Tools for Baton Rouge Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Baton Rouge families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in Baton Rouge move through the Family Court of East Baton Rouge Parish, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Area covered: East Baton Rouge Parish.

Court for custody cases: Family Court of East Baton Rouge Parish.

Appointed for the child: Attorney for the child.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge.

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge.

State family law: Louisiana Civil Code Book I - Persons (Marriage/Divorce).

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For attorneys for the child and guardians ad litem in Baton Rouge

In Louisiana, the court can appoint an attorney for the child in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

The invitation a parent sends is labeled Guardian ad Litem, the title most states use. It works the same if you serve as an attorney for the child in Baton Rouge.

For therapists and counselors in Baton Rouge

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Baton Rouge, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Baton Rouge

In Louisiana, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in Baton Rouge. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Family court in Baton Rouge: what to know

Custody cases in Baton Rouge are heard in the Family Court of East Baton Rouge Parish.

Family cases are heard by the East Baton Rouge Family Court and filed through the parish Clerk of Court.

If you searched for an attorney for the child, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Baton Rouge, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Baton Rouge: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

East Baton Rouge: Self-Help Center. Help on set days at the courthouse with forms and court information for family cases, for people without a lawyer.

East Baton Rouge legal aid: Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation, (844) 244-7871.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Baton Rouge?

East Baton Rouge Parish has a separate Family Court with exclusive power to hear divorce, paternity, child and spousal support, and custody and visitation cases.

Where can parents in Baton Rouge get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Self-Help Center. Free legal aid: Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Baton Rouge?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does an attorney for the child do in a Baton Rouge custody case?

In a Louisiana custody or visitation case, the court may appoint an attorney to represent the child after a hearing if that is in the child's best interest, and must appoint one if a party shows a prima facie case that the child has been abused. The attorney interviews the child, reviews records and takes part in the hearing like either parent. You may also see "court-appointed attorney for the child". The rule is in La. R.S. 9:345. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Louisiana?

Louisiana courts may order parents to mediate custody and visitation disputes. The mediator helps the parties reach a settlement but cannot force them to agree, and must keep the mediation confidential.

Do parents in Louisiana have to take a parenting class?

Louisiana law allows courts to order a seminar for divorcing parents when minor children live with either parent, whether or not custody is contested. Whether a class is ordered, and which one, depends on the judicial district.