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St. Martin Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | St. Martin Parish information |
|---|---|
| Court | Sixteenth Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court |
| Courthouse address | 415 St. Martin Street, St. Martinville, LA 70582 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 308, St. Martinville, LA 70582 |
| Phone | (337) 394-2210 |
| Fax | Main: (337) 394-7772. Civil: (337) 394-2240. Criminal: (337) 394-8404. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Advance cost deposit | The Clerk of Court does not publish a succession advance deposit online. Call (337) 394-2210 for the current amount before filing. |
| Local forms | No local succession form or checklist was found on the Clerk of Court site. |
| E-filing | Attorneys are subject to Louisiana's filing rule that took effect January 1, 2026. Self-represented filers should ask the Clerk of Court how the office wants the filing delivered. An original testament may be delivered in paper form and is retained by the clerk in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911). |
| Case search | The parish online records system covers mortgage, conveyance, civil, and criminal files by subscription. Documents are listed at $1.00 per page as of August 2026. eClerksLA is also a statewide access point. |
| Remote appearance | No local civil succession remote appearance rule is published for the Sixteenth Judicial District Court. Ask the Clerk of Court when a matter is set. |
| Website | https://www.smpcoc2.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in St. Martinville, make a practical inventory of the decedent's assets, debts, testament, heirs, and any immovable property. That first step helps you decide whether the estate settlement can proceed by affidavit, by possession without administration, or through a succession representative.
Sunset can search more than 2,300 financial institutions to help locate accounts and assets before you prepare the St. Martin Parish filing packet. That asset picture also helps a local attorney decide what should be filed with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for St. Martin Parish are filed with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court at the courthouse in St. Martinville. The proceeding is heard in the Sixteenth Judicial District Court, which also serves Iberia and St. Mary parishes, but St. Martin Parish filings are not filed in New Iberia or Franklin.
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 proceeding may be opened in a parish where Louisiana immovable property is located, or where movable property is located 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, asset information, debt information, heir and legatee names, and any deeds or account statements needed for the St. Martin Parish filing.
- Choose the Louisiana route before filing: a small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. The right route depends on the testament, the assets, debts, heirs, and whether a succession representative is needed.
- Prepare the petition, affidavits, descriptive list or inventory materials, proposed orders, and any proposed judgment of possession. St. Martin Parish does not publish a local succession form packet, so filings are usually drafted for the case.
- Ask the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court about the current advance cost deposit before filing. The office does not publish a succession deposit amount online.
- File with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court at 415 St. Martin Street in St. Martinville, or by the delivery method the clerk accepts for your filer type. Local Sixteenth Judicial District practice says succession and tutorship pleadings are routinely presented to an available judge in chambers before filing with the clerk.
- If there is an original testament, deliver the original in paper form. Louisiana law allows that original to be delivered in paper form, and the clerk retains the original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911).
- For an uncontested matter, the clerk of court can probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint a succession representative when the Code allows it (La. C.C.P. arts. 282, 283). The Sixteenth Judicial District Appendix also says an uncontested succession matter may be presented to any judge for hearing or signature.
- After qualification, the clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration when a succession representative is appointed or confirmed (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Administer the succession by collecting assets, preparing the inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, addressing written creditor claims, and seeking court authority where required for debt payment or transactions (La. C.C.P. arts. 3191, 3241, 3301).
- Close the estate settlement by obtaining a judgment of possession signed by the court and recording the judgment or other required documents when immovable property is involved.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. Martin Parish
St. Martin Parish does not publish a confirmed local succession form packet or checklist on the Clerk of Court site. Louisiana succession filings are typically drafted petitions and supporting documents rather than a statewide form packet.
Before filing, call the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court at (337) 394-2210 to ask what the office wants with your particular petition, how to handle any original testament, and what advance cost deposit is due.
Local nuance
St. Martin Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Shared judicial district | St. Martin Parish is in the Sixteenth Judicial District Court with Iberia and St. Mary parishes, but succession filings for St. Martin Parish stay with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court in St. Martinville (La. R.S. 13:477). |
| Eight divisions | The Sixteenth Judicial District Court has eight divisions, lettered A through H. |
| Uncontested succession routing | The Sixteenth Judicial District Appendix states that any uncontested succession matter may be presented to any judge for hearing or for signature of orders. |
| Chambers practice | The same Appendix states that succession and tutorship pleadings are routinely presented to any available judge in chambers before filing with the clerk. |
| Fax lines | The Clerk of Court publishes a main fax number and separate civil and criminal fax numbers. For succession filing questions, use the civil fax only if the clerk directs you to do so. |
| Place name | St. Martinville is the parish seat and courthouse city. St. Martin Parish is the jurisdiction. |
Recent updates
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Small succession ceiling changed effective August 1, 2026 | Act 293 of 2026 raised the Louisiana domiciliary small succession ceiling to $200,000, effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). |
| Attorney filing rule effective January 1, 2026 | Louisiana's filing rule now directs attorney filings to be delivered in paper form or transmitted electronically through a system established by a clerk of court or the Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority. The rule preserves paper handling for an original testament (La. C.C.P. art. 253). |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely St. Martin Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying community property and any separate property. Louisiana community property and the surviving spouse's usufruct can affect what goes into the succession and what the judgment of possession should say (La. C.C. arts. 2336, 890). | Sunset helps find accounts, organize title and account information, and prepare the asset list for the St. Martin Parish succession packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Confirm domicile, assets, and whether the small succession affidavit route fits. For a Louisiana-domiciled decedent, the current ceiling is $200,000 effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). If a filing is needed in St. Martin Parish, it goes to the Clerk of Court in St. Martinville. | Sunset helps identify accounts, generate a document checklist, and connect the family with Louisiana counsel when the affidavit route is uncertain. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often requires administration or independent administration so someone has authority to act before the final judgment of possession. The filing belongs with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court if venue is proper there. | Sunset helps collect asset information, prepare the attorney handoff, and find a local probate attorney for the court filings and sale authority. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it can help | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court | Filing location, current advance cost deposit, copies, records access, and questions about how the office accepts documents. The clerk's office cannot choose the legal route or draft the petition for you. | 415 St. Martin Street, St. Martinville, LA 70582. Phone: (337) 394-2210. |
| Acadiana Legal Service Corporation | Civil legal help for low-income applicants in its service area, subject to eligibility and case priorities. The organization does not advertise succession representation. | 1-866-275-2572 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Statewide legal information site with sections for Estates, Wills, And Guardianships, a legal aid organization directory searchable by parish, and online legal help applications. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research guides and self-represented litigant materials, including wills and estates resources. | https://lasc.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
A Louisiana probate attorney is especially useful when the succession includes immovable property, a testament, a possible contest, creditor issues, forced heirship questions, a nonresident succession representative, or a sale before the judgment of possession. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions so families can identify accounts, insurance, investments, and other assets before the St. Martin Parish estate settlement begins.
Generate the succession packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for petitions, affidavits, descriptive lists, and attorney review, tailored to the St. Martin Parish filing office.
Find a local probate attorney. When a succession needs legal filings, sale authority, independent administration, or a judgment of possession, Sunset can connect the family with a Louisiana attorney familiar with local court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the next steps, gather information, and move the estate settlement forward without paying Sunset for access.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in St. Martin Parish?
File with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court at 415 St. Martin Street in St. Martinville. The case is heard in the Sixteenth Judicial District Court, which also serves Iberia and St. Mary parishes, but St. Martin Parish filings stay in St. Martinville.
Is St. Martinville the same as St. Martin Parish?
No. St. Martinville is the courthouse city and parish seat. St. Martin Parish is the jurisdiction where the succession is filed if venue is proper there.
Can I e-file a St. Martin Parish succession?
The Clerk of Court site does not publish a St. Martin specific e-filing rule for self-represented filers. Attorneys are subject to Louisiana's January 1, 2026 filing rule (La. C.C.P. art. 253). Ask the Clerk of Court how your filing should be delivered.
What happens to the original testament in St. Martin Parish?
If an original testament is part of the succession, Louisiana law allows it to be delivered in paper form, and the clerk retains the original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. arts. 253, 2911).
Are there local succession forms for St. Martin Parish?
No local succession form packet or checklist was found on the Clerk of Court site. Call the Clerk of Court before filing to ask what the office wants with your petition and what advance cost deposit is due.
How much does it cost to open a succession in St. Martin Parish?
The Clerk of Court does not publish a succession advance cost deposit online. Call (337) 394-2210 for the current amount before you file.
Can I look up a St. Martin Parish succession online?
The parish online records system covers mortgage, conveyance, civil, and criminal files by subscription, with documents listed at $1.00 per page as of August 2026. The parish description does not separately name succession records. eClerksLA is also a statewide access point.
Will there be a hearing in my St. Martin Parish succession?
Many Louisiana succession steps are handled through written filings. The Sixteenth Judicial District Appendix states that an uncontested succession matter may be presented to any judge for hearing or signature of orders. Ask the Clerk of Court or your attorney what is expected for your filing.
Can I attend a St. Martin Parish succession hearing by phone or video?
No local civil succession remote appearance rule is published for the Sixteenth Judicial District Court. If a hearing is set, ask the Clerk of Court or the assigned division about the available appearance options.
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.