Terrebonne Parish Family Court Records

Terrebonne Parish family court records are held at the Clerk of Court office in Houma. The 32nd Judicial District Court handles all family law cases for the parish, from divorce and custody to child support and protection orders. You can search Terrebonne Parish family court records at the courthouse on Main Street, at the vital records office on Church Street, or through online search portals. The clerk's office serves the entire parish and keeps a wide range of family law documents on file.

Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court

The Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court manages all family court records in the parish. The main office is at 7856 Main Street, Suite 100, in Houma. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1569, Houma, LA 70361. You can call the office at (985) 868-5660. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The clerk stores divorce filings, custody orders, child support cases, alimony records, paternity filings, protection orders, adoption records (which are confidential), community property partitions, name changes, and marriage records. A separate office at 310 Church Street in Houma handles marriage licenses and vital records. If you need a marriage certificate or vital record tied to a family court case, go to the Church Street location.

The clerk's office handles a large volume of cases each year. Terrebonne Parish has over 110,000 residents, and family court matters make up a big share of the court's workload. Staff at the main office can pull files, search for cases, and make copies of documents while you wait.

Bring a valid ID when you visit. The clerk can search by name or case number.

Search Terrebonne Parish Family Court Records Online

Terrebonne Parish has its own online search portal for court records. The Terrebonne Clerk search portal lets you look up family court cases by name or case number. This is the best place to start when searching for a specific case in the parish. The portal shows case details, filing dates, and the names of parties involved.

The Louisiana eClerks portal also provides access to Terrebonne Parish court records. This statewide system covers records from many parishes. You can search for divorce judgments, custody orders, and other family court filings across the state. It is useful if you are looking at cases in more than one parish.

The Clerk Connect portal is another option for searching Terrebonne Parish family court records online. This service covers many Louisiana parishes and charges a fee for access. A day pass runs $20, while a monthly plan costs $50. These fees cover all record types in the system.

Each of these tools gives you a way to search from home. Start with the clerk's own portal for the most direct access to Terrebonne Parish records.

Note: Confidential records like adoption filings and juvenile cases will not show up in any online search.

Terrebonne Parish Family Court Fees

The Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court has set fees for searching and copying family court records. A civil or family record search costs $15. Criminal background checks are $20. Regular copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 plus $1.00 per page after the first page.

For vital records from the Church Street office, a birth certificate costs $34 and a death certificate costs $26. These are separate from the court record fees at the main office on Main Street. If you need both a vital record and a court document, plan to visit both locations or call ahead to confirm which office handles what you need.

Call (985) 868-5660 to check current fees before you visit. Fees can change, and having the right amount ready saves time at the window.

Divorce Records in Terrebonne Parish

Divorce filings are a big part of Terrebonne Parish family court records. Louisiana law has two main paths. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 102, one spouse files a petition and then both must live apart for 180 days. With minor children, that becomes 365 days. Under Article 103, couples already separated for the needed time can file and get a quicker judgment.

The clerk stores all divorce documents from filing to final judgment. Each case gets a unique number. The file holds the petition, the answer, motions, temporary orders, community property settlements, and the final judgment. Certified copies are needed for most legal purposes. The cost for a certified copy is $5.00 plus $1.00 per additional page.

Louisiana follows community property rules under Civil Code Article 2325. Assets gained during the marriage belong to both spouses equally. Divorce records in Terrebonne Parish often include community property partitions that spell out how the couple divided real estate, vehicles, retirement accounts, and other property.

Terrebonne Parish Custody and Support Records

Custody and child support cases go through the 32nd Judicial District Court and are kept at the Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court. Parents can file for custody whether married or not. Paternity cases also go through this court. Louisiana courts use the "best interest of the child" standard under Civil Code Article 134 when deciding custody.

Child support follows state guidelines under La. R.S. 9:315. The court calculates the right amount using both parents' income. Alimony (spousal support) can also be part of a family court case. Both types of support orders stay in the court file and can be modified if circumstances change in a major way. Enforcement tools include wage garnishment and tax intercepts.

Protection orders in Terrebonne Parish are filed under the Protection from Abuse Act (La. R.S. 46:2131). These orders go into the Louisiana Protective Order Registry. Domestic violence matters are confidential in some respects, but the protection order itself is a court record. Mental health evaluations and custody evaluation reports are also confidential and are not available to the public without a court order.

Public Access to Terrebonne Parish Records

Family court records in Terrebonne 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 details redacted to protect privacy.

Confidential records in Terrebonne Parish include juvenile delinquency files, adoption proceedings, mental health evaluations, and custody evaluation reports. These need a court order to access. Everything else in the family court file is available at the clerk's office. Visit the main office on Main Street or call (985) 868-5660 to request copies by mail.

Cities in Terrebonne Parish

Terrebonne Parish centers on the city of Houma. All family court cases in the parish go through the 32nd Judicial District Court at the courthouse on Main Street.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border Terrebonne. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 3941, you file in the parish where either spouse is domiciled. Double check your address before you file.