Ba2LaCl7 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group. Ba(1) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Cl(4), two equivalent Cl(3), three equivalent Cl(1), and three equivalent Cl(2) atoms. La(1) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Cl(4), two equivalent Cl(1), two equivalent Cl(2), and four equivalent Cl(3) atoms. There are four inequivalent Cl sites. In the first Cl site, Cl(1) is bonded to three equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom to form ClBa3La tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, edges with three equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, and edges with three equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra. In the second Cl site, Cl(2) is bonded to three equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom to form distorted ClBa3La tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra, edges with three equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, and edges with three equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra. In the third Cl site, Cl(3) is bonded to two equivalent Ba(1) and two equivalent La(1) atoms to form ClBa2La2 tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with four equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with six equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, edges with three equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, and edges with three equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra. In the fourth Cl site, Cl(4) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to two equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom.
Ba2LaCl7 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group. Ba(1) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Cl(4), two equivalent Cl(3), three equivalent Cl(1), and three equivalent Cl(2) atoms. The Ba(1)-Cl(4) bond length is 3.12 Å. There is one shorter (3.33 Å) and one longer (3.41 Å) Ba(1)-Cl(3) bond length. There are a spread of Ba(1)-Cl(1) bond distances ranging from 3.13-3.22 Å. There are a spread of Ba(1)-Cl(2) bond distances ranging from 3.23-3.49 Å. La(1) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Cl(4), two equivalent Cl(1), two equivalent Cl(2), and four equivalent Cl(3) atoms. The La(1)-Cl(4) bond length is 2.98 Å. Both La(1)-Cl(1) bond lengths are 2.91 Å. Both La(1)-Cl(2) bond lengths are 2.98 Å. There are two shorter (3.07 Å) and two longer (3.10 Å) La(1)-Cl(3) bond lengths. There are four inequivalent Cl sites. In the first Cl site, Cl(1) is bonded to three equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom to form ClBa3La tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, edges with three equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, and edges with three equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra. In the second Cl site, Cl(2) is bonded to three equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom to form distorted ClBa3La tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with five equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra, edges with three equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, and edges with three equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra. In the third Cl site, Cl(3) is bonded to two equivalent Ba(1) and two equivalent La(1) atoms to form ClBa2La2 tetrahedra that share corners with four equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with four equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra, corners with six equivalent Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Cl(3)Ba2La2 tetrahedra, edges with three equivalent Cl(1)Ba3La tetrahedra, and edges with three equivalent Cl(2)Ba3La tetrahedra. In the fourth Cl site, Cl(4) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to two equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom.