Non-Parent Relative Custody (Grandparents and Others)
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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.
About Paternity
Find out about paternity in Louisiana. Why it's important to prove your child's paternity. How to prove paternity. How to fight a paternity suit.
Caring for a Relative's Child - The Kinship Care Subsidy Program
The Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) gives monthly cash to eligible people taking care of children who are related, but not their own. You can also listen to a sound recording of this resource.
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.
Custody and Visitation Rights for Grandparents
Video and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about custody and visitation rights for grandparents.
Families Helping Families Centers
Find the Families Helping Families Center nearest you. This non-profit helps families with members who have special needs.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Resource Guide
Information about custody, visitation, provisional custody by mandate, adoption, and other legal issues that face grandparents.
Guide to Relocation with Your Child
In Louisiana, changing the address where a child lives most of the time can be classified as a "relocation," and if the move is more than 75 miles away, the person moving the child may have to follow a special procedure before the relocation. This guide explains when Louisiana's relocation law applies and how the relocation procedure works.
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 Care Subsidy Program (KCSP)
Information about the Kinship Care subsidy program from the state agency. KCSP provides cash assistance of $222 per month for each eligible child who resides with a qualified relative other than a parent. A child may meet the eligibility requirements for both the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) but may only receive assistance in one program.
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.
Provisional Custody by Mandate
This guide has basic information about provisional custody by mandate in Louisiana. There is also a link to a computer program that will create a form for provisional custody by mandate. Warning: depending on your situation, you may need additional forms or different forms. This guide and the form do not cover provisional custody by mandate for any other state. The computer program includes the basic form. The guide and the computer program do not tell you what form you need for your particular situation or how to use the form. If you do not know which form or form or forms you need or how to use your form or forms, try to find a lawyer to help you with your case.
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.