Art. 5091.1 Appointment of attorney in disavowal actions

When someone files a court case to deny being a child's legal father, the judge must appoint a lawyer just for that child. This lawyer's only job is to look out for the child's interests during the case.

This appointed lawyer cannot represent anyone else involved in the lawsuit. So the same attorney can't also represent the mother, the alleged father, or any other party. The child gets their own separate legal voice in the case, since the outcome directly affects the child's legal relationship with a parent.

This rule exists because these cases can change a child's legal identity and rights, like inheritance rights or child support. Since the child can't speak for themselves in court, the law makes sure someone is there specifically to protect their interests, separate from whatever the adults in the case want.