Divorce

“Grounds” are legally acceptable reasons for a divorce. There are no-fault and fault-based grounds for divorce in Louisiana.

A judge can grant a no-fault divorce if you and your spouse have lived separate and apart continuously for at least:

• 180 days, if you and your spouse do not have a child together who is under 18 years old; or
• 365 days, if you and your spouse have a child together who is under 18 years old.¹

A judge can grant you a fault-based divorce if:

1. your spouse has committed adultery;
2. your spouse has committed a felony and has been sentenced to death or imprisonment with hard labor;
3. your spouse physically or sexually abused you or any of the children during the marriage – even if they weren’t charged with a crime; or
4. during your marriage, you got a protective order or an injunction against your spouse to protect you or any of the children from abuse.²

Note: If you have a covenant marriage, different laws apply. Please talk to a lawyer about filing for a divorce from a covenant marriage.

¹ La. Civ. Code Art. 103(1); 103.1
² La. Civ. Code Art. 103