10 Best Family Law Attorneys in Lafayette, LA

This guide covers 10 family law attorneys and firms serving Lafayette and the surrounding Acadiana parishes, including Acadia, Vermilion, St. Martin, Iberia, and St. Landry. We evaluated each on its experience with Louisiana divorce, child custody, child and spousal support, and community property partitions, how regularly its attorneys appear in the 15th Judicial District Court and before its domestic hearing officers, relevant background such as judicial clerkships or service on the bench, peer and client recognition, and whether family law is the firm’s main focus or one of several practice areas.

When comparing options, ask three practical questions. First, does the attorney regularly handle cases before the 15th Judicial District judges and hearing officers in Lafayette, and do they know how local custody and support hearings run? Second, does your case involve something that calls for specific experience, such as a community property partition involving a business or retirement accounts, a relocation dispute, a covenant marriage, or a protective order? Third, does the attorney favor settlement and mediation, courtroom litigation, or both, and does that fit your situation? This list is not ranked and not sponsored.

1. Schnaars Law Firm, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Dyan O’Halloran Schnaars, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 1011 Camellia Blvd., Suite 1, Lafayette, LA 70508
• Phone: (337) 534-4326
• Website: schnaarslaw.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law (Divorce, Child Custody, Modification and Relocation, Child Support, Paternity, Grandparents’ Rights, Property Division, Spousal Support), Wills
• Firm Size: Boutique family law firm; founder named to NAFLA’s Top 10 Attorneys Under 40
• Practice Area Page: Lafayette Family Law Attorney
• Social Profiles: Facebook, LinkedIn

About the Firm: Dyan Schnaars leads a boutique family law firm in south Lafayette and has been recognized by the National Academy of Family Law Attorneys as one of its Top 10 Attorneys Under 40, as an Elite Lawyer in 2022 and 2023, and as one of the Top Three Divorce Attorneys in Lafayette in 2023. She received the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award in 2015 and an Outstanding Attorney Award for pro bono work six years in a row.

The firm’s practice includes custody modifications and relocation cases, which arise when a parent wants to move a child a significant distance and must follow Louisiana’s notice and court approval rules. It serves Lafayette, Acadia, St. Martin, Iberia, and Vermilion Parishes, including Abbeville, Rayne, and Crowley.

2. Eric S. Neumann, APLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Eric S. Neumann, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 127 Clinton St., Lafayette, LA 70501
• Phone: (337) 237-1113
• Website: ericneumann.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law (Divorce, High Net Worth Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Community Property and Property Division, Modifications, Paternity, Adoption), Criminal Defense
• Firm Size: Lafayette practice; founder admitted in 1992 and a former district court law clerk

About the Firm: Eric S. Neumann has practiced since 1992 and began his career as a law clerk for two judges of the 16th Judicial District Court, an experience that gave him an inside view of how judges evaluate evidence and testimony in contested cases. He holds a finance degree, which is a real asset in community property partitions and high-net-worth divorces where business interests, retirement accounts, and investments must be valued and divided.

Neumann was named Best of Acadiana Family Law Attorney in 2020, and his practice serves seven Acadiana parishes, including Lafayette, Acadia, Vermilion, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Mary, and St. Landry. His downtown office on Clinton Street is close to the Lafayette Parish Courthouse.

3. The Law Office of Joshua S. Guillory, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Joshua S. Guillory, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 203 W. Brentwood Blvd., Suite 3, Lafayette, LA 70506
• Phone: (337) 233-1303
• Website: jsguillorylaw.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law (Divorce, Child Custody and Modifications, Child Support, Spousal Support, Community Property, Adoptions, Paternity, Matrimonial and Prenuptial Agreements, Name Changes), Criminal Defense
• Firm Size: Lafayette firm serving nine South Louisiana parishes

About the Firm: Joshua S. Guillory teaches law at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and has served as counsel in cases that have helped shape Louisiana law, giving his family practice an unusually strong grounding in legal analysis. He leads a team that includes attorney Daniel Tercero and serves families in Lafayette, Calcasieu, Acadia, St. Martin, St. Landry, Iberia, St. Mary, Jefferson Davis, and Vermilion Parishes.

The firm’s family practice is comprehensive, covering divorce, custody, support, community property, intra-family and private adoptions, and matrimonial agreements, which Louisiana couples use to opt out of or modify the community property regime. That breadth makes the firm a good fit for clients who need both planning documents before marriage and representation if a marriage ends.

4. Laura L. Davenport, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Laura L. Davenport, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 321 W. Main St., Suite 1F, Lafayette, LA 70501
• Phone: (337) 231-1397
• Website: ldavenportlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law exclusively: Divorce, Divorce Settlement Conferences, Child Custody, Child Support and Paternity, Spousal Support, Property Division, Grandparents’ Rights, Restraining Orders, Mediation
• Firm Size: Two-attorney family law firm

About the Firm: Laura L. Davenport runs a family-law-only practice in downtown Lafayette with attorney Monique Champagne, and the firm’s entire focus is divorce, custody, support, and the related issues that come with them. It serves Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion Parishes, including communities such as Abbeville, Crowley, Rayne, Youngsville, Broussard, and Carencro.

The firm describes its approach as child-oriented, keeping the children’s interests at the center of custody and support decisions, and it works to help clients avoid emotionally driven decisions that can hurt their case. Its services include divorce settlement conferences and mediation as alternatives to a contested trial, and it has been recognized by Three Best Rated as a top divorce firm in Lafayette.

5. Chris Villemarette, Trial Lawyer

• Attorney/Key Figure: Chris Villemarette, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 3404 Moss St., Lafayette, LA 70507
• Phone: (337) 232-3100
• Website: chrisvlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law (Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Spousal Support), Personal Injury, Criminal Defense (Drug Crimes, Domestic Violence, OWI), Medical Malpractice
• Firm Size: Lafayette trial practice; founder has more than 29 years of experience and more than 4,000 client consultations
• Practice Area Page: Lafayette Family Lawyer

About the Firm: Chris Villemarette is a trial lawyer with more than 29 years of experience and more than 4,000 client consultations, and his family law practice handles divorce, child custody, child support, and spousal support for families across Lafayette Parish and the surrounding area. His long courtroom career means he is comfortable taking contested custody and support disputes to a hearing when negotiation stalls.

The firm’s criminal defense practice, which includes domestic violence and OWI cases, is a practical advantage in family matters where a criminal charge or protective order affects custody or visitation. Clients can handle overlapping issues with a single attorney, and the firm emphasizes honest advice paired with strong advocacy.

6. The Thompson Law Office, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Danielle Thompson, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 149 James Comeaux Rd., Suite A, Lafayette, LA 70508
• Phone: (337) 534-8761
• Website: thompsonlawoffice.us
• Practice Areas: Family Law (Child Custody, Divorce, Protective Orders, Child Support, Paternity, Grandparent Visitation, Spousal Support), Wills and Successions, Powers of Attorney, Criminal Defense (DUI/DWI), Personal Injury
• Firm Size: Two-attorney Lafayette firm that includes a retired judge
• Practice Area Page: Lafayette Family Law Attorney

About the Firm: Danielle Thompson focuses her practice on family law and has received multiple Avvo Clients’ Choice awards and a “Top Attorney – Divorce” designation. Her firm also includes retired Judge Paul J. deMahy, whose years on the bench give clients the perspective of someone who has decided family disputes from the other side of the courtroom.

The firm handles custody, divorce, support, paternity, grandparent visitation, and protective orders, and it emphasizes keeping clients informed throughout their cases. Its wills, successions, and powers of attorney practice helps clients update their estate plans after a divorce, and it serves clients throughout Louisiana from its south Lafayette office.

7. Hoyt & Stanford

• Attorney/Key Figure: D. Reardon Stanford, Family Law Attorney
• Headquarters: 315 S. College Rd., Suite 165, Lafayette, LA 70503
• Phone: (337) 234-1012
• Website: hoytlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce, Child Custody and Visitation, Child Support, Spousal Support, Community Property Partitions and Disputes, Protective Orders and Injunctions, Tutorships
• Firm Size: Lafayette firm with almost 80 years of combined experience; family law attorney has about 20 years of experience

About the Firm: D. Reardon Stanford leads the family law practice at Hoyt & Stanford and has about 20 years of experience in divorce and family law. The firm, which has almost 80 years of combined experience, handles divorce, custody and visitation, child and spousal support, community property partitions, protective orders, and tutorships, the Louisiana process for appointing a guardian for a minor.

Its tutorship work is a useful niche for grandparents and relatives caring for a child whose parents cannot. The firm emphasizes customized solutions based on each client’s circumstances. Its website offers limited detail on individual attorney credentials beyond Stanford’s experience.

8. The Landry Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Daniel M. Landry III, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 802 General Mouton, Lafayette, LA 70501
• Phone: (337) 237-7135
• Website: lafayettelaw.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce, Community Property Division, Child Custody Litigation, Child Support, Spousal Support Negotiations
• Firm Size: Lafayette family law practice; founder recognized by peers as one of Acadiana’s top family law attorneys

About the Firm: Daniel M. Landry III has been voted by his peers as one of the top family law attorneys in the Acadiana area, and his firm concentrates on divorce, custody litigation, support, and Louisiana community property matters. The firm is based on General Mouton in Lafayette.

The firm’s emphasis on community property law matters in Louisiana, where nearly everything acquired during the marriage is presumed to be shared equally and must be inventoried and partitioned. The firm describes its approach as aggressive and professional, which suits clients heading toward contested litigation. Its website provides limited detail on case results or individual credentials.

9. Southern Oaks Law Firm

• Attorney/Key Figure: Taylor Fontenot, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 321 W. Main St., Suite 2G, Lafayette, LA 70501
• Phone: (337) 704-7255
• Website: southernoakslaw.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law exclusively: Divorce (Community Property Partitions, Spousal Support), Child Custody (Modifications, Emergency Custody), Child Support, Adoption, LGBTQ+ Family Law (Same-Sex Adoptions, Divorces, Name Changes, Amended Birth Certificates)
• Firm Size: Boutique family law firm founded in 2016; founder is a former district court law clerk

About the Firm: Taylor Fontenot founded Southern Oaks Law Firm in 2016 after clerking for the 20th Judicial District Court and practicing at personal injury firms in Lafayette, and the firm now practices family law exclusively. Attorney Rachel Fontenot also practices with the firm.

Southern Oaks takes a “settlement first” approach and handles emergency custody, custody modifications, community property partitions, and adoptions. It also offers dedicated LGBTQ+ family law services, including same-sex adoptions and divorces, name changes, and amended birth certificates, an area few Lafayette firms highlight. As a small boutique, it has fewer attorneys than larger multi-practice firms.

10. Sanchez Burke, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Walter Marshall Sanchez and Joseph M. W. Burke, Attorneys
• Headquarters: 1200 Ryan St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 (Acadiana office at 223 E. Main St., New Iberia, LA 70563)
• Phone: (337) 433-4405
• Website: sanchezburke.com
• Practice Areas: Family Law (Divorce, Child Custody, Adoption), Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Professional Disciplinary Actions, Estate Planning
• Firm Size: Five-attorney firm with more than 60 years of combined experience and offices in Lake Charles and New Iberia

About the Firm: Sanchez Burke is a five-attorney firm with more than 60 years of combined experience and offices in Lake Charles and New Iberia, from which it serves Lafayette and the rest of Acadiana. Its family law practice handles divorce, custody, and adoption, and its team of attorneys gives clients the benefit of several perspectives on strategy in contested cases.

The firm’s broad practice, which also covers criminal defense, personal injury, and estate planning, lets it address related problems a family case can raise, from a criminal charge that affects custody to updating a will after divorce. Its New Iberia office is convenient for families in Iberia, St. Martin, and southern Lafayette Parish.

Lafayette, LA Family Law Resources

• Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court: 800 S. Buchanan St., Lafayette. Accepts family law filings and maintains court records for Lafayette Parish. Phone: (337) 291-6400.
• 15th Judicial District Court: Serves Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion Parishes and posts judges’ online court information and family court resources.
• 15th JDC Hearing Officers (Lafayette Office): Handles domestic matters such as support and related issues before they reach a district judge. Phone: (337) 269-5756.
• Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, Child Support Enforcement: Helps parents establish paternity and establish, modify, and enforce child support orders.
• Law Library of Louisiana Divorce Guide: A free online guide explaining Louisiana divorce procedures, waiting periods, and covenant marriage rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a divorce take in Lafayette?

Timing depends mainly on Louisiana’s separation requirements. Without minor children, spouses must live apart for 180 days; with minor children, the period is 365 days, though fault grounds such as adultery allow an immediate divorce. Custody, support, and property issues can be resolved during the waiting period, and a community property partition often continues after the divorce is granted. Firms that emphasize settlement, such as Southern Oaks Law Firm and Laura L. Davenport, can help keep the process moving.

How is property divided in a Louisiana divorce?

Louisiana is a community property state, so most property acquired during the marriage belongs equally to both spouses, while property owned before the marriage or received by gift or inheritance is generally separate. Couples can change these rules with a matrimonial agreement. Partitioning a business, retirement accounts, or real estate can be complex, and attorneys with financial backgrounds, such as Eric Neumann, are well suited to those cases.

How is child custody decided in Louisiana?

Louisiana courts decide custody based on the best interest of the child, considering factors such as each parent’s relationship with the child, stability, and willingness to encourage a relationship with the other parent. Joint custody is common, with one parent often designated as the domiciliary parent. When a parent wants to relocate with a child, Louisiana law requires notice and, if the other parent objects, a court decision. Schnaars Law Firm and Joshua S. Guillory both handle modification and relocation cases.

What is a covenant marriage, and how does it affect divorce?

A covenant marriage is an optional form of marriage in Louisiana in which couples agree to premarital counseling and accept stricter divorce rules. Divorcing from a covenant marriage requires proving specific grounds, such as adultery, abuse, or a longer period of separation, and usually counseling before the divorce. Couples should confirm whether their marriage was a covenant marriage early in the process, since it changes the timeline.

Can I get spousal support in Louisiana?

Louisiana allows interim spousal support while a divorce is pending, based on the requesting spouse’s needs and the other spouse’s ability to pay, and it generally ends 180 days after the divorce unless extended. Final periodic support may be awarded after the divorce to a spouse who was not at fault in the breakup and is in need. Firms such as Hoyt & Stanford and The Landry Law Firm handle spousal support claims as part of their divorce practices.

Should I choose a family-law-only firm or a firm with several practice areas?

A family-law-only firm, such as Laura L. Davenport, LLC or Southern Oaks Law Firm, concentrates all of its time on divorce and custody. A multi-practice firm, such as Chris Villemarette’s or Sanchez Burke, can be useful when a family case overlaps with a criminal charge, a protective order, or estate planning. The right choice depends on whether your case is purely domestic or touches other areas of law.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or formal endorsement of any attorney or firm. Legal credentials, certifications, and availability can change. Readers should independently verify all credentials and consult with a licensed attorney in their jurisdiction before making any legal decisions or hiring counsel.