Art. 1281.9 Persons who may petition for intercountry adoption

Here's a plain English summary of this rule:

This rule explains who is allowed to file for an intercountry adoption in Louisiana. A married couple can file together if one spouse is a U.S. citizen and the other is either a U.S. citizen or has legal immigration status. A single person can also file on their own, but only if they are a U.S. citizen and at least 25 years old.

No matter who is filing, at least one of the people on the petition must actually live in Louisiana. This makes sure the case has a real connection to the state's courts.

The rule also covers what happens if a married couple files together and one spouse dies while the adoption case is still going on. In that situation, the surviving spouse can keep moving forward with the adoption. The case simply continues as if that person had filed on their own from the start, so the family doesn't have to start over from scratch.