Art. 4903 Delay for answering in parish and city courts

If you get sued in a parish or city court in Louisiana, you have 10 days to file your answer after you are officially served with the lawsuit papers. This 10-day clock starts running from the date you receive the citation, not from when the lawsuit was originally filed.

There's one exception to this rule. If the lawsuit papers were served on you through the Secretary of State's office (this often happens when a defendant is out of state or hard to locate directly), you get more time. In that case, everyone being sued gets 15 days to answer instead of the usual 10.

This deadline matters a lot. If you don't file your answer in time, the court could enter a default judgment against you, meaning you could lose the case without ever having your side heard. If you've been served with a lawsuit, it's important to act quickly and either file your answer or talk to a lawyer right away to protect your rights.