Lafayette, Louisiana · Family Law
When your family or your future is on the line, you need a lawyer who answers the phone, tells you the truth, and has the trial experience to back it up. That's the practice Scott Hawkins built.
Why clients choose us
“Legal services are expensive — we don't think cost should decide whether your family gets good representation.”
What we handle
From ending a marriage to protecting your children, your property and your safety, we handle the legal side of some of life's biggest family transitions — so you can focus on what's next.
We help you leave a failed marriage with a clear plan and a lawyer who explains every step — plus flexible payment plans and third-party financing, so cost isn't what decides your outcome.
Learn about divorce in Louisiana → Discuss your case →Custody, support and visitation schedules shape your family for years to come. We push for arrangements that put your children first, whether that's reached at the table or in front of a judge.
Learn about custody, support & visitation in Louisiana → Discuss your case →Louisiana's community property laws mean almost everything acquired during a marriage gets divided — the house, retirement accounts, a business. We help you identify what's on the table and fight for a fair split.
Learn about community property in Louisiana → Discuss your case →Whether you're a stepparent formalizing your role or a family welcoming a new child, we handle the petitions, consents and hearings so the legal process doesn't get in the way of the moment.
Learn about intrafamily adoption in Louisiana → Discuss your case →If you or your children are in danger, we move quickly to file for a protective order and represent you at the hearing — because your safety can't wait on the rest of the case.
Learn about protection from abuse in Louisiana → Discuss your case →Attorney & Founder
Our Team
“Scott prides himself on delivering the highest quality representation, with an unsurpassed passion for his clients' ultimate success and satisfaction — in every case.”
Since 2001, Scott Hawkins has handled over 1,000 family law cases across Acadiana — from contested custody disputes to community property partitions, adoptions and protective orders. Clients come to Hawkins & Associates for direct access to their attorney, honest assessments of where a case stands, and a team that's willing to fight when fighting is what the case requires.
Working with us
You'll hear from your attorney, not just a case manager — clear updates at every stage, not just when something goes wrong.
Payment plans and third-party financing for family law clients, so good representation isn't out of reach.
A no-cost, no-obligation conversation about where your case stands and what your options actually are.
Two decades in Louisiana family courts — we prepare every case as if it's headed to trial, so you're never caught off guard.
Get in touch
Whether you're weighing a divorce, fighting for custody, dividing property, growing your family through adoption, or need protection from abuse, the first conversation is free — and it costs you nothing to know where you stand.
Fill out our contact form below ↓
Common questions
Straight answers to the questions Lafayette-area families ask us most — for anything specific to your situation, a free case evaluation is the fastest way to get clarity.
In most cases, Louisiana law requires spouses to live separate and apart for a waiting period before a divorce can be granted — 180 days if you have no minor children together, or 365 days if you do (La. C.C. art. 103.1). Once that period has run, either spouse can move forward with the divorce. Contested issues like custody or property division can add time, but the waiting period itself is fixed by statute.
No. Louisiana allows a no-fault divorce once spouses have lived separate and apart for the required waiting period (La. C.C. art. 103). You can also divorce sooner, without waiting out that period, on specific fault grounds such as adultery, a felony conviction, or abuse (La. C.C. art. 103).
Louisiana courts decide custody based on the “best interest of the child,” weighing factors like each parent's ability to care for the child, the child's relationship with each parent, and each home's stability (La. C.C. art. 134). Where it's workable, courts favor joint custody, with an implementation order spelling out how time and decisions are shared between both parents (La. R.S. 9:335).
Louisiana uses the Income Shares model: both parents' incomes are combined, and each parent's share of the basic child support obligation is based on their percentage of that combined income (La. R.S. 9:315, et seq.). Costs like health insurance and childcare are then added to the basic obligation and divided the same way.
Louisiana is a community property state, meaning most property and debt acquired during the marriage is owned equally by both spouses and must be divided so each spouse ends up with property of equal value (La. R.S. 9:2801). If you're worried about a spouse selling, hiding, or draining shared accounts before that happens, an injunction can be sought to protect community property while the case is pending (La. R.S. 9:371).
Yes. Louisiana law allows a judge to issue an immediate, temporary protective order without advance notice to the abuser, based on a sworn petition, with a full hearing set soon after (La. R.S. 46:2135). If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 first.
Our office is at 3639 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy, Suite 410, Lafayette, LA 70503. We represent family law clients throughout Lafayette Parish and the surrounding Acadiana area.
Yes. We offer a free initial case evaluation, and we offer payment plans and third-party financing options for family law clients so cost isn't a barrier to good representation.