Tap any paragraph to write a margin note. Your notes collect in the Desk below the text and file under cases with @. The side-by-side margin rail opens on a larger screen.

§
Marginalia
Code · Louisiana · Title 13 — Courts and Judicial Procedure

RS 13:5216

314 words·~1 min read·/la/title-13/13-1993

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

RS 13:5216
§5216. Initiation of claim
A. In a court participating in the program, small claims cases shall be initiated by affidavit filed by the plaintiff stating the demand. The affidavit shall include the plaintiff's email address and, if known, the defendant's email address.
B. If the plaintiff seeks an exemption from the program due to undue hardship pursuant to R.S. 13:5214, the request for exemption shall be filed with the affidavit of claim.
C. The plaintiff shall register in the program within ten days of filing the affidavit of claim, or if the plaintiff filed a request for exemption and the exemption is denied, within ten days of the denial.
D. If the plaintiff fails to register in the program within the prescribed time delay, the court shall dismiss the affidavit of claim without prejudice. If the defendant establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the plaintiff failed to register or participate in a prior case regarding the same dispute, the court shall dismiss the affidavit of claim with prejudice. The court may take judicial notice of a plaintiff's previously filed claim regarding the same dispute and the plaintiff's failure to register with the program, and the court may dismiss the claim with prejudice on its own motion.
E. Neither written discovery nor deposition upon oral examination shall be allowed in the program. However, the facilitator may communicate privately with any party for the purposes of facilitating a resolution. In addition, the facilitator may request a party provide the facilitator and every other party any of the following:
(1)Information and evidence about the merits of the case.
(2)Information about either party's ability to pay.
(3)Responses to another party's information.
(4)The party's position on any proposed resolution of the affidavit of claim.
Acts 2021, No. 281, §1.
NOTE: See R.S. 13:5226 regarding termination of this Part on Aug. 1, 2025.
★   the supreme law of the land   ★
Don't Tread on Me
E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one

"If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."

Marginalia · a citizen's law index
A research desk, not legal advice. Always read the cited source before relying on a summary.
Questions or an issue? support@self-law.org
disclaimerMarginalia is a research index, not a law firm. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice and no attorney–client relationship is formed by using it. Statutes, regulations, and case law change; summaries, search results, AI output, and member posts may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Any interpretation drawn from material on this site should be validated by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before you act on it.