What are grounds for divorce and residency requirements for divorce in Louisiana?
Either you or your spouse must be a resident of Louisiana for at least one year in order to file for a divorce in Louisiana. A divorce action may be brought where either party is domiciled or in the parish of the latest matrimonial domicile. Louisiana permits both fault-based divorce and no-fault divorce, which requires that the spouses live separate and apart for six months before filing. Covenant marriages do not qualify for no-fault divorce in Louisiana, and divorce from a covenant marriage may be granted only in instances of abuse, abandonment, adultery, or a long separation. That a spouse desires a divorce is sufficient grounds for divorce from a traditional marriage in Louisiana. The Louisiana divorce process begins when one spouse files a Petition for Divorce in a District Court. A divorce may be granted after 180 days following the date that the petition is served on the non-filing spouse or the date that the non- filing spouse waives service if the spouses have lived apart for