IMPORTANT FAMILY LAW STATUTES

Domicile, Venue, and Jurisdiction

C.C.P. Art. 10. Jurisdiction Over Status states…
    “A. A court which is otherwise competent under the laws of this state has jurisdiction of the following actions or proceedings only under the following conditions:
(7) An action of divorce, if, at the time of filing, one or both of the spouses are domiciled in this State.
B. For purposes of Subparagraphs (6) and (7) of Paragraph A of this Article, if a spouse has established and maintained a residence in a parish of this state for a period of six months, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that he has a domicile in this state in the parish of such residence.”

C.C.P. Art. 3941. Court Where Action Brought; Nullity of Judgment of Court of Improper Venue states…
    “A. An action for an annulment of marriage or for a divorce shall be brought in a parish where either party is domiciled, or in the parish of the last matrimonial domicile.
    B. The venue provided in this Article may not be waived, and a judgment rendered in either of these actions by a court of improper venue is an absolute nullity.”