§1138. Domestic Relations Divisions

A. The judges of the Civil District Court for the parish of Orleans who are in office on July 1, 1979, shall create the Domestic Relations Section of that court, by rule of court adopted on or before December 1, 1979, by the judges sitting en banc. The rule shall designate not less than two incumbent judges who shall be assigned to the Domestic Relations Section in accordance with the rules of the Civil District Court for the parish of Orleans. The Domestic Relations Section shall be assigned all cases involving domestic relations problems as defined in this Section.

B.(1) The first two judgeships becoming vacant by death, resignation, retirement, or removal on or after August 15, 2011, shall be abolished and two new judgeships shall be created and limited, pursuant to the provisions of Article V, Section 15(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana, to family matters as provided by law, including the domestic relations matters provided for in Subsection C of this Section. In addition to such family and domestic relations matters, the judges provided for in this Subsection may serve as a duty judge and shall have the same authority as other judges of the court serving in the same capacity as a duty judge.

(2) The provisions of this Section shall not apply to Divisions B and E unless there is a vacancy in one or both of those divisions on or after February 1, 2012.

(3) Upon creation of the judgeships provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, those judgeships shall be designated as Domestic Sections 1 and 2.

C.(1) Domestic relations matters shall include:

(a) Actions for divorce, annulment of marriage, establishment or disavowal of paternity of children, alimony, support of children, custody by habeas corpus or otherwise, visitation rights, and all matters incidental to any of the foregoing proceedings.

(b) The issuance, modification, or dissolution of conservatory writs for the protection of community property.

(c) The issuance of writs of fieri facias and garnishment under judgments for alimony, child support, and attorney fees, partition proceedings following divorce judgments, and suits for separation of property.

(2) For the purposes of this Subsection, family or domestic relations matters shall not include tutorship proceedings.

D. The provisions of this Section shall apply to the Civil District Court for the parish of Orleans and shall supersede to the extent of conflict with any other provision of law.

Acts 1979, No. 460, §2, eff. July 1, 1979; Acts 1990, No. 361, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1991, No. 976, §2; Acts 2006, No. 621, §19(A), eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2008, No. 675, §1, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 873, §1, eff. July 9, 2008; Acts 2011, No. 340, §1, eff. June 29, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 474, §4(B)(2); Acts 2015, No. 180, §1.