A suit is filed in the appropriate court, depending on the debtor's parish of |
residence and the principal amount of the claim. The Clerk of Court prepares a citation
which is given to the Sheriff's or Constable's office, who then serve the debtor. The
serving officer's volume is usually great and debtors are often adept at eluding them,
so there may be a delay of two or three weeks. Once served, the debtor usually has two
weeks to respond before proceedings for a default judgment is initiated. |
If the debtor denies the debt, it will be necessary to fix the matter for a trial, and |
the client may have to provide a witness. A debtor may also contact an attorney who can ask for a delay of 30 days. Even after a judgement is granted, an appeal may be filed. Only after all that is settled can we move to execute on the judgement, commonly |
by garnishment of wages or seizures of bank accounts, automobiles or real property. |
Lawsuits are time consuming. |