Lafayette · Divorce Guide
Looking for the best divorce lawyers in Lafayette will not shorten Louisiana’s waiting period, which runs 180 to 365 days no matter who you hire. We compared Southern Oaks Law Firm against two other well-reviewed Lafayette firms on Louisiana State Bar records, the practice areas and fee terms each publishes, and verified Google reviews, and set out who each one suits and where each falls short.
DJA Editorial · Legal Directory Research
Checked against state bar licensee records, court sources, and public review platforms · Last updated September 2026
The short answer
Southern Oaks Law Firm is featured here; the other two firms are shown for direct comparison on the same footing, not as an afterthought. This is a shortlist, not a ranking.
1
Southern Oaks Law Firm
Best for a client who wants an attorney who has personally been through a contested custody case
2
Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC
Best for a divorce that overlaps with a personal injury or wrongful death claim already in the family
3
Schnaars Law Firm, LLC
Best for a divorce handled by a single attorney who works family law exclusively
At a glance: Divorce Lawyers in Lafayette, compared
| Firm |
Best for |
Focus |
Bar record |
Fees |
Rating |
| Southern Oaks Law Firm |
Best for a client who wants an attorney who has personally been through a contested custody case |
Divorce, custody, community property and adoption, 100% family law |
Taylor Fontenot, LA Bar, admitted 2013 per firm bio (Avvo lists 2014) |
Value-based/flat fee when available; Avvo lists $200 to $250/hr |
4.4 · 44 Google |
| Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC |
Best for a divorce that overlaps with a personal injury or wrongful death claim already in the family |
Divorce, custody and community property, inside a firm built primarily on personal injury and maritime litigation |
Brittany D. LaCombe, LA Bar, sworn in May 2022 |
Paid consultation and retainer for family law; PI cases are free or contingency |
4.9 · 162 Google |
| Schnaars Law Firm, LLC |
Best for a divorce handled by a single attorney who works family law exclusively |
Divorce, custody, child support, paternity and property division, family law only |
Dyan Ohalloran-Schnaars, LA Bar, admitted 2012 |
Free initial consultation |
4.5 · 77 Google |
Divorce in Lafayette: the local picture
$300 to $600
What it costs just to file
The Lafayette Parish filing fee for a divorce petition runs roughly $300 to $600, plus $25 to $100 for sheriff’s service on the other spouse. Only one of the three firms below publishes an hourly rate; the others require a direct conversation, and one bills separately for a family law consultation.
180 to 365 days
The waiting period that decides when you can finalize
Louisiana’s no-fault track requires spouses to live separate and apart, then wait 180 days with no minor children or 365 days with minor children before a judgment can be entered. At least one spouse must also have lived in Louisiana for 6 months before filing.
Free
Help if you cannot afford any of these firms
Louisiana courts waive filing fees for qualifying petitioners through an in forma pauperis request under the Code of Civil Procedure. Acadiana Legal Services Corporation, the nonprofit firm below, refers its own pro bono cases through and gives free help to income-qualifying Lafayette Parish residents.
What clients in Lafayette say: Reviewers across all three firms consistently name the attorney or a specific staff member directly rather than the firm as a whole, and the praise centers on being kept informed rather than case outcome. The one recurring complaint pattern, visible at more than one firm, involves limited-scope or handed-off representation: a client who expected full representation but got less, or a case that moved between attorneys. Ask directly what is and is not included in the fee before you sign.
How we chose these Divorce Lawyers in Lafayette
We compared Southern Oaks Law Firm against two other Lafayette-area firms selected on Google rating and review volume, each with a real divorce or family law page of its own. Every entry was checked against the named attorney’s Louisiana Bar record, the firm’s own site for practice areas and fee or consultation policy, and its Google Business Profile for review text.
Bar records come from each firm’s own attorney bio pages, cross-checked against Avvo’s license verification, which draws on state bar data; where the two disagreed, both figures are shown and the disagreement is flagged. Louisiana’s residency, waiting period, and community property rules come from the Louisiana Civil Code; fee waiver and legal aid information come from the Code of Civil Procedure and Acadiana Legal Services Corporation.
1. Southern Oaks Law Firm
Best for a client who wants an attorney who has personally been through a contested custody case
★★★★½ 4.4 / 5 · Google · 44 reviews
Taylor Fontenot built Southern Oaks Law Firm after his own lengthy, contested custody case convinced him to leave personal injury work behind and focus entirely on family law, and the firm now markets value-based or flat-fee pricing where it can. If you want an experienced Lafayette family law firm led by an attorney who has personally been the client in a hard custody fight, he leans on that lived experience. The firm’s Google reviews are solid but include at least one account of limited-scope representation that left a client feeling under-represented at a hearing.
Identity and footprint
Legal nameSouthern Oaks Law Firm
Managing attorneyTaylor Fontenot, also listed as Taylor Osborn Fontenot
Also on teamRachel Fontenot
Office321 W Main Street, Suite 2G, Lafayette, LA 70501
Phone(337) 704-7255
Directory recognitionListed on Distinguished Justice Advocates, Legal Ambassadors and Leaders of Law (
Practice and scope
Core workDivorce, child custody (legal and physical, modifications, emergency ex parte), child support, spousal support, community property partitions, adoption
Stated focusFirm states the practice is now 100% focused on family law, after Fontenot left personal injury work ApproachSettlement-first, with thorough litigation when needed; value-based or flat-fee pricing when able
Credentials and licensing
Taylor FontenotJ.D. and Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law, LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center; B.S. Business Management, LSU; admitted to the Louisiana Bar in 2013 per the firm’s own bio
Prior clerkship20th Judicial District Court
MembershipsLafayette Bar Association Family Law Section (past President 2020-21, VP 2019-20, Treasurer 2017-19), Louisiana State Bar Association Family Law Section, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
AwardsLafayette Bar Foundation Outstanding Attorney Award, The National Advocates Top 40 Under 40, American Institute of Legal Advocates Family Law Rising Star
Fees and consultation
Fee approachValue-based or flat-fee pricing when available, stated on the firm’s own site (
Published rateAvvo lists an hourly rate of $200 to $250, with a retainer sometimes required
Payment methodsCash, check, credit card
What clients say
✓ Taylor Fontenot and staff praised for divorce and custody outcomes
✓ Staff named almost as often as the attorney
✗ One review describes a limited-scope engagement and evidence not raised at a hearing
Reviewers name Taylor Fontenot directly alongside staff, describing being walked through custody and divorce matters with patience and clear communication, including one reviewer who specifically credits the firm with helping through a divorce. One detailed negative account describes a $300 charge to mail already-served court documents without full representation, and says key evidence was not raised at a child support hearing. That is one account, not a pattern, but worth raising directly if your matter is anything less than full representation.
Why they fit Lafayette: The pick if you want a managing attorney who built his firm specifically after his own contested custody case, with a fee approach that leans flat-fee where it can, rather than pure hourly billing. The honest caveat: one detailed review describes limited-scope representation, mailing documents only, that left the client feeling unrepresented at a hearing, so confirm exactly what is and is not included before you sign.
2. Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC
Best for a divorce that overlaps with a personal injury or wrongful death claim already in the family
★★★★½ 4.9 / 5 · Google · 162 reviews
Since 1957, Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards has built its name on personal injury and maritime litigation, with family law as a newer addition led by associate attorney Brittany LaCombe, sworn into the Louisiana Bar in 2022. If you are looking for a Lafayette family law firm backed by a firm with real trial resources and in-house support, this is the pick. The catch: the free consultation that covers the firm’s injury work does not extend to divorce, custody or support matters, which require a paid consultation and retainer.
Identity and footprint
Legal nameDomengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC
Founded1957
Office556 Jefferson St, Suite 500, Lafayette, LA 70501 Phone(337) 291-4878
Family law attorneyBrittany D. LaCombe
Senior attorneysJames P. Roy, John P. Roy, Jimmy H. Domengeaux, Thomas R. Edwards
Service areaStatewide Louisiana, with Lafayette, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and other parishes named on the family law page
Practice and scope
Family law core workDivorce, child custody, community property division
Firmwide core workOffshore and maritime injury, truck and car accidents, industrial accidents, medical malpractice, wrongful death, workers’ compensation, class actions
Firmwide case historyFirm states over $3 billion recovered firmwide
Recent published contentFirm blog posts on property settlement mistakes after a Louisiana divorce (Aug 2026) and how covenant marriage changes divorce, custody, and alimony rules (Jul 2026)
Credentials and licensing
Brittany D. LaCombeJ.D., Southern University Law Center, Magna Cum Laude; sworn into the Louisiana Bar May 2022; licensed in all Louisiana state courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Western, Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana
Brittany LaCombe membershipsAmerican Association for Justice, Louisiana Association for Justice, Louisiana State Bar Association, Lafayette Bar Association
James P. RoyAdmitted to the bar in 1976, Martindale-Hubbell AV rated
Fees and consultation
Family law consultationPaid consultation and retainer required, stated on the firm’s own site
Personal injury consultationFree, contingency fee, no fee unless the firm recovers
What clients say
✓ Named attorneys praised for communication on injury cases
✓ One detailed divorce review names Brittany LaCombe directly
· Most visible reviews describe personal injury, not family law
The great majority of this firm’s 162 Google reviews describe personal injury and wrongful death cases, praising named attorneys like John Roy and Andrew Quackenbos for communication and follow-through. Family law commentary is thinner: one detailed review specifically credits Brittany LaCombe with a smooth divorce settlement completed while she was several months pregnant, calling her fees reasonable, but it is one account rather than a pattern specific to the family law side of the firm.
Why they fit Lafayette: The strongest choice if you want the resources of a large, established firm behind a smaller family law team, or if your divorce overlaps with an injury or wrongful death claim the firm already handles. The honest caveat: family law is a secondary practice here, run through one associate attorney rather than a full team built around it, and unlike the firm’s injury work, a family law consultation is not free.
3. Schnaars Law Firm, LLC
Best for a divorce handled by a single attorney who works family law exclusively
★★★★½ 4.5 / 5 · Google · 77 reviews
Dyan Schnaars struck out on her own in family law after several years at Galloway & Jefcoat, and has built Schnaars Law Firm into a boutique focused entirely on divorce and custody work. For anyone who wants a divorce lawyer in Lafayette who works family law exclusively rather than as one practice area among several, that focus is the differentiator among the three firms here. The firm operates as a small, single-office practice, so you should ask directly about availability during a high-conflict custody dispute.
Identity and footprint
Legal nameSchnaars Law Firm, LLC
AttorneyDyan Schnaars, also listed as Dyan Ohalloran-Schnaars
Office1011 Camellia Blvd, Suite 1, Lafayette, LA 70508
Phone337-534-4326
Prior firmGalloway & Jefcoat, LLP, before founding her own practice
Areas servedLafayette, Acadia Parish, St. Martin Parish, Iberia Parish, Abbeville, Rayne, Crowley, Vermilion Parish
Practice and scope
Core workDivorce, family law, child support, paternity, child custody, grandparents’ rights, modification and relocation, property division, spousal support, wills
Pro bono referralCases referred through Acadiana Legal Services Corporation, (337) 237-4320
AwardsPro Bono Publico Award (2015) from the Louisiana State Bar Association, Outstanding Attorney Award for six consecutive years, NAFLA Top 10 Attorneys Under 40 recognition
Credentials and licensing
Dyan Ohalloran-SchnaarsLouisiana Bar, licensed since 2012, no misconduct shown on the licensee record
EducationUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
MembershipsLouisiana State Bar Association
Fees and consultation
ConsultationFree, scheduled by phone or the firm’s contact form
What clients say
✓ Described as organized and proactive about court filings
✓ Personal, compassionate approach named repeatedly
· Single-attorney office, no visible negative reviews this run
Reviewers describe Dyan Schnaars as unusually proactive about keeping clients informed, several noting she called to confirm filings rather than waiting to be asked. No detailed negative account was visible in this run. As a single-attorney practice, her personal availability is also the practical limit on how many cases the firm can carry at once.
Why they fit Lafayette: The pick if you want one attorney who works family law only, rather than splitting her practice across other areas, and a track record of proactive communication clients repeatedly name. The trade-off: this is a single-attorney office, so if Schnaars is in trial or otherwise unavailable, there is no built-in second attorney the way there is at a larger firm.
What to check before hiring a Divorce Lawyer in Lafayette
✓ Check the bar record for the specific attorney
Louisiana licenses individuals, not firms. Confirm the named attorney’s admission date and standing directly, especially at a multi-practice firm where the family law attorney may be an associate rather than a named partner.
✓ Ask exactly what your fee covers
More than one firm here has a review describing an engagement that turned out to be narrower than the client expected, whether that is limited-scope document filing or a family law consultation billed separately from a firm’s advertised free consult. Get the scope of representation in writing.
✓ Know your waiting period before you set expectations
Louisiana requires 180 days of separation before a no-fault divorce can finalize with no minor children, or 365 days with minor children. No attorney, however good, can finalize a case faster than that clock allows.
✓ Confirm the residency requirement
At least one spouse must have lived in Louisiana for 6 months before filing. If you or your spouse moved to the state recently, ask how that affects your timeline.
✓ Ask who specifically will handle your hearings
At a larger, multi-practice firm, the attorney you first speak with may not be the one assigned to family law matters. Ask directly which attorney carries family law cases and whether that is their primary practice area.
✓ Know the free legal aid option exists
If you qualify by income, Acadiana Legal Services Corporation provides free representation, and the court’s in forma pauperis process can waive the filing fee itself.
Divorce Lawyers in Lafayette: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Lafayette?
The Lafayette Parish filing fee runs roughly $300 to $600, plus $25 to $100 for sheriff’s service on your spouse. Attorney rates vary; one firm in this guide publishes an hourly rate of $200 to $250, while the others require a direct conversation, so ask up front and confirm whether the consultation itself is free.
How long does a divorce take in Louisiana?
Louisiana’s no-fault process requires spouses to live separate and apart, then a waiting period of 180 days with no minor children or 365 days with minor children, before the court can finalize the judgment. That clock cannot be shortened by agreement.
Do I have to live in Louisiana to file here?
At least one spouse must have lived in Louisiana for 6 months immediately before filing. Lafayette Parish cases go through the 15th Judicial District Court.
What if I cannot afford a divorce attorney?
Acadiana Legal Services Corporation provides free representation to income-qualifying Lafayette Parish residents, and the court can waive the filing fee itself through an in forma pauperis request.
Is Louisiana a community property state?
Yes. Property and debts acquired during the marriage are generally treated as community property and divided equally, while property owned before the marriage or received individually as a gift or inheritance usually stays separate.
Does the attorney I first talk to handle my whole case?
Not necessarily, especially at a larger multi-practice firm where family law may be handled by one associate attorney rather than the partners whose names are on the door. Ask directly who is assigned to family law matters, and get the scope of what they will handle in writing.
DJA Editorial
Legal Directory Research
Compiles Distinguished Justice Advocates city guides from state bar licensee records, court and statute sources, and publicly visible client reviews. Firms appear as a shortlist rather than a ranking. Figures a firm publishes about itself are labeled as such, and anything that could not be verified is flagged on the page rather than estimated.
