A proceeding to open a succession shall be brought in the district court of the parish where the deceased was domiciled at the time of his death. If the deceased was not domiciled in this state at the time of his death, his succession may be opened in the district court of any parish where:
Art. 2811.Court In Which Succession Opened
Book VI. Probate Procedure · Title I. General Dispositions · Chapter 1. Jurisdiction · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2811 tells petitioners which Louisiana district court has jurisdiction to open a succession: the parish of the deceased's domicile at death, or, for a non-domiciliary, the parish where immovable property sits, or, lacking that, where movable property is found.
Full Text of Art. 2811
(1) Immovable property of the deceased is situated; or,
(2) Movable property of the deceased is situated, if he owned no immovable property in the state at the time of his death.
Plain-English Summary
A succession is the legal proceeding that opens when a person dies, gathering the deceased's estate and directing it to the people who inherit. Article 2811 answers a practical first question: which Louisiana district court can open that proceeding?
The default rule follows the deceased's domicile. A succession belongs in the district court of the parish where the deceased was domiciled at death, regardless of where the estate's individual assets happen to sit. Domicile, not the physical location of property, is the anchor for jurisdiction whenever the deceased made Louisiana home.
The article then addresses the person who died domiciled somewhere else, in another state or country. Louisiana may still open a succession for that person, but the venue rule shifts to property. The proceeding can be brought in any parish where the deceased owned immovable property, such as land or a building. Only if the deceased owned no Louisiana immovable property does the inquiry move to movable property, letting the proceeding open wherever movables of the estate are located.
That three-tier structure, domicile first, immovable property second, movable property third, gives every succession a home even when the deceased had no lasting tie to Louisiana beyond assets left behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Louisiana parish has jurisdiction to open a succession?
The district court of the parish where the deceased was domiciled at death. If the deceased lived outside Louisiana, jurisdiction shifts to a parish where immovable property is located, or, absent that, where movable property is found.
What happens if someone who never lived in Louisiana owned property here?
Article 2811 still lets a Louisiana court open the succession. Venue goes to any parish where the deceased's immovable property sits, or, if there is none, to a parish holding movable property.
Does it matter where the deceased's bank accounts or vehicles were located if they were domiciled in Louisiana?
No. Domicile controls when the deceased lived in Louisiana at death; the location of particular movable or immovable assets matters only for a non-domiciliary decedent.
What if a non-domiciliary decedent owned immovable property in more than one parish?
Article 2811 permits the succession to open in any parish containing the deceased's immovable property, so more than one parish can qualify; Article 2812 addresses what happens if proceedings are filed in more than one court.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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