) 497-3972 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The LaPlace office closes for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily. |
| Filing fee | Succession costs are collected as an advance cost deposit under La. R.S. 13:842(A). Call the clerk for the current St. John the Baptist Parish succession deposit before filing. |
| Local forms | No local succession forms or succession checklist are published by the clerk or the Fortieth Judicial District Court. |
| E-filing | Attorney civil e-filing is available through eClerksLA and ClerkConnect under La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2). Self-represented filers should ask the clerk what the office accepts. An original testament is handled in paper form and retained by the clerk under La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a) and art. 2911. |
| Case search | The clerk describes eClerksLA and ClerkConnect as providing civil and criminal inquiry plus civil e-filing. The clerk does not separately identify succession coverage in those portals. |
| Remote appearance | The Fortieth Judicial District Court offers a video-conference option governed by its standing order. Ask the court whether it applies to your succession setting before relying on it. |
| Website | https://www.sjbparishclerk.gov/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in St. John the Baptist Parish, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, heirs, legatees, and any original testament. Louisiana succession papers depend on whether property is movable or immovable, whether the property is community property or separate property, and whether the family can proceed without an administration.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help you organize that information before the petition is prepared. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help identify accounts and assets that family members may not know about, which makes the St. John the Baptist Parish filing more complete from the start.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for St. John the Baptist Parish are filed with the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court and heard in the Fortieth Judicial District Court. The parish seat courthouse is in Edgard at 2393 Highway 18, and the clerk also lists a LaPlace office at 1811 W. Airline Hwy. Because the clerk does not state which location receives succession filings, call the office before you bring or mail the papers.
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 succession 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, the original testament if one exists, a list of heirs and legatees, account information, debt information, and a description of any immovable property in St. John the Baptist Parish.
- Choose the Louisiana succession route with counsel or another qualified adviser: small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. The right route depends on the testament, the assets, debts, and whether all required parties agree.
- Prepare the petition and supporting papers for filing with the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court. Louisiana has no statewide succession form set, and this parish does not publish a local succession packet.
- Call the clerk before filing to confirm the current advance cost deposit and whether the Edgard office or the LaPlace office should receive the succession papers.
- File the petition with the clerk of court. If there is an original testament, handle it in paper form because an original testament is retained in perpetuity by the clerk when it is probated or ordered filed and executed (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a), art. 2911).
- If the matter is uncontested, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint the succession representative where Louisiana law allows (La. C.C.P. art. 282, art. 283). A contested matter goes to the district judge.
- After the succession representative qualifies, the clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration, as applicable (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Prepare the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, manage assets, and address debts. A succession representative pays estate debts with court authorization unless an exception applies (La. C.C.P. art. 3301).
- Ask the court for a judgment of possession when the succession is ready to close. The court renders and signs the judgment of possession under the applicable Louisiana procedure (La. C.C.P. art. 3061, art. 3381).
- If immovable property is involved, record the judgment or other required succession document in the appropriate conveyance records so the title chain reflects the transfer.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist Parish does not publish a local succession form, petition template, or succession checklist on the Clerk of Court forms page or the Fortieth Judicial District Court forms page. A succession is opened by a petition drafted to Louisiana law, not by completing a statewide succession packet.
The clerk's forms page includes general civil and recording forms, but those are not a local succession packet. If you are filing without a lawyer, call the clerk for filing logistics and use legal help to decide what papers the succession requires.
Local nuance
St. John the Baptist Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a succession |
|---|---|
| Two clerk locations | The clerk lists an Edgard courthouse office and a LaPlace office. Because the clerk does not state which location receives succession filings, call before bringing or mailing papers. |
| LaPlace lunch closure | The LaPlace office closes from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily. Plan filing trips around that closure. |
| Sole-parish district | The Fortieth Judicial District Court serves St. John the Baptist Parish only. Do not look for a neighboring parish courthouse for this succession. |
| Video-conference option | The Fortieth Judicial District Court offers a video-conference page governed by a standing order. Ask the court whether that option applies to your particular succession setting. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Small successions | Act 293 of 2026 became effective August 1, 2026, raising the Louisiana-domiciled small succession amount to $200,000, effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). |
| Attorney filing rule | La. C.C.P. art. 253 took effect for attorney filings on January 1, 2026. Attorneys may deliver filings in paper form or transmit them through an authorized electronic system, and an original testament is expressly handled in paper form. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely St. John the Baptist Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the community property analysis. Each spouse owns an undivided one-half interest in community property, and the surviving spouse may have a usufruct over the decedent's share when descendants survive, subject to Louisiana's rules (La. C.C. art. 2336, art. 890). | Sunset helps identify the mortgage, insurance, bank accounts, and other assets so the estate settlement plan reflects what actually exists. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Confirm domicile and Louisiana property first. If the decedent was domiciled in Louisiana, the current small succession amount is $200,000, effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). If St. John the Baptist Parish is the proper venue, call the clerk before filing to confirm which office should receive the papers. | Sunset helps organize account information, property lists, family details, and document requests before the affidavit or petition is prepared. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often requires administration or independent administration before a judgment of possession closes the succession. The petition is filed with the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court for the Fortieth Judicial District Court. | Sunset helps gather title, mortgage, tax, and account information and can connect the family with a local attorney for the sale and succession filings. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court | Edgard: 2393 Highway 18, Edgard, LA 70049, (985) 497-3331. LaPlace: 1811 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace, LA 70068, (985) 652-8041. Mail: P.O. Box 280, Edgard, LA 70049. Email: [email protected]. The office accepts filings and can state the current advance deposit, but it does not choose the succession route or draft the petition. |
| Fortieth Judicial District Court | Publishes court information, forms and orders for non-succession matters, interpreter information, and a video-conference page at https://40thjdc.org/. |
| Southeast Louisiana Legal Services | Call 1-844-244-7871. SLLS helps with uncontested successions in its service area, including St. John the Baptist Parish, subject to eligibility. |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Offers Louisiana self-help navigation for topics including estates, wills, and guardianships, plus a directory of legal aid organizations by parish. |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Publishes self-represented litigant research guides, including wills and estates materials. Use it as a research resource, not as legal advice for a specific filing. |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially helpful when the family disagrees, the original testament may be challenged, a home or other immovable property must be sold, a nonresident will serve as succession representative, forced heirship may apply, or the estate settlement needs independent administration. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property so the St. John the Baptist Parish succession starts with a fuller asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for a Louisiana succession petition, affidavit, inventory, or sworn detailed descriptive list, then helps turn that information into a usable estate settlement packet for review.
Find a local probate attorney. When the succession needs legal judgment, a contested issue, a sale of immovable property, or independent administration, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset. If a lawyer is needed, the attorney relationship and any legal fee are handled separately with that lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in St. John the Baptist Parish?
File with the St. John the Baptist Parish Clerk of Court for the Fortieth Judicial District Court. The courthouse office is at 2393 Highway 18 in Edgard, and the clerk also lists a LaPlace office at 1811 W. Airline Hwy. Call first to confirm which office should receive the succession papers.
Is the Fortieth Judicial District Court shared with another parish?
No. The Fortieth Judicial District Court serves St. John the Baptist Parish only.
Does St. John the Baptist Parish publish local succession forms?
No local succession forms, petition templates, or succession checklists are published by the Clerk of Court or the Fortieth Judicial District Court. A Louisiana succession is prepared as a petition or affidavit under the Code of Civil Procedure.
Can I e-file a succession in St. John the Baptist Parish?
The clerk lists civil e-filing through eClerksLA and ClerkConnect, and Louisiana's January 1, 2026 attorney filing rule appears in La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2). Self-represented filers should ask the clerk what the office accepts. If there is an original testament, it is handled in paper form and retained by the clerk under La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a) and art. 2911.
Can I look up a St. John the Baptist Parish succession online?
The clerk describes eClerksLA and ClerkConnect as civil and criminal inquiry portals with civil e-filing. The clerk does not separately say that those portals include succession records, so use the portals for the available civil inquiry and call the clerk if you need a succession record that does not appear.
What is the filing fee for a St. John the Baptist Parish succession?
Call the clerk for the current advance cost deposit before filing. Louisiana succession costs are collected as deposits under La. R.S. 13:842(A), and the St. John the Baptist Parish succession deposit amount is not stated in readable text on the clerk's public pages.
Can I attend a St. John the Baptist Parish succession hearing by video?
The Fortieth Judicial District Court offers a video-conference option governed by a standing order. Ask the court whether video appearance is allowed for your particular succession setting before you rely on it.
Will every St. John the Baptist Parish succession have a hearing?
Many Louisiana successions proceed through written filings, especially when the matter is uncontested. If the court sets a hearing or if a dispute arises, follow the instructions from the Fortieth Judicial District Court and ask about any video-conference procedure at that time.
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.