Access St. Tammany Parish Family Court Records

St. Tammany Parish family court records are kept at the Clerk of Court office in Covington. The 22nd Judicial District Court handles all family law cases for the parish, including divorce, custody, child support, and protection orders. You can search St. Tammany Parish family court records at the main courthouse in Covington, the Slidell Annex, or through several online portals. With dedicated Family Court Divisions K and L, St. Tammany Parish has a structured system for managing family law matters.

St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court

The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court manages all family court records in the parish. Clerk Jessica Jenkins Brewster oversees the office, which stores divorce filings, custody orders, child support cases, adoption records, paternity filings, protection orders, partition of property documents, succession records, tutorships, and marriage records. This is one of the busiest clerk offices on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

St. Tammany Parish has two courthouse locations. The main office sits at 701 N. Columbia Street in Covington. The Slidell Annex is at 520 Old Spanish Trail, 5th Floor, in Slidell. Both locations handle family court matters, though most filings go through the Covington office. The Slidell location closes from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM each day. Protective orders are not processed after 3:00 PM at either location, so plan your visit with that in mind.

The 22nd Judicial District Court has dedicated Family Court Divisions K and L. These divisions focus on family law cases. Having dedicated divisions means the judges in those sections handle family matters full time, which can help cases move through the system more smoothly.

Search St. Tammany Parish Family Court Records Online

St. Tammany Parish has several online tools for searching family court records. The Odyssey WebROA portal covers records from 1992 to the present. This is the clerk's own online search tool. You can look up cases by name or case number. It shows case details, filing dates, and parties involved. This is the best place to start for St. Tammany Parish family court records.

For older records filed before April 25, 2019, the clerk offers a Legacy Public Records search. This separate tool covers earlier filings that have not been moved into the newer system. If you are looking for a case from the 1990s or early 2000s, check both the Odyssey system and the legacy portal to make sure you find what you need.

The re:SearchLA portal is a multi-parish attorney search tool. It lets attorneys and other users search court records across several parishes at once. This can be useful if you are not sure which parish handled a case, or if the parties lived in different places during the proceedings.

The Louisiana eClerks portal also provides access to St. Tammany Parish records. This statewide system covers records from many parishes. You can search for divorce judgments, custody orders, and other family court filings.

Note: Protective order filings and some juvenile records may not appear in online search results due to privacy rules.

St. Tammany Parish Family Court Fees

St. Tammany Parish has set fees for copies and searches of family court records. Copy fees run between $0.50 and $1.00 per page depending on the type of document. Certified copies cost $3.00 to $5.00 per document. A conformed copy is $3.00. Criminal background checks cost $20 per name.

These fees can change, so call the civil division at (985) 809-8733 before you visit or mail a request. If you need copies of several documents, ask the clerk for a total before they start making copies. Payment methods may vary by location, so check ahead of time whether the office takes cash, checks, or cards.

E-filing is available through eFileLA for attorneys and self-represented parties who want to file documents without going to the courthouse. This can save time if you need to submit motions, responses, or other papers in a family court case.

Divorce Records in St. Tammany Parish

Divorce cases are a big part of family court records in St. Tammany Parish. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 102, one spouse files a petition and then both must live apart for 180 days. If minor children are involved, the wait is 365 days. Under Article 103, couples who have already lived apart for the needed time can get a faster judgment.

The clerk stores all divorce papers from the first filing to the final judgment. Each case gets a number. The file holds the petition, the answer, temporary orders for custody or support, community property settlements, and the final judgment. You can get copies of any document in the file. Certified copies are what most people need for legal matters like name changes, remarriage, or property transfers.

Louisiana is a community property state under Civil Code Article 2325. Assets gained during the marriage belong to both spouses. Divorce records in St. Tammany Parish typically include detailed settlements that show how the couple divided everything from real estate to retirement accounts.

St. Tammany Parish Custody and Support Cases

The 22nd Judicial District Court handles custody and child support cases through its Family Court Divisions K and L. These dedicated divisions process custody disputes, support modifications, paternity cases, and visitation matters. Having judges who focus on family law helps keep cases moving.

Louisiana courts decide custody using the "best interest of the child" standard under Civil Code Article 134. The court looks at each parent's home, the bond between parent and child, and other factors. Child support follows state guidelines under La. R.S. 9:315. The formula uses both parents' income to set the amount. Support orders can be enforced through wage assignments if payments fall behind.

Protection orders are another important type of family court record. Under the Protection from Abuse Act (La. R.S. 46:2131), a person can ask for an order against an abusive family member. In St. Tammany Parish, these must be filed before 3:00 PM. The orders go into the Louisiana Protective Order Registry for law enforcement to check statewide. Contact the civil division at (985) 809-8733 or email civil@sttammanyclerk.org for questions about protection orders.

Public Access to St. Tammany Parish Records

Family court records in St. Tammany Parish are public under the Louisiana Public Records Law (La. R.S. 44:1). Anyone can ask to view them. You do not need to be a party to the case. Some records involving children may have parts redacted. Adoption records are sealed under the Children's Code (Articles 411-417) and need a court order to unseal.

To get copies in person, visit the main office in Covington or the Slidell Annex. You can also email archives@sttammanyclerk.org with the case number or party names. The archives team can help locate older records and arrange for copies. Call (985) 809-8746 to reach the archives department directly.

Cities in St. Tammany Parish

St. Tammany Parish includes several cities and towns. All family court cases in the parish go through the 22nd Judicial District Court. The Slidell Annex provides a convenient location for residents on the east side of the parish.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border St. Tammany. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 3941, you file in the parish where either spouse lives. Check your address before you file.