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Orleans Parish resolves money disputes up to $5,000 in the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Below is what you need for a small claims case in Orleans Parish: the limit, filing fees, which courthouse to use, how to serve the other side, your deadlines, and how to file. When you're ready, Squabble prepares everything and files it for you.
Small claims are split between several hub courthouses across Orleans Parish. The court assigns a case by ZIP code, following the defendant or the events.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Locations change. The court publishes its current small-claims address on its own page; Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
About 362,701 people live in Orleans Parish. Orleans Parish covers 61 ZIP codes, including the New Orleans areas.
Electronic filing is accepted for small claims at this court, so the opening papers need not be delivered in person.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Orleans Parish, Louisiana, home to roughly 362,701 residents, handles small claims cases through the Louisiana Small Claims Court, which hears disputes with a claim limit of $5,000. Two courthouses serve the parish, both located in New Orleans, the only town in Orleans Parish. The First City Court Clerk is at 421 Loyola Ave #201, New Orleans, LA 70112, and can be reached at (504) 407-0400. Its counter is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and it is closed Saturday and Sunday. The Second City Court is at 225 Morgan Street, Room 206, New Orleans, LA 70114, with the phone number (504) 407-0435. The parish covers ZIP codes including 70112, 70114, 70116, 70118, 70122, 70126, and 70130, among others. Electronic filing is not available in Orleans Parish, so filings are handled in person or otherwise offline. The parish lies near Jefferson Parish, St. Tammany Parish, and St. Charles Parish.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
Orleans Parish covers:
New Orleans.
Orleans Parish is the 3rd most populous of Louisiana's 64 parishes, with about 362,701 residents. From New Orleans, First City Court Clerk is roughly 3 miles from the Jefferson Parish courthouse in Jefferson and 14 miles from the St. Tammany Parish courthouse in Slidell.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
The other side's home county governs here, regardless of where events took place.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
Lawyers are allowed at a Louisiana hearing but are not needed. The procedure is written for self-representation.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? You can lower your claim to fit and stay in small claims, or file the full amount in regular civil court. Lowering usually means giving up the excess, so weigh it carefully.
They are the same across all 61 Orleans Parish ZIP codes, from 70112 onward. Orleans Parish has 2 courthouses listed on this page.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $5,000. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Orleans Parish takes in New Orleans and the rest of the county. Orleans Parish has about 362,701 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing fee.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
Expect a brief session rather than a trial, in person or by video where available, with a decision at the end or soon after.
First City Court Clerk lists (504) 407-0400 as its number. First City Court Clerk publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
After you file, the other party must be formally notified. This is called service of process. You generally cannot serve the papers yourself. Louisiana courts usually take delivery by the sheriff or constable, email service where the court allows it or personal delivery by an approved server.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Orleans Parish include places such as New Orleans. An Orleans Parish address carries one of its 61 ZIP codes, 70112, 70113 and 70114 among them.
A claim has to be filed inside a set period that starts when the dispute arose. After that point the court may decline to hear it.
| Type of claim | Deadline to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 10 years |
| Oral contract | 10 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
The same periods apply in Orleans Parish as in nearby Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish, which are in the same state. Orleans Parish, population about 362,701, is covered by the table above.
In Louisiana, prejudgment interest follows a statutory formula rather than a fixed rate (La. R.S. §§9:3500, 13:4202).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
The rate above is the one for Orleans Parish, population about 362,701. Orleans Parish is under the same state rate as nearby Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Identify the party precisely, lay out what occurred, and show the arithmetic behind the total.
File at the Orleans Parish hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $75.50 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
With a hearing date in hand, organise service and lodge the completed proof with the court.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Orleans Parish takes in filings from 61 ZIP codes, 70112 first in the list. New Orleans are among the places in Orleans Parish that filings come from.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Orleans Parish hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. New Orleans are among the Orleans Parish places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment is the court's decision. Collecting it is a separate step, with court-backed tools if the other side doesn't pay. Which tools are available depends on state law.
Wage garnishment, where the state permits it, sends part of the debtor's pay toward the judgment.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings the debtor owns.
There is also an examination procedure: the debtor is ordered to attend and give sworn answers about earnings and assets. Interest normally accrues at the statutory rate until payment.
New Orleans are among the Orleans Parish places a judgment debtor may live in. Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany Parish are the counties nearest to Orleans Parish.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Orleans Parish case for you.
