2.1 Variable Procedures

In Louisiana, family court practices vary from parish to parish. Hearing Officer procedures, in particular, often vary significantly.1 A court’s local rules regarding Hearing Officers and any other jurisdiction-specific procedures can be found on the court’s website or on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s website, where each jurisdiction has inserted its local rules.2

Attorneys and self-represented litigants need to know their local court rules and practices. This manual focuses on the common rules and procedures for family court cases. It does not discuss the unique rules or practices that a particular court may use. For those rules, be sure to have a working knowledge if you are in an unfamiliar jurisdiction because not to do so is a professional misstep that may subject you to ethical oversight.

• 1For more information on Hearing Officers, see Section 1.2.
• 2These rules are available at the website of the Louisiana Supreme Court and are currently found here.