Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure 5094 – Duties; notice to nonresident or absentee
Terms Used In Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure 5094
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
A. When an attorney at law is appointed by the court to represent a defendant who is a nonresident or an absentee, the attorney shall use reasonable diligence to communicate with the defendant and inform him of the pendency and nature of the action or proceeding, and of the time available for the filing of an answer or the assertion of a defense otherwise.
B. For purposes of this Article, an attorney is deemed to have acted with reasonable diligence when the attorney sends an absentee a letter by certified mail or commercial courier to the last known address of the absentee in an effort to locate the absentee and notify him of the appointment of the attorney to represent the absentee defendant.
Acts 2024, No. 183, §2.