This category is about the process of married or forming civil unions, getting a certificate to prove the union, and changing names for it.
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.
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.
Financial Assistance For Caring For A Relative's Child - The Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP)
A relative must obtain legal guardianship of the child if the relative is responsible for the child's physical and emotional needs, as well as for making important decisions about the child's care.
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.
Kinship Navigator - Tutorship in Louisiana
Tutorship is when a person is legally responsible for caring for a minor child and has been appointed by a court to be the child's tutor. Guardianship is the term used in every other state for tutorship. You will even see it in many Louisiana laws. However, in Louisiana, someone can only officially be named a guardian in a Child in Need of Care Proceeding (See CINC/ Guardianship Fact Sheet).
Modifying or Changing Child Custody Judgments in Louisiana
This resource explains when the law allows a party to ask for a change in a custody judgment. It also discusses the reasons why the Court might agree to make the change and the different standards that apply to consent judgments versus considered judgments of custody.
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.
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.
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.