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.
Louisiana Civil Legal Navigator
Not sure where to start your legal research? Try the Louisiana Civil Legal Navigator. Answer a few questions about yourself and your situation to get customized legal information, local court forms, referrals to legal aid, and more. Available for Divorce, Child Custody, Employment Law, and private Landlord-Tenant Law.
Custody and Visitation Rights for Grandparents
Grandparents have a legal right to seek custody and visitation rights with their grandchildren in Louisiana. Grandparents may need to file a petition to the court requesting custody or visitation. The court decides whether to award custody or visitation based on the best interests of the child. In some cases, the court may award grandparents custody or visitation rights even if the parents are still alive and able to care for the children.
How Can I Move My Child's Home in Louisiana?
Before a parent relocates, or moves a child's home outside of the state of Louisiana, or more than 75 miles away, there is a legal process that must be followed. The answers to these frequently asked questions about relocation can help parents understand that process.
Child Custody and Juvenile Court Jurisdiction
When there is an open juvenile court case, a parent or guardian should know that the district court judge deciding a divorce or custody case may have limited power to make orders relating to the child who is subject to the juvenile court case. As this article explains, the juvenile court judge will still have the power to make orders relating to custody in certain kinds of cases.
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.
What You Should Know About Custody
Frequently asked questions and answers about custody issues.
What is Emergency 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.
Getting Help From the Court in Your Custody Case
In a child custody case, parents may need to ask the Court for help to make sure that important issues are thoroughly considered. This article discusses asking the Court for help related to a parent's drug use, mental health issues, or unwillingness to come to an agreement about issues relating to the child.
Modify Prior Voluntary Transfer of Custody
Sample motion and consent order for use in a state district court, when both parents agree to change physical/legal custody of a minor child.
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 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 in Need of Care Cases
The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) starts Child in Need of Care (CINC) cases when they determine that a child has experienced some form of neglect. While the goal of CINC cases is "reunification," or having the child go home, parents need to know about the CINC process and parental rights and responsibilities during the process.
Establishing Paternity
This resource explains how paternity is determined by operation of law and how paternity can be established, changed, or disavowed by a man presumed to be the father of a child by operation of law.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Resource Guide
The resource is about custody, visitation, and other legal problems that face grandparents.
How to Order Louisiana Birth Records
Louisiana is a "closed record" state. This means that birth and death certificates are not public records. All requests for birth or death certificates must include proper identification, appropriate fees, and a completed application.
Legal Representation in Child Protection Cases
Representation of children in child protection cases is overseen by the Louisiana Supreme Court, which designates appropriate programs for qualified legal representation in accordance with a plan for service delivery approved by the Court.
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 to change a consent child custody judgment.
Registering Out-of-State Custody Judgments in Louisiana
Before a Louisiana court will change or enforce a custody judgment originally entered by an out-of-state court, the custody judgment must be registered with the appropriate Louisiana court. This resource gives a step-by-step explanation of how to register an out-of-state custody judgment.
Rule for Visitation After Disaster with IFP Application
Court pleading called a "rule" that may be used by evacuees trying to establish or re-establish visitation with their estranged children.
Understanding Custody by Consent
This resource explains how a Court can approve a Consent Judgment when parents agree on the issue of custody and what the Court will consider in deciding whether to approve the agreement.
Visitation and Who Has the Right to It
Answers to some frequently asked questions about visitation.