Grandparents’ Rights Attorney in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Family Law · Grandparents’ Rights
Free 30-minute consultation — (337) 656-3212
I am Jacob Colonna, a family law attorney in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and managing attorney of Colonna Law Firm LLC, located at 900 Ryan St., Ste. 402, Lake Charles, LA 70601. I handle grandparents’ rights proceedings at the 14th Judicial District Court in Calcasieu Parish, representing grandparents seeking visitation and custody of their grandchildren. Grandparents’ rights in Louisiana are governed by La. R.S. 9:344, which provides specific grounds for grandparents to petition for visitation and, in appropriate circumstances, custody. I hold a 5.0 rating across 200+ Google reviews. To schedule a free 30-minute consultation, call (337) 656-3212.
Talk directly with Jacob about your family law case — no obligation, no pressure.
When You Must Intervene to Protect Your Grandchild’s Best Interest
You have been a constant in your grandchild’s life — at the school plays, the birthday parties, the quiet afternoons that built a relationship neither of you asked to have explained to a judge. And now that door is being slammed shut. Maybe it is a divorce. Maybe it is a death. Maybe it is just a parent who has decided, for reasons that have nothing to do with your grandchild, that you are no longer welcome.
You are being told you have no rights — that you are just a spectator. That is legally incorrect. Louisiana law recognizes that grandparents matter, especially when you have been a caregiver or a stabilizing force in a child’s life. The question is not whether you have rights. The question is whether you can prove, to the court’s satisfaction, that your presence is in the child’s best interest.
I don’t approach grandparent cases as a fight between adults. I approach them as a fight for the child’s need for consistency. I know how to overcome the high burden of proving that your presence is in the child’s best interest — even when parents are actively trying to shut you out. And I know when the facts support a custody petition rather than just visitation.
If you haven’t already spoken to an attorney, you’re already behind. Contact Colonna Law Firm now.
What Louisiana Law Gives Grandparents
Louisiana Revised Statute 9:344 provides specific grounds for grandparents to petition for visitation rights. The statute gives grandparents legal standing to bring a case before the court when:
- One or both parents is incarcerated
- One or both parents are deceased
- One or both parents is interdicted
- The parents have been separated for more than six months
Standing to bring the case is only the first step. Once in court, grandparents must still demonstrate that visitation is in the child’s best interest — and when both parents are fit and object to visitation, that burden is significantly higher due to the constitutional weight given to fit parents’ decisions under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Troxel v. Granville framework.
| Important distinction: Visitation and custody are two different proceedings with two different legal standards. Visitation asks the court to grant you access to the child. Custody asks the court to make you the primary caregiver. I evaluate which proceeding is appropriate based on the specific facts of each case — and I tell grandparents honestly when the facts support one but not the other. |
The Stability Anchor — How I Frame Every Grandparent Case
Grandparent cases are not won by arguing that you deserve access because you are family. They are won by demonstrating that your presence in this child’s life provides a stability and consistency that serves the child’s best interest — independent of what the adults in the case want.
Every case I build for a grandparent client starts with the same question: what does the child’s life actually look like, and what role has this grandparent played in it? School records showing attendance at events. Medical records showing appointment participation. Photographs, journals, text messages, and communications documenting a consistent history of caregiving and emotional bonding. The more lived experience I can show the judge, the stronger the case becomes.
Courts in Louisiana — and particularly at the 14th JDC — respond to documented history of involvement. A grandparent who has been present, consistent, and genuinely centered on the child’s wellbeing is a very different case than one who simply wants access. I build the record that shows the difference.
When Grandparent Visitation Becomes a Custody Case
Some grandparent cases start as visitation disputes and evolve into custody proceedings when the evidence reveals that one or both parents are unfit. Signs of parental substance abuse, neglect, abandonment, domestic violence, or a pattern of instability can shift the legal analysis entirely — from whether grandparents should have visitation to whether they should be raising the child.
If a child’s safety is at immediate risk, I can file for temporary emergency custody to remove the child from harm’s way before a standard hearing occurs. Emergency custody is a serious step with a high threshold — I evaluate the facts carefully before recommending it. When the threshold is met, I move quickly.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 133 does provide a path for non-parents to gain custody of a child. This article has an elevated consideration of “substantial harm” being present for the child. For the broader custody framework that applies when grandparents seek primary custody, see the child custody page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get custody if the parents are unfit?
Yes, but the legal burden is higher than for visitation. I must prove that the parent is unable to provide adequate care, or that extraordinary circumstances — such as abuse, neglect, abandonment, or your established role as a long-term primary caregiver — make your custody necessary for the child’s welfare. When parental fitness is genuinely at issue, the case shifts from a grandparent visitation matter to a full custody proceeding under the best-interest standard. See the child custody spoke page for more detail on how those proceedings work.
Does my role as a primary caregiver give me stronger rights to custody?
Yes. If you have served as the child’s de facto primary caregiver for a substantial period, you are in a significantly stronger position to petition for custody. Louisiana courts prioritize the child’s established stability, and a grandparent who has functioned as a parent — providing daily care, attending school and medical appointments, maintaining the child’s routines — is often viewed as the stabilizing force the child needs.
What if the parents are divorced or one parent is deceased — does that help my case?
Yes. Divorce, legal separation, and the death of a parent are specific statutory grounds under La. R.S. 9:344 that give you legal standing to file a petition for visitation. While standing does not guarantee a win, it moves you past the initial threshold of proving you have a legal right to bring the case before a judge at the 14th JDC. From there, the case is decided on the child’s best interest.
Can I get emergency custody of my grandchild?
Yes, when the child is in immediate danger. If a grandchild’s safety is at risk due to parental substance abuse, severe neglect, abandonment, or physical abuse, I can file for temporary emergency custody at the 14th JDC to remove the child from harm’s way before a standard hearing occurs. Emergency custody is a serious step with a high threshold — I evaluate the facts carefully before recommending it, and when the threshold is met, I move quickly.
What should I document to prove that visitation is in the child’s best interest?
I need to build a factual record of your involvement in the child’s life. This includes photographs, school records showing your participation in events, medical records showing you attended appointments, written communications or journals documenting consistent caregiving, and any other evidence that demonstrates the depth and continuity of the relationship. The more lived experience I can show the judge — not just claimed love, but documented presence — the stronger the case becomes.
Have a family law matter in Lake Charles? Colonna Law Firm, LLC offers a free 30-minute consultation.
📞 (337) 656-3212 🌐 www.colonnalawfirm.com 📍 900 Ryan Street, Suite 402 | Lake Charles, LA 70601
Jacob Colonna is a family law attorney in Lake Charles, Louisiana with 17 years of experience at the 14th Judicial District Court. He serves clients in Calcasieu, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis, and Allen Parishes with family law cases. Jacob Colonna is a trial attorney with extensive courtroom experience across all stages of Louisiana family law proceedings — from the beginning through trials and appeals.
Last Reviewed: June 2026 | Content reviewed by Jacob Colonna, Attorney at Law
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This material is provided for information-gathering purposes only. Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship and does not constitute legal advice. Colonna Law Firm, LLC does not represent you unless and until the firm agrees to represent you and a written fee agreement has been signed. Legal advice must be tailored to the specific facts of each case. Do not rely on this form as a substitute for legal counsel.