This category is about making child custody orders and parenting plans, modifying it and enforcing it, getting visitation for different family members, and dealing with abductions by a family member.
Child Custody And Juvenile Court Jurisdiction
The information explains how Louisiana's juvenile courts handle child custody. These courts focus on protecting children's welfare, and dealing with kids under 18 who may be involved in crime, or need care due to neglect, or other issues. The courts cover several custody-related matters, like parental disputes, child abuse cases, foster care, ending parental rights, and child support. It also helps you figure out if a juvenile court is handling a specific case.
Child Custody Dictionary
A plain-language guide to understanding words used in child custody cases. Click on the terms to see the definitions and find links to in-depth articles explaining more complicated issues.
Child Custody Guided Assistant
This Guided Assistant tool can help you find information and forms related to your child custody issues. This tool is not legal advice. This tool does not take the place of legal advice from a competent attorney licensed in your state and familiar with the law and facts of your legal issue.
Child Custody, Parenting Plans, And Visitation
This resource covers general information on child custody orders, parenting plans, and visitation. This includes information about how to establish, enforce, and modify custody. This also includes information about how to get visitation to see a child.
Disaster Relief
This information gives you an overview of disaster legal issues. It covers disaster declarations, steps to prepare, and legal deadlines. It also provides helpful disaster resources.
Emergency Custody Orders And Hearings (Ex Parte Custody)
In some cases, there may be a need for a court order relating to child custody before the other parent or party can be heard before the Court. A custody order entered before the other party has an opportunity to respond is called "ex parte," and they are available in limited, usually emergency, circumstances.
Enforcing A Child Custody Order
This resource goes over the issues of enforcing a child custody order. If one parent is not complying with the order, the other parent may need to know their rights to ask the court to enforce the custody order. This information also goes over the process of filing a contempt order if one parent is in violation of the custody order.
Financial Assistance For Caring For A Relative's Child - The Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP)
The Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) helps eligible relatives in Louisiana, like grandparents, aunts, or siblings, who are raising a child when the parents can’t. Run by DCFS, the program provides $450 per month per child to support legal or provisional custodians. This guide explains who qualifies, how to apply, what documents you need, and how child support and income limits may affect your eligibility.
Getting A Child Custody Order
This resource covers information about how to get a child custody order including situations where you may get a custody order by consent agreement or by considered judgment.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Resource Guide
The resource is about custody, visitation, and other legal problems that face grandparents.
Modifying Child Custody
This resource explains when the law allows a party to ask for a change in a custody judgment. It discusses the differences between changing a consent versus considered judgment of custody. This resource goes over the process of changing a consent child custody judgment.
Non-parent Custody and Visitation
This guide explains how someone who is not a child's parent - like a grandparent, stepparent, or close family friend- can ask the court for custody or visitation in Louisiana. It covers nonparent custody, nonparent visitation, court-ordered kinship care, and related legal options. It includes steps for filing, what to expect in court, and how to understand what’s best for the child.
Provisional Custody By Mandate
This information covers provisional custody by mandate and provides a form to use to allow a parent, tutor, or grandparent with custody, without the need for court intervention to transfer custody of a child to another person for a limited period of time.
Registering Out-Of-State Custody Judgments In Louisiana
This provides information about registering an out-of-state custody order in Louisiana. Key steps include getting a certified copy of the out-of-state custody judgment, preparing a petition for registration, and filing it with the appropriate Louisiana court.
Relocating With A Child
This resource outlines the rules for relocation of a child's principal residence under Louisiana Law. This includes the steps to the process of relocating with a child.
Skills Guide - Managing Conflict
This resource shows how to handle disagreements in healthy and constructive ways. It covers core skills such as active listening, emotional intelligence, clear communication, negotiation, and collaboration. This resource also walks you through a simple step-by-step process to resolve disputes. It also gives practical, real-world examples of how to apply these tools in the workplace, business, family, community, and neighborhood conflicts.
Understanding Child In Need Of Care (CINC) Cases
This information is about Child In Need Of Care (CINC) cases and how they are handled. In these cases, the court decides that a child needs help and support to make sure they are safe and well. This guide helps you understand CINC cases, why they exist, and how decisions are made to take care of children who need help.
Understanding The Best Interest Of The Child
Louisiana courts use the "best interest of the child" standard to determine custody. This article lays out the factors that make up the "best interest of the child" test used by the courts and explains how the factors can influence a judge's decision on custody.