Louisiana Civil Code

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SUBSECTION B - PRESUMPTION OF PATERNITY BY SUBSEQUENT MARRIAGE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Art. 195. A man who marries the mother of a child not filiated to another man and who, with the concurrence of the mother, acknowledges the child by authentic act is presumed to be the father of that child.

The husband may disavow paternity of the child as provided in Article 187. Revocation of the authentic act of acknowledgment alone is not sufficient to rebut the presumption of paternity created by this Article.

The action for disavowal is subject to a peremptive period of one hundred eighty days. This peremptive period commences to run from the day of the marriage or the acknowledgment, whichever occurs later. [Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005; Acts 2009, No. 3, §3, eff. June 9, 2009; Acts 2016, No. 309, §1, eff. Aug. 1, 2016]

SUBSECTION C - OTHER METHODS OF ESTABLISHING PATERNITY

Art. 196. A man may, by authentic act, acknowledge a child not filiated to another man. The acknowledgment creates a presumption that the man who acknowledges the child is the father. The presumption can be invoked only on behalf of the child. Except as otherwise provided in custody, visitation, and child support cases, the acknowledgment does not create a presumption in favor of the man who acknowledges the child. [Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005; Acts 2006, No. 344, §1, eff. June 13, 2006; Acts 2009, No. 3, §3, eff. June 9, 2009; Acts 2016, No. 309, §1, eff. Aug. 1, 2016]

Art. 197. A child may institute an action to prove paternity even though he is presumed to be the child of another man. If the action is instituted after the death of the alleged father, a child shall prove paternity by clear and convincing evidence.

For purposes of succession only, this action is subject to a peremptive period of one year. This peremptive period commences to run from the day of the death of the alleged father. [Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005]

Art. 198. A man may institute an action to establish his paternity of a child at any time except as provided in this Article. The action is strictly personal.

If the child is presumed to be the child of another man, the action shall be instituted within one year from the day of the birth of the child. Nevertheless, if the mother in bad faith deceived the father of the child regarding his paternity, the action shall be instituted within one year from the day the father knew or should have known of his paternity, or within ten years from the day of the birth of the child, whichever first occurs.

In all cases, the action shall be instituted no later than one year from the day of the death of the child.

The time periods in this Article are peremptive. [Amended by Acts 1944, No. 50; Acts 1948, No. 482, §1; Acts 1979, No. 607, §1; Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005]

CHAPTER 3 - FILIATION BY ADOPTION

SECTION 1 - EFFECT OF ADOPTION

Art. 199. Upon adoption, the adopting parent becomes the parent of the child for all purposes and the filiation between the child and his legal parent is terminated, except as otherwise provided by law. The adopted child and his descendants retain the right to inherit from his former legal parent and the relatives of that parent. [Acts 2009, No. 3, §1, eff. June 9, 2009]

SECTION 2 - ADOPTION OF MINORS

Art. 200. The adoption of minors is also governed by the provisions of the Children's Code. [Acts 2009, No. 3, §1, eff. June 9, 2009]

Art. 201. [Repealed by Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005]

Art. 202. [Repealed by Acts 1979, No. 607, §4]

Art. 203. [Repealed by Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005]

Art. 204. [Repealed by Acts 1979, No. 607, §4]

Arts. 205-209. [Repealed by Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005]

Art. 210. [Repealed by Acts 1980, No. 549, §2]

Art. 211. [Repealed by Acts 2005, No. 192, §1, eff. June 29, 2005]

SECTION 3 - ADOPTION OF ADULTS

Art. 212. A person who has attained the age of majority may be adopted without judicial authorization only when the adoptive parent is the spouse or the surviving spouse of a parent of the person to be adopted.

In other proposed adult adoptions, the court, upon the joint petition of the adoptive parent and the person to be adopted, may authorize the adoption of a person who has attained the age of majority if the court finds after a hearing that the adoption is in the best interest of both parties. [Acts 2008, No. 351, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 3, §3, eff. June 9, 2009]

Art. 213. The adoptive parent and the person to be adopted shall consent to the adoption in an authentic act of adoption.

The spouse of the adoptive parent and the spouse of the person to be adopted shall sign the act of adoption for the purpose of concurrence in the adoption only. The act of adoption without this concurrence is absolutely null. The concurrence does not establish the legal relationship of parent and child.

Neither a party to an adult adoption nor a concurring spouse may consent by procuration or mandate. [Acts 2008, No. 351, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009]

Art. 214. The adoption is effective when the act of adult adoption and any judgment required to authorize the adoption are filed for registry, except as otherwise provided by law. [Amended by Acts 1948, No. 454, §1; Acts 1958, No. 514, §1; Acts 1978, No. 458, §1; Acts 1990, No. 147, §1, eff. July 1, 1990; Acts 1995, No. 1180, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996; Acts 2008, No. 351, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009]




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