Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans Filing Rules

The affidavit must address the payor’s ability to pay.

An administrative-stay request must be presented to the Duty Judge by verified petition of appeal or supporting affidavits establishing immediate irreparable injury and certifying the efforts made to give notice or explaining why notice could not be given.

Cases ordinarily are tried in assignment order, but judges may call dockets and dispose of matters in any order they deem proper.

For bench trials, parties must submit proposed judgments and proposed findings of fact 48 hours before trial, excluding weekends and holidays.

A Rule to Show Cause or Order must be filed before the matter is placed on the docket, and the mover must serve all parties.

A plaintiff may amend the petition without leave of court before the answer is served.

A Rule to Show Cause or Order must be filed before the matter is placed on the Court’s docket.

A typewritten judgment must be submitted within fifteen calendar days after a written stipulation is executed.

Summary-judgment motions must be filed and served on all parties at least 65 days before trial.

A memorandum in opposition to rules must be filed at least 72 hours before the hearing.

Covered discovery materials must be served on opposing counsel or parties but ordinarily may not be filed unless a judge orders filing.

All pleadings in Small Claims cases must be served in accordance with the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure.

The sheriff's return form provides for domiciliary service.

Summary-judgment motions must be served on all parties at least 65 days before trial.

The parties or attorneys must execute and deliver the pertinent Family Law Affidavit sections, and file or deliver them to the court if required, at least five days before the hearing, excluding holidays.

Section 2. Ordinary and summary cases not finished shall be continued to any subsequent day, entirely in the discretion of the Judge.

A continuance request must include confirmation that adverse parties were contacted and have no objection, and the requesting party should file a Motion to Reset stating the reason, whether it is the first request, and whether the opponent objects.

Counsel may extend a specific discovery deadline by written agreement.

An objected-to continuance is set for a contradictory hearing on the scheduled rule date.

A continuance application must be written, state whether the opposing attorney or litigant opposes it, and specify the reason for the continuance.

Transcript requests should be emailed to Court Reporter Angel Kane with the case caption, case number, and hearing date.

A notification email containing call-in information is sent to all entered email addresses, and support staff may be included.

Minute Clerk Dwayne Mallet may be contacted at dmallet@orleanscdc.com during the listed Division E office hours.

Chambers may be contacted by phone at (504) 407-0330.

Chambers may be contacted by fax at (504) 523-8193.

A copy of the page-line designations must be emailed to the Division I law clerk.

A tangible courtesy copy of the motion and memorandum must be provided to division chambers before a hearing date is set.

A tangible courtesy copy of the reply memorandum must be submitted to chambers when it is filed in the record.

A courtesy copy of the motion and memorandum must be provided to chambers before a hearing date will be set.

A tangible courtesy copy of the reply memorandum must be submitted to chambers when it is filed in the record.

A party requesting a jury trial must deposit $5,000.00 with the Clerk of Court for the first day of trial.

A party requesting a jury trial must deposit $2,000 for the first trial day and $700 for each additional expected trial day.

A party requesting a jury trial must deposit $2,000 for the first trial day and $700 for each additional expected trial day.

No original suit, proceeding, or subsequent pleading may be filed or docketed until all applicable filing fees are paid to the Clerk of First City Court, except for pleadings filed under Rule 6A.

Proposed special jury charges and jury interrogatories must be submitted both as a hand-delivered hard copy and as an emailed MS Word copy.

Exhibits must be labeled and organized in binders, with an exhibit list included and objections identifying admissibility, authenticity, or both.

All pleadings must bear original wet signatures.

All pleadings, motions, and other court papers must be typed or printed, double spaced, in English, on legal- or letter-size paper, with two-inch top margins and one-inch side and bottom margins; exhibits may be other sizes unless prepared for court use, when they must be letter size.

The bench-trial Quantum Study, proposed judgments, and proposed findings must be hand-delivered in hardcopy, while electronic copies in Word format must be emailed to the law clerk.

Suggested jury instructions must also be submitted electronically.

Judgments may be submitted by email to the Division F email address or by delivering a hard copy to chambers.

Jury charges and jury interrogatories may be submitted electronically on a disc.

The video request form on the Court’s website must be completed to reserve courtroom technology.

Exceptions, motions, and orders to set a rule to show cause may be filed electronically or by fax, subject to the stated copy requirements.

Any further amendment of the petition or answer requires leave of court or the adverse party’s written consent.

The mover's attorney must sign the motion and certify an in-person conference with represented parties, except that no conference is required for a pro se party and an attorney outside the greater New Orleans area may confer by phone.

A motion to set a case for trial must be submitted by a party, certify that trial counsel for all parties conferred in person, and establish that the case is ready for trial; no conference is required with a pro se party.

The attorney filing a motion to set a case for trial must certify that trial counsel for all parties conferred in person to confirm that the case is trial-ready; no conference is required with a pro se party, and out-of-area attorneys may confer by phone.

Materials faxed to chambers may not exceed 15 pages, excluding the cover page.