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Tensas Parish, LA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Tensas Parish details |
|---|---|
| Court | Sixth Judicial District Court, shared with East Carroll and Madison parishes |
| Filing office | Tensas Parish Clerk of Court |
| Courthouse address | 201 Hancock Street, Courthouse Square, St. Joseph, LA 71366 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 78, St. Joseph, LA 71366 |
| Phone | (318) 766-3921 |
| Fax | (318) 766-3926 |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Filing fee | $420.00 advance deposit for a petition with one service, effective August 1, 2017, on the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court civil advanced deposit schedule that names successions |
| Local forms | No local succession forms, checklist, or cover sheet are published by the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court or the Sixth Judicial District Court |
| E-filing | Tensas Parish does not publish an e-filing vendor or procedure. Attorneys are governed by La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2), and self-represented filers should ask the clerk what the office accepts. |
| Online record search | The clerk links to a Tensas Parish hosted login at cotthosting.com. The login page does not state whether succession filings appear as indexes, documents, or both. |
| Remote appearance | The Sixth Judicial District Court offers a video-conference option with a meeting ID from the court. La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 may also apply to qualifying civil hearings with ten days' written notice. |
| Website | https://www.tensasclerk.org/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Tensas Parish succession path, make a practical inventory of the decedent's assets, debts, testament, community property, separate property, and any immovable property. The right estate settlement path depends on what exists, who must sign, whether an administration is needed, and whether a judgment of possession will be needed to transfer title.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, helping families find accounts and assets before they pay filing costs or ask an attorney to draft the petition.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Successions for Tensas Parish are filed with the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court at 201 Hancock Street, Courthouse Square, St. Joseph, Louisiana. They are heard in the Sixth Judicial District Court, which also serves East Carroll and Madison parishes, but each parish has its own clerk and courthouse.
File in Tensas Parish when the decedent was domiciled in Tensas Parish at death. For a nonresident decedent, a Louisiana succession may be opened in a parish where the decedent's 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 one exists, account information, debt information, and a list of movable and immovable property.
- Choose the succession route with counsel or another qualified adviser: a small succession affidavit when the Code permits it, possession without administration, administration, or independent administration.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents for the Sixth Judicial District Court and file them with the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court in St. Joseph.
- Pay the Tensas Parish advance deposit. The published initial deposit for a petition with one service is $420.00, effective August 1, 2017.
- If there is an original testament, deliver it on paper. Attorney e-filing rules do not replace the paper handling of an original testament, and the clerk retains the original in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a); La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
- For an unopposed testament or unopposed appointment, the clerk of court may perform the acts Louisiana law allows, including probating an unopposed testament and confirming or appointing a succession representative (La. C.C.P. arts. 282 and 283).
- If administration is opened, the executor, administrator, or independent administrator qualifies, and 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, address debts with any required court authority, and move the estate settlement toward closing.
- When the matter is ready, submit the proposed judgment of possession for the court to sign. If immovable property is involved, record the judgment where needed to update title.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Tensas Parish
Tensas Parish does not publish a local succession packet, small succession affidavit template, checklist, or cover sheet. The clerk's Forms page lists recording-related downloads, but no succession, tutorship, or small succession form.
The Sixth Judicial District Court's Orders/Forms page also does not publish succession forms. A Tensas Parish succession is opened by a petition drafted to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure rather than by completing a parish form.
Fees
The Tensas Parish Clerk of Court publishes a civil advanced deposit schedule beginning August 1, 2017. The schedule lists successions among the covered proceeding types and states an initial petition with one service requires a $420.00 advance deposit, effective August 1, 2017.
The same schedule lists later pleading and service items that may matter if the estate settlement becomes more complicated: subsequent pleadings with one service are $250.00, each additional service is $100.00, and a subsequent pleading without service is $200.00, all effective August 1, 2017. The schedule also lists a fax filing charge of $5.00 plus per-page filing fees, certified copies at $5.00 plus $2.00 per page, copies at $2.00 per page, and conformed copies at $3.00, all effective August 1, 2017.
These are advance cost and office-charge figures, not the substantive small succession dollar figures in Louisiana law. Costs can draw against the deposit, and additional costs may be required under La. R.S. 13:842(A).
Local nuance
Tensas Parish-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Tensas Parish succession |
|---|---|
| Shared judicial district | Tensas Parish shares the Sixth Judicial District Court with East Carroll and Madison parishes, but Tensas filings go to the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court in St. Joseph. |
| Published advance deposit | The Tensas Parish civil advanced deposit schedule names successions and lists a $420.00 initial petition deposit with one service, effective August 1, 2017. |
| Online search | The clerk links to a Tensas Parish hosted record-search login at cotthosting.com. The login page does not say what succession information appears there. |
| Video conference | The Sixth Judicial District Court offers a video-conference page for proceedings with a meeting ID from the court. For qualifying civil hearings, La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 also allows remote appearance by audio-visual means with ten days' written notice, subject to the statute's conditions and the court's good-cause authority. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Small succession law | Act 293 of 2026 took effect August 1, 2026 and raised the Louisiana-domiciled small succession figure to $200,000 under La. C.C.P. art. 3421. |
| Attorney filing rule | Starting January 1, 2026, attorney filings are governed by La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2), which requires attorney filings to be made in person on paper or electronically through a system established by the clerk of court or LCRAA. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Tensas Parish path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Louisiana community property and usufruct rules can matter. The succession may need a judgment of possession from the Sixth Judicial District Court and recordation for the immovable property. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title issues, and the documents an attorney needs to prepare the estate settlement packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Start by checking the small succession rules in La. C.C.P. art. 3421, including the $200,000 Louisiana-domiciled figure effective August 1, 2026 and the separate nonresident ancillary rule. If Tensas Parish filing is the right venue, file or record through the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court as the chosen route requires. | Sunset helps organize asset information and connect the child with Louisiana counsel if the affidavit route is uncertain. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of immovable property often requires administration or independent administration before the judgment of possession. File the petition with the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court in St. Joseph. | Sunset helps find financial accounts, organize property and debt information, and connect the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale and succession filings. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Tensas Parish Clerk of Court | Filing office for Tensas Parish successions, civil advanced deposits, copies, and access to the parish hosted record-search login | 201 Hancock Street, Courthouse Square, St. Joseph, LA 71366. Phone (318) 766-3921. Fax (318) 766-3926. |
| Sixth Judicial District Court | Court serving Tensas, East Carroll, and Madison parishes. Publishes a video-conference process and general court forms. | https://www.6jdc.org/ |
| Acadiana Legal Service Corporation | Free civil legal help for low-income Louisianians in its service area, subject to eligibility and case priorities. Ask whether your issue fits its current services. | 1-866-ASK-ALSC, also 1-866-275-2572 |
| LouisianaLawHelp.org | State LawHelp site with an Estates, Wills, And Guardianships topic and a legal-aid directory searchable by parish | https://louisianalawhelp.org/ |
| Law Library of Louisiana | Louisiana Supreme Court law library and research guides for self-represented litigants | https://www.lasc.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel makes sense when a Tensas Parish succession involves immovable property, a testament, forced-heirship questions, a nonresident succession representative, missing heirs, creditor disputes, an independent administration, or a sale before closing. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, balances, and assets that may belong in the Tensas Parish estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information a Louisiana attorney needs for the succession petition, supporting schedules, and closing documents.
Find a local probate attorney. When a succession needs counsel, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Louisiana attorney who understands Sixth Judicial District Court filings.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, discover assets, and understand next steps without paying Sunset fees.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a Tensas Parish succession?
File with the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court at 201 Hancock Street, Courthouse Square, St. Joseph, LA 71366. The case is heard in the Sixth Judicial District Court, which also serves East Carroll and Madison parishes, but Tensas filings stay with the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court.
What is the Tensas Parish filing deposit for a succession?
The Tensas Parish Clerk of Court civil advanced deposit schedule lists a $420.00 deposit for a petition with one service, effective August 1, 2017, and the schedule names successions among the covered proceeding types.
Are there probate forms for Tensas Parish?
The Tensas Parish Clerk of Court does not publish a local succession packet, small succession affidavit, checklist, or cover sheet. The Sixth Judicial District Court's forms page also does not publish succession forms.
Can I e-file a Tensas Parish succession?
Tensas Parish does not publish an e-filing vendor or procedure. Attorneys are governed by La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(2), and self-represented filers should ask the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court what filing methods the office accepts. An original testament is handled on paper and retained by the clerk in perpetuity (La. C.C.P. art. 253(B)(3)(a); La. C.C.P. art. 2911).
Can I look up a Tensas Parish succession online?
The clerk links to a Tensas Parish hosted login at cotthosting.com. The login page does not state whether succession filings appear there as indexes, documents, or both, so call the clerk or use the account process to check a particular matter.
Will there be a hearing in a Tensas Parish succession?
Many Louisiana successions are handled ex parte, especially when there is no opposition. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk or the assigned division how the Sixth Judicial District Court wants parties to appear.
Can I appear remotely for a Tensas Parish succession hearing?
The Sixth Judicial District Court offers a video-conference process that requires a meeting ID from the court and review of its standing order. La. C.C.P. art. 195.1 also allows remote appearance in qualifying civil hearings with ten days' written notice, subject to the statute's conditions and the court's good-cause authority.
Do I have to travel to St. Joseph for every step?
Not necessarily. Start by calling the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court about filing and copy procedures, and ask the Sixth Judicial District Court about appearance instructions if a hearing is set. Some matters can be handled through filings, mail, counsel, or a qualifying remote appearance process.
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.