Probate cost in Louisiana
In Louisiana, estates up to $200,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is set by each county.
Louisiana's small estate limit is $200,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probatevaries by county
- Attorney feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor fee sourceSet by state law$7,500
Probate total$7,500+
The total leaves out the costs shown without a number.
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $2,500 | $2,500+ |
| $250,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $6,250 | $6,250+ |
| $500,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $12,500 | $12,500+ |
| $1,000,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $25,000 | $25,000+ |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in Louisiana
- Small estate limit: $200,000 (Small succession affidavit (La. C.C.P. arts. 3421, 3431 to 3434)). Can cover real estate. Art. 3421 (read 2026-10-10): gross value of property at death of $200,000 or less for a person who died domiciled in Louisiana; $125,000 for ancillary successions of non-domiciliaries; any value if death was 20 or more years before the affidavit. Latest amendment: Acts 2026, No. 293. The affidavit is recorded in the parish conveyance records to pass immovable property (art. 3434(C)). A testate domiciliary qualifies only with no Louisiana immovable property and if all heirs and legatees waive probate (art. 3431; carried over from the first pass). Source
- Simplified probate: Judicial small succession (La. C.C.P. art. 3422), up to $200,000. Source
- Court fee: Set by each county. Succession filing costs are set by each parish clerk of court. No parish example was verified.
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory attorney fee schedule is known. Not verified.
- Executor fee: Set by state law. La. C.C.P. art. 3351: default commission of 2.5% of the inventory when neither the testament nor an agreement with the surviving spouse and competent heirs sets the amount. The court may increase it on a showing that it is inadequate. Carried over from the first pass; not re-checked. Source
Some Louisiana rules could not be checked on a current official page. Each rule links to the source we used. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you rely on it.
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.