RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 416 (SB 255) 2022 Regular Session Barrow
Existing law provides that all court costs and fees incurred in maintaining or defending any
proceeding concerning domestic abuse assistance in juvenile, family, and civil courts are to
be paid by the perpetrator of the domestic violence, including all costs of medical and
psychological care for the abused adult, or for any of the children, necessitated by the
domestic violence.
New law retains existing law.
Prior law provided that if the court determines that a petition in a domestic abuse case was
frivolous, the court may order the nonprevailing party to pay all court costs and reasonable
attorney fees of the other party.
New law retains prior law and provides that failure to appear at a hearing on the petition for
a protective order shall not on its own constitute grounds for assessing court costs and fees
against the petitioner.
Effective June 15, 2022.
(Amends Ch.C. Art. 1570.1 and R.S. 46:2136.1)