Louisiana Custody and Visitation Schedule Guidelines

The laws about Louisiana custody and visitation schedules are found in the Louisiana Civil Code and the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

Here are some guidelines from the Code to help you make your schedule.

Physical custody

Louisiana law states that a child has the right to time with both parents. A parent has physical custody of the child when the parent spends time with the child.

Your parenting agreement needs to show the time periods when each parent has physical custody of the child. Each parent should have frequent and continuing contact with the child.

Domiciliary parent

The domiciliary parent is the parent with whom the child primarily lives. The custody plan can name one of the parents as the domiciliary parent. The other parent has frequent and continuing periods of physical custody with the child.

If your plan doesn't name a domiciliary parent, then the child spends time living with both parents.

Custody and visitation arrangements

A common way to show each parent's periods of physical custody is to make a custody and visitation schedule.

Your custody and visitation schedule should have:

• A residential schedule that shows when each parent has the child during the week and on weekends
• A holiday schedule that shows when each parent has the child on holidays and special occasions
• A summer break schedule that shows when each parent has the child during school breaks

You can make a custody calendar so it's easy to see when each parent has the child. You can include your calendar and the schedule written in legal terms in your parenting plan.

After the schedule is approved by the court, the parents must follow the schedule. Neither parent should interfere with the visitation or parenting time of the other parent unless they have good cause.

Process to make a schedule

If you and the other parent negotiate a schedule together, you can submit it with your plan to the court and the court will make it official.

If you and the other parent don't agree on your schedule, the court may order you to attend mediation. In mediation you will work with a third party to come to an agreement on the schedule. If you can make a schedule in mediation, the mediator will write up your schedule and submit it to the court.

If you and the other parent can't make a schedule together, you will have to go to court and the court will order the schedule. You must follow the schedule that the judge implements.

Parenting seminar

The court may order divorcing parents to attend a seminar or parenting class about the developmental needs of children and the effects of divorce on children.

The class should have information about visitation and how to create a visitation schedule so the child can have a strong relationship with both parents.

You can use the information from the seminar to help you with your schedule.