To file for a divorce in Louisiana, either party must be resident of the state for at least 6 months. An action for divorce can be filed in the parish where either party is domiciled.
A divorce shall be granted upon motion of a spouse when either spouse has filed a petition for divorce and upon proof that the requisite period of time has elapsed from the service of the petition, and that the spouses have lived separate and apart continuously for at least the requisite period of time.
The requisite periods of time shall be as follows:
A spouse may obtain a judgment of divorce only upon proof of any of the following:
Louisiana is a community property state meaning that assets and liabilities acquired during the marriage shall be split equally.
The community property comprises: property acquired during the existence of the legal regime through the effort, skill, or industry of either spouse; property acquired with community things or with community and separate things; property donated to the spouses jointly; natural and civil fruits of community property; damages awarded for loss or injury to a thing belonging to the community; and all other property not classified by law as separate property.
The separate property of a spouse is his exclusively. It comprises: property acquired by a spouse prior to the establishment of a community property regime; property acquired by a spouse with separate things or with separate and community things when the value of the community things is inconsequential in comparison with the value of the separate things used; property acquired by a spouse by inheritance or donation to him individually; damages awarded to a spouse in an action for breach of contract against the other spouse or for the loss sustained as a result of fraud or bad faith in the management of community property by the other spouse; damages or other indemnity awarded to a spouse in connection with the management of his separate property; and things acquired by a spouse as a result of a voluntary partition of the community during the existence of a community property regime.
When a spouse has not been at fault and is in need of support, based on the needs of that party and the ability of the other party to pay, that spouse may be awarded spousal support. The court shall consider all relevant factors in determining the amount and duration of final support, including:
The amount of spousal support awarded shall not exceed one-third of the obligor's net income. The obligation of spousal support is extinguished upon the remarriage of the obligee, the death of either party, or a judicial determination that the obligee has cohabited with another person of either sex in the manner of married persons.
If the parents agree who is to have custody, the court shall award custody in accordance with their agreement unless the best interest of the child requires a different award. The court shall consider all relevant factors in determining the best interest of the child. Such factors may include:
The court shall determine the basic child support obligation amount by using the combined adjusted gross income of the parties and the number of children involved in the proceeding. The total child support obligation shall be determined by adding together the basic child support obligation amount, the net child care costs, the cost of health insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses, and other extraordinary expenses. Each party's share of the total child support obligation shall then be determined by multiplying his or her percentage share of combined adjusted gross income times the total child support obligation.
In all new child support orders, the court shall order an immediate income assignment unless there is a written agreement between the parties or the court finds good cause not to require an immediate income assignment. An award of child support may be modified if the circumstances of the child or of either parent materially change and shall be terminated upon proof that it has become unnecessary.
Louisiana Civil Code (http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?folder=67) and
Louisiana Revised Statutes (http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?folder=83)