Louisiana divorce at a glance
Confirm with your county before filing — fees and rules can vary.
Divorce in Louisiana: the civil law difference
Louisiana is the only state in the country whose divorce law descends from the French civil code rather than English common law, and that changes how the process works. Instead of a single no-fault ground, the Civil Code gives you two: Article 102 requires 180 days of living separate and apart, while Article 103 requires a full 365 days. If you have minor children, the longer clock applies.
The Petition for Divorce is filed with the District Court in the parish where you live — Louisiana uses parishes, not counties. The state is a community property jurisdiction, so income and assets acquired during the marriage are partitioned equally unless you agree otherwise. Property division is handled through a formal partition proceeding, which is its own step in the case.
Alimony follows Article 112 of the Civil Code, and child support follows the Louisiana Child Support Guidelines under La. R.S. 9:315. Custody is decided under the best interests standard in Article 131. Because the separation periods are fixed, planning the filing date around the clock matters more here than in most states. Filing fees run about $200 to $410 depending on the parish.