News & Updates
Plain-language notes on Louisiana and Mississippi law, legislative changes, and firm news — from the desk of Stephen C. Aertker, Jr.
Recent posts.
Louisiana’s 2026 Equal-Custody Change (Act 605): What It Does and Doesn’t Do
Act 605 made equal physical custody the starting point inside Louisiana joint-custody orders from Aug. 1, 2026. What changed, and what did not.
Final Spousal Support in Louisiana: The Three-Year Deadline
Louisiana final spousal support: interim vs. final, the fault rule, the one-third cap and its abuse exception, and the Article 117 three-year peremption.
Louisiana’s New 51% Fault Rule: What Act 15 of 2025 Changed
Louisiana’s 51% fault rule: for accidents on or after January 1, 2026, a person 51% or more at fault recovers nothing (La. C.C. art. 2323; Acts 2025, No. 15).
Arrested for DWI in Louisiana? The 30-Day License Deadline
After a Louisiana DWI arrest you generally have 30 days from arrest to request an administrative license hearing under La. R.S. 32:667. What to know.
Louisiana Medical Malpractice Deadlines: One Year, Three Years, and the Review Panel
Louisiana medical malpractice deadlines: the one-year and three-year periods of La. R.S. 9:5628, and how a medical review panel request suspends them.
How Long Does a Divorce Take in Louisiana? Article 102 vs. Article 103
Louisiana divorce timelines: 180 or 365 days of living apart, Article 102 vs. Article 103, covenant marriage, and where you can file.
The Government Wants Your Land: A Louisiana Owner’s Guide
Louisiana takings run on brutally short clocks — a 20-day window to fight the taking, a 10-day fuse on certified mail — and an offer-back right almost nobody claims.
Mississippi’s New 50/50 Custody Presumption, Explained
Since July 1, 2026, new Mississippi custody cases start from a rebuttable presumption of joint custody with equal parenting time — and equal time changes the support math.
Louisiana Now Gives Injury Victims Two Years to File — But Not Everyone
A 2024 reform extended the deadline for most injury claims from one year to two — but only for injuries on or after July 1, 2024, and key exceptions still apply.
How Far Back Will Social Security Pay? SSDI Back Pay, Explained
Back pay turns on three dates — onset, application, and approval — plus the five-month waiting period and the 12-month look-back cap. With a free estimator.
The Five-Step Test Social Security Uses on Every Disability Claim
Every SSDI and SSI claim runs through the same five questions. Understanding them explains most denials — and what a winning file looks like.
Your Social Security Disability Claim Was Denied. Now What?
Most claims are denied at first. The 60-day appeal clock, why appealing beats refiling, and how the ALJ hearing — where cases are won — really works.
SSDI vs. SSI: Which Disability Benefit Are You Applying For?
Two different programs, different rules, different money. Work credits vs. means testing, Medicare vs. Medicaid, and the filing-timing rule that costs people months.
What Is a Louisiana Succession, and Do I Need One?
A plain-language walk through what a succession is, testate vs. intestate, the judgment of possession, when a full administration is needed, and small successions.
Community Property in a Louisiana Divorce: What Actually Gets Split
Community vs. separate property, where the line blurs, how debts and reimbursement claims work, and how the estate is partitioned when a marriage ends.
Forced Heirship in Louisiana, Explained
Louisiana’s distinctive rule: who qualifies as a forced heir, the forced portion (legitime), how it limits what you can give away, and planning around it.
Louisiana Medical Malpractice: The Medical Review Panel and the Damages Cap
The mandatory pre-suit panel, the statutory damages cap, the Patient’s Compensation Fund, and the short, idiosyncratic deadlines that govern these claims.
What Changed in Louisiana Successions in 2025 (and What Didn’t)
Refined testament formalities, streamlined probate, expanded notary authority, and new limits on no-contest clauses — plus the forced-heirship rumor that, once again, isn’t true.
Your Child Turns 18 and Heads to College. Here’s What the Law Just Did.
HIPAA and FERPA quietly cut parents out the day a child turns 18. The simple set of documents that fixes it before move-in day.
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