Louisiana
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in Louisiana — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in Louisiana
Louisiana has no single unified court system, so the closest official statewide resource is the Access to Justice Commission's self-represented litigant forms — including divorce forms — hosted by the Louisiana State Bar. Start there before anything else.
Louisiana — Self-Represented Litigant Forms
The official starting point: divorce forms and the Law Library's guide for people representing themselves.
lsba.org — self-help forms →Find a divorce lawyer
Louisiana State Bar — Find an Attorney
The Bar's attorney directory plus local bar referral numbers (e.g., Lafayette Bar: 337-237-4700) and a Modest Means directory.
lsba.org — find an attorney →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
LouisianaLawHelp.org
Louisiana's statewide legal-aid site for finding free legal help.
louisianalawhelp.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
Call 855-452-5437 (855-4LA-KIDS) — 24/7, every day of the year.
dcfs.louisiana.gov — report child abuse →Louisiana Housing Corporation
The state housing finance agency (225-763-8700), authorized to run free mortgage foreclosure counseling programs. HUD-approved counselors: 800-569-4287.
lhc.la.gov →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →Unpaid wages in Louisiana
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in Louisiana.
Where to go
no state wage-claim agency — file with the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division
Time limit to file
3 years
What the floor is
federal $7.25 applies
Changing your name in Louisiana
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in Louisiana.
How it works
petition the district court in your parish
Typical court fee
varies by parish — check your local court
Newspaper notice required?
sometimes — judge's discretion
Small claims court in Louisiana
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in Louisiana.
Maximum claim
$5,000
Filing fee
about $100–$160 depending on parish and court
Can you bring one?
yes — allowed (not required)
Clearing your criminal record in Louisiana
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where Louisiana stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expungement
What qualifies
most misdemeanors and non-violent felonies (not sex crimes or crimes of violence)
Waiting period
5 years for misdemeanors, 10 years for felonies, after sentence completion
Learn more about clearing your criminal record in Louisiana →
Child support in Louisiana
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in Louisiana.
How it's figured
income shares (La. R.S. 9:315) child support schedule in La. R.S. 9:315.19
When it ends
age 18; extended for unmarried full-time secondary students who are dependent on a parent, up to age 19
Lemon law in Louisiana
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? Louisiana's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new vehicles only
When it's legally a lemon
4+ repair attempts or 45+ calendar days out of service within the warranty term or first year
What you get
replacement or refund
Tenant rights in Louisiana
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in Louisiana.
Notice before eviction
10 days to end month-to-month; 5-day notice to vacate before filing (no statutory right to cure)
Deposit limits & return
No cap; returned within 1 month with itemized list of deductions
When the landlord won't fix things
May repair and deduct for health/safety issues after notice, or end the lease
DUI / DWI in Louisiana
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how Louisiana handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; enhanced penalties at 0.15 (fines and 2-year suspension; mandatory jail at 0.20)
Typical penalties
10 days-6 months jail, $300-$1,000 fine, up to 90-day license suspension
How far back DUIs count
10-year lookback (cleansing period; priors older than 10 years don't enhance)
Gun laws in Louisiana
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
Permitless carry (since July 4, 2024), 18+; optional shall-issue permit
Carrying openly
Generally allowed without permit (18+)
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Not required No waiting period.
Extreme risk protection
No red flag law on the books here.
Reciprocity
Honors permits only from states that recognize Louisiana permits (~36 states)
Filming the police: your rights in Louisiana
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
One-party consent
If you are part of a conversation, you may record it — including with police. (La. Rev. Stat. § 15:1303)
Buffer-zone law — in effect
25-foot law (La. R.S. § 14:108.1.1) — BLOCKED, not in effect
Louisiana is one-party consent. The 2024 25-foot buffer law took effect Aug. 1, 2024, but a federal judge (M.D. La., Jan. 31, 2025) preliminarily enjoined enforcement as unconstitutionally vague; the state's appeal was pending in the Fifth Circuit as of 2026. The Fifth Circuit held in Turner v. Driver (2017) that a First Amendment right to record police exists.
Drug & alcohol addiction help in Louisiana
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in Louisiana
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in Louisiana
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
Homelessness help in Louisiana
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in Louisiana
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →