Paternity & Assisted Reproduction
Establishing legal parentage is the foundation of a child's rights — and a parent's rights. The Rhodes Law Firm helps Louisiana families navigate paternity actions and the complex legal landscape of assisted reproductive technology.
Legal parentage determines who has rights and obligations with respect to a child — including custody, visitation, and child support. In Louisiana, parentage can be established by marriage, acknowledgment, or court judgment. As family formation through assisted reproductive technology (ART) becomes more common, the legal questions surrounding parentage have become increasingly complex — and increasingly important to get right.
Paternity Actions
Establishing paternity creates a legal relationship between a father and child that carries significant consequences — including the right to seek custody and visitation, and the obligation to pay child support. In Louisiana, paternity may be established voluntarily through an acknowledgment of paternity signed by both parents, or through a judicial proceeding in which the court orders DNA testing and enters a judgment of paternity. We represent both parents seeking to establish paternity and those challenging a paternity claim.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Families formed through in vitro fertilization (IVF), donor eggs or sperm, embryo donation, or surrogacy face unique legal challenges that Louisiana's laws are still evolving to address. Pre-conception agreements, donor agreements, and surrogacy contracts are critical tools for defining parental rights and obligations before a child is born. We help clients navigate these agreements and the court proceedings required to establish legal parentage for children born through ART.
Surrogacy in Louisiana
Louisiana's surrogacy law is limited in scope and can present challenges for intended parents. Traditional surrogacy arrangements — where the surrogate is also the biological mother — are particularly complex under Louisiana law. Gestational surrogacy, where the surrogate has no genetic connection to the child, is more straightforward but still requires careful legal documentation. We advise intended parents, surrogates, and donors on the legal requirements and help them put enforceable agreements in place.
Authoritative Resources
- Louisiana Civil Code Art. 184 et seq. – Filiation & Paternity (Louisiana Legislature) ↗
- Louisiana R.S. 9:391.1 – Acknowledgment of Paternity (Louisiana Legislature) ↗
- Louisiana R.S. 9:121 et seq. – Human Embryos & Assisted Reproduction (Louisiana Legislature) ↗
- RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association – Legal Resources for ART ↗
- Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys ↗
Related Family Law Services
Protect Your Parental Rights
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your paternity or assisted reproduction matter.