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St. Mary Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | St. Mary Parish details |
|---|---|
| Court | Sixteenth Judicial District Court |
| Filing office | St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court |
| Courthouse address | 500 Main Street, Suite 201, Franklin, LA 70538 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Drawer 1231, Franklin, LA 70538-1231 |
| Phone | (337) 828-4100 |
| Fax | (337) 828-2509 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays |
| Filing fee | $300 advance deposit for successions and probates, dated April 1, 2024 |
| Local forms | No succession-specific petition, checklist, or cover sheet is published by the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court |
| E-filing | Attorneys use CottFile for civil and criminal filings after the July 31, 2026 cutover. Self-represented filers should ask the clerk what the office accepts. |
| Case search | ESearch, branded Verdict, searches civil, probate, and criminal index and docket history. No pleading images are available through ESearch. |
| Land records | eClerk is separate from ESearch and covers land-record searches. Conveyance and mortgage images are available there. |
| Remote appearance | No civil succession remote-appearance rule is published. Ask the clerk when a matter is set. |
| Website | https://stmaryparishclerkofcourt.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file a St. Mary Parish succession, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, account numbers, titles, insurance, and any immovable property. The right estate settlement path depends on what exists, who is entitled to it, and whether anyone is likely to object.
Sunset can help organize that first pass by checking more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets, then turning the results into an estate settlement plan for the St. Mary Parish filing office in Franklin.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for St. Mary Parish are filed with the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court at 500 Main Street, Suite 201, Franklin, LA 70538. St. Mary Parish is part of the Sixteenth Judicial District Court, which also serves Iberia and St. Martin Parishes, but St. Mary filings stay with the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court in Franklin.
Venue follows Louisiana's succession rule: 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 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
- Gather the death certificate, the original testament if there is one, account information, debts, vehicle titles, land descriptions, and any documents showing community property or separate property.
- Choose the Louisiana route before filing: a small succession affidavit, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration. The choice turns on the assets, debts, testament, heirs, legatees, and whether a succession representative is needed.
- Prepare the petition or affidavit for the correct route. St. Mary Parish does not publish a succession-specific local form set, so the filing is drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure.
- File the succession papers with the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court in Franklin and pay the $300 advance deposit for successions and probates, dated April 1, 2024.
- Deliver the original testament in paper form when one exists. Louisiana allows the original testament to be filed in paper form, and the clerk retains a probated or filed-and-executed original testament in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a), art. 2911).
- Use CottFile for attorney electronic filing after the July 31, 2026 St. Mary Parish cutover. A self-represented filer should ask the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court whether the office accepts that person's filing electronically, in person, or by mail.
- If the matter is uncontested, the clerk of court may probate an unopposed testament and confirm or appoint a succession representative when Louisiana law allows those clerk actions (La. C.C.P. art. 282, art. 283). Contested issues are handled by the court.
- After the succession representative qualifies, the clerk issues letters testamentary, letters of administration, or letters of independent administration, depending on the route and appointment (La. C.C.P. art. 3159).
- Complete the required inventory or sworn detailed descriptive list, address debts through the proper court process, and request the judgment of possession when the succession is ready to close.
- If the judgment of possession affects St. Mary Parish immovable property, record it in the parish conveyance records so the land records show the transfer.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Parish publishes no succession-specific petition, checklist, or cover sheet. The clerk's Forms and Fees page lists mortgage and UCC forms, a general civil forma pauperis form, and criminal forms, but not a succession packet.
Louisiana does not use a statewide succession form set. A St. Mary Parish succession is opened with a petition drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, and the original testament, if any, is handled separately in paper form.
Fees
| Fee item | Amount | Date | When it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Successions and probates advance deposit | $300 | April 1, 2024 | Paid when opening a St. Mary Parish succession that uses the clerk's civil advance-deposit schedule. |
| Recording, 1 to 5 pages | $105 | Effective July 1, 2025 | May apply when recording a judgment of possession involving St. Mary Parish immovable property. |
| Recording, 6 to 25 pages | $205 | Effective July 1, 2025 | May apply when the recorded judgment of possession and attachments fall in this page range. |
| Recording, 26 to 50 pages | $305 | Effective July 1, 2025 | May apply when the recorded judgment of possession and attachments fall in this page range. |
The opening payment is an advance deposit. Costs are charged against it, and the clerk may require additional costs when the deposit is exhausted (La. R.S. 13:842(A)).
Local nuance
St. Mary Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Shared Sixteenth Judicial District | St. Mary Parish shares the Sixteenth Judicial District Court with Iberia and St. Martin Parishes, but St. Mary succession filings are made with the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court in Franklin. |
| Franklin name trap | Franklin is the courthouse city for St. Mary Parish. Franklin Parish is a different Louisiana parish with a different courthouse and a different judicial district. |
| ESearch and eClerk are different systems | ESearch, branded Verdict, searches civil, probate, and criminal index and docket history with no pleading images. eClerk is the separate land-record search with conveyance and mortgage images. |
| Original testament handling | St. Mary Parish's e-recording information says wills are not accepted electronically, which fits Louisiana's paper handling for an original testament under La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a) and art. 2911. |
| CottFile transition | The St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court began accepting civil and criminal filings through CottFile on July 16, 2026 and stated that after July 31, 2026, electronic filings would no longer be accepted through another electronic filing system. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed | Why it matters in St. Mary Parish |
|---|---|---|
| CottFile local transition | St. Mary Parish began accepting civil and criminal filings through CottFile on July 16, 2026, with a July 31, 2026 electronic filing cutover. | Attorneys filing civil succession papers electronically should use the current St. Mary Parish platform. Self-represented filers should ask the clerk what filing method the office accepts. |
| Attorney filing rule | On and after January 1, 2026, attorney filings are made in person in paper form or electronically through a clerk-established system or the Louisiana Clerks' Remote Access Authority system (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2)). | The rule affects how lawyers file in St. Mary Parish, while the original testament remains a paper item under La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a). |
| Small succession ceiling | Act 293 of 2026, effective August 1, 2026, raised the Louisiana-domiciled small succession ceiling to $200,000 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). | Use the current Louisiana figure when evaluating whether a St. Mary Parish estate settlement may fit the small succession affidavit route. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely St. Mary Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home in St. Mary Parish | Start by identifying community property and separate property. If the home includes the decedent's community half, Louisiana's usufruct rules may affect the spouse and descendants, and the judgment of possession should be recorded in St. Mary Parish land records. | Sunset gathers account and property information, organizes the family map, and prepares an estate settlement checklist for the Franklin filing office. |
| Out-of-state adult child handling a modest St. Mary Parish estate | If the decedent was domiciled in Louisiana and the facts fit the statewide small succession affidavit rules, the current Louisiana-domiciled ceiling is $200,000, effective August 1, 2026 (La. C.C.P. art. 3421). St. Mary Parish land records may still need a recorded affidavit or judgment if immovable property is involved. | Sunset helps locate assets before the child travels, separates account collection from land-record steps, and connects the family with local counsel if a petition is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | A sale of St. Mary Parish immovable property often requires administration or independent administration so someone has authority to act before the final judgment of possession. File in Franklin if St. Mary Parish is the proper venue. | Sunset builds the asset inventory, tracks debts and title issues, and helps the family decide whether a local attorney should handle the succession filing and sale authority. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court | Accepts succession filings, collects deposits, issues letters when ordered or allowed, and maintains the court and land records. Staff can answer office and filing logistics questions, but not legal questions. | 500 Main Street, Suite 201, Franklin, LA 70538. Mail to P.O. Drawer 1231, Franklin, LA 70538-1231. Phone (337) 828-4100. Fax (337) 828-2509. |
| St. Mary Parish ESearch, Verdict | Online civil, probate, and criminal index and docket-history search. Pleading images are not available through this search. | Use the ESearch link on the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court website. |
| Acadiana Legal Service Corporation | Free civil legal help for low-income Louisianians in its service area, subject to eligibility and case-type priorities. The program does not advertise succession representation. | 1-866-275-2572 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | Public legal information site with topics including Estates, Wills, And Guardianships and a legal aid directory searchable by parish. | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Research guides and legal research materials for self-represented litigants. | https://www.lasc.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, helps identify accounts, and organizes the property picture before the St. Mary Parish succession is filed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into a clear estate settlement packet for the Louisiana succession route, including the documents and local filing details the family can review with counsel.
Find a local probate attorney. When a St. Mary Parish succession needs legal work, Sunset helps connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney familiar with succession filings and judgment of possession practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement steps, organize asset discovery, and decide what needs to happen next without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a succession in St. Mary Parish?
File with the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court at 500 Main Street, Suite 201, Franklin, LA 70538. St. Mary Parish is in the Sixteenth Judicial District Court, which also serves Iberia and St. Martin Parishes, but St. Mary filings stay in Franklin.
Is Franklin the same as Franklin Parish?
No. Franklin is the courthouse city for St. Mary Parish. Franklin Parish is a different Louisiana parish, and its courthouse is not the filing place for a St. Mary Parish succession.
Does St. Mary Parish have local probate forms?
The St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court does not publish a succession-specific petition, checklist, or cover sheet. A succession petition is drafted to Louisiana law, and the clerk's published forms are for other categories such as mortgage, UCC, civil forma pauperis, and criminal forms.
What is the St. Mary Parish filing fee for a succession?
The St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court's civil advance-deposit schedule lists a $300 deposit for successions and probates, dated April 1, 2024. Additional costs may apply, including recording fees if a judgment of possession is recorded for immovable property.
Can I look up a St. Mary Parish succession online?
Yes, St. Mary Parish ESearch, branded Verdict, includes civil, probate, and criminal index and docket history. It does not provide pleading images. Land records are searched separately through eClerk.
Can attorneys e-file St. Mary Parish succession papers?
St. Mary Parish moved civil and criminal electronic filing to CottFile in July 2026. The clerk's notice states that after July 31, 2026, electronic filings are no longer accepted through another electronic filing system. The statewide attorney filing rule is at La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2).
Can a self-represented person use CottFile in St. Mary Parish?
The St. Mary Parish notice is addressed to lawyers and does not state the self-represented filing rule. If you are filing without a lawyer, ask the St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court whether the office will accept your filing electronically, in person, or by mail.
Can the original testament be sent electronically in St. Mary Parish?
No electronic image replaces the original testament. Louisiana allows the original testament to be delivered in paper form, and the clerk retains it in perpetuity when it is probated or ordered filed and executed (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a), art. 2911).
Do I have to travel to Franklin for a St. Mary Parish succession?
It depends on the filing method, whether original documents are needed, whether a hearing is set, and whether you have a lawyer. Many succession steps are handled through filings, but remote appearance for civil succession matters is not published locally, so ask the clerk when the matter is set.
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.