La. Ch. Code art. 854

This is the official text of La. Ch. Code art. 854, part of Louisiana’s Children's Code — governs child custody, child protection, and juvenile justice in Louisiana.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Appearance to answer petition; time

Official statutory text

A. If the petition is filed prior to or during the hearing to determine continued custody, the court may order the child to answer the petition upon completion of the hearing. If not so ordered and the child is continued in custody, he shall be ordered to appear to answer the petition within five days after the filing of the petition.

B. In all other cases, the child shall be ordered to appear to answer the petition within fifteen days after the filing of the petition.

C. For good cause, the court may extend such period.

Acts 1991, No. 235, ยง8, eff. Jan. 1, 1992.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.