Rule 2-14 Service of Legible Copies; Certificate

When you file documents with a Louisiana Court of Appeal, you must also send copies to the other side in the case. These copies need to be readable, and you must send them to the other party's lawyer if they have one, or directly to the other party if they don't. This has to happen either before you file with the court or at the same time you file.

You also need to prove that you actually sent these copies. You do this by attaching a certificate to your filing. This certificate must list every party involved in the case and every lawyer representing them, along with which lawyer represents which party. It also has to show exactly when you sent the copies and how you sent them, whether that was by mail, email, hand delivery, or some other method.

This rule exists so that everyone involved in a case stays informed and gets a fair chance to respond. Courts want to make sure no one is left out of the loop or blindsided by documents they never received.