Louisiana Articles & Resources - Hampton Law Firm

FAQ Series | Hampton Law Firm In Louisiana, a credit sale deed can be a useful way to structure a real estate transaction when the buyer is not paying the entire purchase price at the time of closing. In everyday terms, this is often thought of as a seller-financed sale. The buyer receives title to the property, but the seller remains owed money over time. When the buyer later stops paying, however, the legal process is usually not as simple as saying, “They defaulted, so I g

Coffee Shop Series | Hampton Law Firm Let’s talk about this like we are sitting across from each other at a coffee shop. You have your coffee. I have mine. And you finally say out loud what you have probably been carrying around for a while: “I do not know if we are at the point where I need to do something legal.” Maybe it is your mama. Maybe it is your daddy. Maybe it is your spouse. Maybe it is someone else you love who used to be sharp, independent, stubborn, capable, and

When families call about interdiction, they are usually not calling because things are calm. They are calling because something has changed. Maybe an elderly parent is missing bills, getting confused at the bank, refusing necessary care, giving money away, falling for scams, or making choices that do not seem grounded in reality anymore. Maybe a spouse is declining medically or mentally, and the family is scared something bad is going to happen if nobody has legal authority t

The painful gift of clarity, disappointment, and finding yourself again There are moments in life when you finally see someone clearly, and the experience is not nearly as peaceful as people make it sound. We talk about clarity like it should feel clean. Like it should arrive with confidence and relief. Like once the truth is obvious, we should simply accept it, adjust our expectations, and move forward with grace. But sometimes clarity is devastating. Sometimes the moment yo

Repeating a rumor can still carry real consequences. People love to soften a statement with phrases like “I heard,” “someone told me,” “sources say,” or “an anonymous source reported.” Those phrases may sound cautious. They may feel like a shield. They may even make the speaker feel removed from the accusation itself. But legally and practically, repeating a serious claim about someone else does not automatically become safe just because the speaker says they heard it from so

Just a note: Specially dedicated to the lady I knew would give me a hug the second she saw me — and who did just that. Pressure does not create character as much as it reveals patterns. Pressure has a way of introducing people twice: once as who they said they were, and again as who they actually are. I used to think hard seasons changed people. I am not so sure anymore. I think hard seasons reveal people. They reveal habits, instincts, priorities, courage, fear, loyalty, ten

Some lessons hurt. Some lessons embarrass you. Some lessons make you question your own judgment. And some lessons come around more than once, almost as if life is sitting across from you, looking you gently but directly in the eye, asking, “Are we going to keep being surprised by this, or are we going to make a plan?” Being left, disappointed, unsupported, or forced to carry the weight alone is painful. There is no polished legal phrase that makes that less true. But after th

Because love may build the home, but planning protects the life inside it. If we were sitting across from each other in a coffee shop, and you told me you were building a life with someone, I would not start by being cynical. I would not talk to you from a pedestal. I would not pretend to be the lawyer who has always made every decision perfectly, seen every warning sign clearly, or protected herself from every heartbreak in advance. I would probably wrap both hands around my

Because being abandoned is not the same thing as being unworthy and being shaken is not the same thing as being defeated. I used to think strength meant not being shaken. I know better now. Strength is not always loud. It is not always pretty. It does not always arrive looking inspirational, polished, or graceful. Sometimes strength looks a lot more ordinary than that. It looks like getting up, putting your feet on the floor, answering the phone, feeding the children, showing

When Your Husband or Wife “Went Out for Milk” and Never Came Back: Louisiana Law, Coffee, and Not Panicking Every coffee shop has heard some version of the old line: “My husband went out for milk five years ago and never came back,” or “My wife said she was running to the store and disappeared.” It sounds like a joke until it is your kitchen, your bills, your children, your mortgage, and your name still legally tied to someone who may be across town, across the country, or tr

Short Answer: HELL NO. In Louisiana, do not talk to police about a criminal accusation without a lawyer. No. If police want to question you about a criminal accusation, investigation, warrant, complaint, or suspected offense, do not talk without a lawyer. Be polite. Do not run. Do not resist. Do not lie. But do not try to explain your way out of a criminal investigation. The safest answer is clear and simple: “I am invoking my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer. I do not

Louisiana defamation, screenshots, false accusations, and online posts. Yes, sometimes. In Louisiana, someone can face civil liability for false statements that damage another person's reputation. But not every rude post, insult, exaggeration, bad review, or ugly comment is defamation. The legal question is usually whether the statement was presented as fact, whether it was false, whether it was published to someone else, whether it was privileged, whether the speaker was at

Louisiana arraignment, pleas, court preparation, and what not to say. A first criminal court date in Louisiana is usually not the trial. It may be an arraignment, an initial setting, a misdemeanor appearance, a felony arraignment, a bond-related setting, or another early procedural date depending on the court and the charge. Even when nothing dramatic happens, the date matters because missed court, careless statements, or uninformed decisions can create serious consequences.

Louisiana custody orders, denied visitation, and when police can get involved. If there is a Louisiana custody judgment, visitation order, or joint custody implementation order in place, the first question is not what the other parent feels is “fair” that week. The first question is what the court order actually says. Louisiana law recognizes joint custody implementation orders that allocate the periods of physical custody so the child can have frequent and continuing contact

She was nine years old, and she knew her voice mattered, so she made sure it was heard. Sara Rose There are some moments in life that are too private to explain fully, but too meaningful not to reflect on. This was one of those moments for me. I watched my nine-year-old daughter do something I will remember for the rest of my life, not because it was loud or dramatic, but because it was steady, clear, and deeply courageous. She had something to say, she knew where she wanted

There are moments in life when pride and heartbreak arrive together. As a mother, one of those moments comes when you see your child find her voice before you ever wanted her to need it. You feel proud because courage is beautiful. You feel proud because truth still matters to her. You feel proud because she knows how to stand beside someone she loves. But beneath that pride, there is a quiet ache. No child should have to become brave in response to adult cruelty. The Weight

People usually ask this question when they feel like no one believes them. Maybe the other person acts one way in public and another way in private. Maybe conversations keep getting twisted. Maybe there are threats, admissions, harassment, custody issues, workplace problems, or family conflict. Recording can feel like the only way to prove what is really happening. But before you hit record, you need to understand both the law and the risk. Louisiana is generally a one-party

If you don’t feel like reading…here’s the short version with my smiling face for a dose of positivity. 😍 Moving can be necessary. People move for jobs, family support, safety, housing, school, remarriage, medical care, military obligations, or simply because life changes. But when a child has another parent with custody or visitation rights, moving is not just a personal decision. It may also be a legal one. This is one of those situations where a parent may think, “I am the

Well....wait just a minute. Sometimes people ask this question after they have reached the end of their patience. Maybe a relationship ended. Maybe a family member will not leave. Maybe someone has been staying in the home and the situation has turned stressful, unsafe, or unbearable. When emotions are high, changing the locks can feel like the quickest way to get peace back. But in Louisiana, the fastest option is not always the safest legal option. If the person has been li