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St. Landry Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | St. Landry Parish details |
|---|---|
| Court | The Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court, sitting in Opelousas with four divisions, A through D. |
| Filing office | St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court, St. Landry Parish Courthouse, 118 South Court Street, Suite 207, Opelousas, LA 70570. Succession filings go to the Courts Division, Suite 121, first floor. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571. |
| Phone | (337) 942-5606. Ask for the Courts Division at extension 5113. |
| Fax | Court Division contact fax: (337) 948-1653. Administration contact fax: (337) 948-9158. These are contact numbers, not a stated filing route. |
| Hours | The clerk does not publish counter hours for the Opelousas office. Call (337) 942-5606 and ask for the Courts Division before travelling. |
| Advance cost deposit | The clerk's published advance cost deposit for opening a succession is $400.00 on the schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. It is a deposit, not a total price, and costs draw against it under La. R.S. 13:842. |
| Local forms | No succession petition, checklist or packet is published. The clerk's forms are mortgage, conveyance and business filings. |
| E-filing | For attorney filings, state law effective January 1, 2026 requires filing in person in paper form or transmission through a system established by a clerk of court or by the Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority (La. C.C.P. art. 253). The St. Landry clerk publishes the LCRAA electronic filing rules adopted May 12, 2025, but does not publish a route for a self-represented filer. The original testament is filed in paper form and retained by the clerk (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911). |
| Case search | The clerk routes court-record searches through ClerkConnect, with the menu label covering criminal, traffic, civil and probate records. The subscription prices on the clerk's page read August 24, 2026 are $20.00 for one day, $50.00 for 30 days or $600.00 for 365 days, plus a $1.00 per page printing fee. The clerk states that eClerks LA is for land records only, priced on the clerk's page read August 24, 2026 at $20.00 for one day, $50.00 for 30 days or $500.00 for 365 days, plus a $1.00 per page printing fee. |
| Older files | The clerk states that civil suit indexes run from the beginning of the parish and images of actual documents begin in 1997. The Archives Department is in room 11 in the courthouse basement and lists succession holdings from 1807 to present. |
| Remote appearance | The Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court publishes no civil succession remote-appearance rule of its own. State law allows written notice at least ten days before a hearing in a civil proceeding that does not require witness testimony or evidence, subject to court technology and a written good-cause refusal (La. C.C.P. art. 195.1). Ask the Courts Division when a matter is set. |
| Website | https://stlandry.org/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in St. Landry Parish, make a practical inventory of the decedent's assets, debts, immovable property, financial accounts, vehicles, insurance and beneficiary designations. That first pass helps decide whether the estate settlement can use a simpler Louisiana succession route or needs administration through the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can search across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then help organize what belongs in the St. Landry Parish filing packet and what may pass outside the succession.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One courthouse serves St. Landry Parish successions: the St. Landry Parish Courthouse at 118 South Court Street in Opelousas. The clerk's general office address is Suite 207, but civil filings, including successions, are filed with the Courts Division in Suite 121 on the first floor.
St. Landry Parish is the sole parish of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District (La. R.S. 13:477). Opelousas and Eunice are the local communities named on the clerk's site, but wherever the decedent lived within St. Landry Parish, the succession is filed at the courthouse in Opelousas. The city courts are separate courts and are not the place to open a succession.
Louisiana venue is the district court of the parish where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was domiciled outside Louisiana, venue may be a parish where Louisiana immovable property is situated, or where movable property is situated if the decedent owned no Louisiana immovable property (La. C.C.P. art. 2811).
The jurisdiction process
- Collect the death certificate, the original testament if there is one, asset information, debt information and documents for any St. Landry Parish immovable property. The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court issues Louisiana death certificates for deaths from 2011 to present for $26.00 on the clerk's page read August 24, 2026, to immediate surviving family or to a beneficiary who brings the required proof.
- Choose the Louisiana succession route before filing. Common paths include use of a small succession affidavit where the statewide rules fit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. The choice affects who signs, what authority is needed and whether letters will issue.
- File the petition with the Courts Division of the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court, Suite 121, first floor, 118 South Court Street, Opelousas. Mail filings use P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571. Call (337) 942-5606 and ask for extension 5113 before travelling because counter hours are not published.
- Pay the advance cost deposit. The clerk's published deposit to open a succession is $400.00 on the schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. The clerk's own note says only an estimated final cost can be given before the final judgment or dismissal.
- If there is an original testament, submit it in paper form. An original testament is a paper filing carve-out under La. C.C.P. art. 253, and the clerk retains the original in perpetuity under La. C.C.P. art. 2911.
- The case is randomly allotted in equal shares among the four divisions of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court under La. C.C.P. art. 253.1 and the district's Appendix 9.3. The clerk's allotment system must be open to public viewing.
- In an uncontested matter, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint the succession representative under La. C.C.P. art. 282. A contested matter goes before the court. Once the succession representative qualifies, the clerk issues the proper letters under La. C.C.P. art. 3159. The St. Landry schedule prices letters of administration at $15.00 on the schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026.
- Prepare the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, handle estate debts with any required court authority and move toward the judgment of possession. The judgment of possession is the document that places heirs or legatees into possession.
- If the succession involves St. Landry Parish immovable property, record the judgment of possession with the clerk. The clerk's published charge is $110.00 for a document of up to five pages or $210.00 for a document over five pages, on the recording schedule read August 24, 2026, and the base charge includes up to ten indexed names and a certified copy.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. Landry Parish
The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court does not publish a succession petition, checklist, affidavit template or packet, and the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court's published local rules do not add a succession form. Louisiana successions are opened by petitions drafted to the Code rather than by a statewide form set.
The clerk's published form library is limited to mortgage, conveyance and business filings, including cancellation, assumed business name, real estate mortgage certificate and mortgage or vendor's lien cancellation documents. Do not file the Louisiana Civil Case Reporting Form with a succession; that form is tied to offense and quasi-offense litigation, not succession proceedings.
Fees
| Cost item | Published St. Landry Parish amount |
|---|---|
| Opening a succession | $400.00 advance cost deposit on the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. The clerk states that only an estimated final cost can be given before the final judgment or dismissal. |
| Electronic and paper fee parity | In the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District, a page, document, exhibit, attachment, transcript, deposition or record the clerk receives by electronic means is treated the same as a paper copy and carries the same fees authorized for the paper equivalent (La. R.S. 13:841(E)). This is a parity rule, not a higher charge or a discount. |
| Letters of administration | $15.00 on the clerk's schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. The schedule does not publish a separate price for letters testamentary or letters of independent administration. |
| Judgment of possession recording | $110.00 for up to five pages or $210.00 over five pages on the clerk's recording schedule read August 24, 2026. The base recording charge includes up to ten indexed names and a certified copy. |
| Copies from the court file | $1.00 per page and $5.00 certified on the clerk's court-cost schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. |
| Death certificate from this clerk | $26.00 on the clerk's page read August 24, 2026. The office states that it can issue Louisiana death certificates for deaths from 2011 to present, subject to the requester rules on the clerk's page. |
Timeline
- The petition is filed with the Courts Division of the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court in Suite 121, and the advance cost deposit is paid.
- The case is randomly allotted in equal shares among the four divisions of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court under La. C.C.P. art. 253.1 and the district's Appendix 9.3. The clerk maintains an allotment system open to public viewing.
- After allotment, proceedings are conducted by the judge of the assigned division, but the district's rule expressly permits any judge to hear an uncontested civil matter allotted to another division.
- Each division holds criminal sessions in three named months and civil sessions in the other nine. Division A has criminal sessions in January, May and September; Division B in February, June and October; Division C in March, July and November; and Division D in April, August and December. The same rule allows judges to schedule civil matters during a criminal session.
- When a matter must be set, the court's rules make Friday at 9:00 a.m. motion and rule day for all divisions, unless the affected judge fixes a different date or time.
Local nuance
St. Landry Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| St. Landry has its own fee-parity statute | La. R.S. 13:841(E) is written for the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District. It treats an electronically received page or document the same as a paper copy for fee purposes. It does not change whether a particular filer may transmit electronically. |
| The useful filing counter is Suite 121 | The clerk's general office address is Suite 207, but civil filings, including successions, go to the Courts Division in Suite 121 on the first floor. Archives are in room 11 in the basement. |
| Older St. Landry succession files may be paper files | The clerk states that civil indexes run from the beginning of the parish, while images of actual documents begin in 1997. The Archives Department lists succession holdings from 1807 to present. |
| The archives include older regional holdings | The clerk states that its holdings include records for present-day St. Landry and for Acadia, Evangeline, Jefferson, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu and Cameron parishes before the mid-1800s. Current successions for those other parishes are not filed in St. Landry Parish. |
| Published counter hours are absent | The clerk publishes addresses, extensions, fax numbers, filing deposits and subscription prices, but not ordinary counter hours. Call the Courts Division before travelling. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| August 1, 2026 | Act 293 of 2026 changed Louisiana's statewide small succession ceiling for a Louisiana-domiciled decedent (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). St. Landry Parish does not publish a separate small-succession deposit. |
| January 1, 2026 | Louisiana's attorney filing rule took effect. Attorney filings are made in person in paper form or transmitted through a system established by a clerk of court or by the Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority, with the original testament handled in paper form (La. C.C.P. art. 253). |
| May 12, 2025 | The electronic filing rules that the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court publishes are marked adopted May 12, 2025. |
Scenarios
| Situation | St. Landry Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | This is usually a community property and usufruct issue. The surviving spouse already owns that spouse's half of the community property, while the succession addresses the decedent's half. If the home is in St. Landry Parish, the judgment of possession is recorded with the clerk after the court signs it. The local succession deposit is $400.00 on the clerk's schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026, and recording the judgment is $110.00 for up to five pages or $210.00 over five pages on the recording schedule read August 24, 2026. | Sunset helps identify accounts, confirm property details, organize the estate settlement packet and connect the family with a Louisiana succession attorney when the home needs clear title. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small succession | The small succession affidavit route depends on Louisiana's statewide rules and the facts of the estate. Locally, St. Landry Parish publishes one succession deposit, $400.00 on the schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026, and no separate small-succession figure. The clerk publishes no counter hours and no email address, so call the Courts Division at extension 5113 before mailing or travelling. | Sunset helps gather asset information, flag missing accounts, organize the documents needed for estate settlement and route questions about local filing cost to the right office. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often points toward administration or independent administration, depending on the facts. The petition is filed with the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court, the case is allotted among the four divisions, and the clerk issues letters after the succession representative qualifies. The clerk's schedule prices letters of administration at $15.00, effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. | Sunset helps locate accounts and debts, prepare an organized attorney handoff, and connect the parent with counsel who can address authority to sell the immovable property. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court, Courts Division | Filing and recording office for St. Landry Parish successions. Staff can provide filing logistics, department routing and copies, but cannot choose a succession route or draft a petition for you. | (337) 942-5606, Courts Division extension 5113. Courthouse filing counter: Suite 121, first floor. |
| Acadiana Legal Service Corporation | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income Louisianians in its service area. Its site names civil case areas including estate planning, but does not advertise succession representation. | 1-866-275-2572, also written as 1-866-ASK-ALSC. Online applications are available through the organization. |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | State legal information site with an Estates, Wills, And Guardianships topic, a legal aid directory searchable by parish and the Louisiana Civil Legal Navigator. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research resource operated by the Louisiana Supreme Court, including self-represented-litigant materials and research guides. | https://lasc.libguides.com/ |
When to hire an attorney
A St. Landry Parish succession often calls for counsel when there is immovable property to sell, a testament is opposed, heirs disagree, a nonresident succession representative needs a Louisiana agent, or the family cannot tell whether administration, independent administration or possession without administration fits. Neither the clerk nor the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court publishes a succession petition packet, and the clerk's office cannot give legal advice. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families build a clearer picture of what belongs in the succession and what may pass outside it.
Generate the probate packet. For St. Landry Parish, Sunset helps organize the estate settlement information an attorney or family needs for the petition, asset list, debt list, death certificate and local filing steps.
Find a local probate attorney. Louisiana succession practice is highly local, and St. Landry Parish does not publish a fill-in succession packet. Sunset can connect the family with a vetted attorney for the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court process.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, find assets and get connected with help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in St. Landry Parish?
File with the Courts Division of the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court in Suite 121 on the first floor of the St. Landry Parish Courthouse, 118 South Court Street, Opelousas. The mailing address is P.O. Box 750, Opelousas, LA 70571.
What court hears St. Landry Parish successions?
St. Landry Parish successions are heard in the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court. St. Landry Parish is the only parish in that judicial district (La. R.S. 13:477).
How much is the St. Landry Parish succession deposit?
The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court publishes a $400.00 advance cost deposit for opening a succession on the schedule effective February 1, 2024, read August 24, 2026. It is a deposit, and the clerk's schedule states that only an estimated final cost can be given before the final judgment or dismissal.
Does St. Landry Parish publish succession forms?
No local succession petition, checklist or packet is published by the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court or in the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court's local rules. The clerk's posted forms are mortgage, conveyance and business filings.
Can I look up a St. Landry Parish succession online?
The clerk routes court-record searches through ClerkConnect, and the clerk's menu label includes criminal, traffic, civil and probate records. The clerk separately states that eClerks LA is for land records only. The clerk states that civil indexes run from the beginning of the parish and images of actual documents begin in 1997.
Can I e-file a St. Landry Parish succession?
State law effective January 1, 2026 governs attorney filings through in-person paper filing or electronic transmission through an authorized system (La. C.C.P. art. 253). The St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court publishes LCRAA electronic filing rules but does not publish a self-represented filer route. Ask the Courts Division at extension 5113 before attempting to transmit anything electronically. The original testament is filed in paper form and retained by the clerk (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911).
Are hearings remote in St. Landry Parish successions?
The Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court publishes no civil succession remote-appearance rule of its own. Under La. C.C.P. art. 195.1, a party in a civil proceeding that needs no witness testimony or evidence may give written notice at least ten days before the hearing that the party will appear by audio-visual means, subject to court technology and the court's ability to decline in writing for good cause. Ask the clerk or the assigned division when a hearing is actually set.
Do I need to travel to Opelousas?
Many succession steps can be prepared before anyone goes to the courthouse, and filings may be mailed when appropriate. Because St. Landry Parish does not publish counter hours or a self-represented e-filing route, call (337) 942-5606 and ask for the Courts Division at extension 5113 before planning travel.
Where are older St. Landry Parish succession files kept?
The clerk's Archives Department is in room 11 in the courthouse basement and lists succession holdings from 1807 to present. The clerk states that images of actual civil documents begin in 1997, so older matters may require archive assistance rather than an image search.
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.