Art. 1420.Signing of Discovery Requests, Responses, Or Objections

Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title III. Production of Evidence · Chapter 3. Discovery · Enacted 1988 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 30, 2026

In one sentenceArticle 1420 requires every discovery request, response, and objection to be signed by an attorney or an unrepresented party, and treats that signature as a certification that the discovery is grounded in the rules, isn't meant to harass or run up costs, and isn't disproportionate to the case, with sanctions available for a violation.

Full Text of Art. 1420

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A. Every request for discovery, or response or objection thereto, made by a party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in his individual name, whose address shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an attorney shall sign the request, response, or objection and state his address.

B. The signature of an attorney or party constitutes a certification by him that he has read the request, response, or objection and that to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief formed after reasonable inquiry the request, response, or objection is:

(1) Consistent with all the rules of discovery and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law;

(2) Not interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary or needless increase in the cost of litigation; and

(3) Not unreasonable, unduly burdensome, or expensive, given the needs of the case, the discovery already had in the case, the amount in controversy, and the importance of the issues at stake in the litigation.

C. If a request, response, or objection is not signed, it shall be stricken unless promptly signed after the omission is called to the attention of the person whose signature is required. A party shall not be obligated to take any action with respect to the request, response, or objection until it is signed.

D. If, upon motion of any party or upon its own motion, the court determines that a certification has been made in violation of the provisions of this Article, the court shall impose upon the person who made the certification or the represented party, or both, an appropriate sanction which may include an order to pay to the other party or parties the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred because of the filing of the request, response, or objection, including a reasonable attorney's fee.

E. A sanction authorized in Paragraph D shall be imposed only after a hearing at which any party or his counsel may present any evidence or argument relevant to the issue of imposition of the sanction.

End

Amendment History

Added by Acts 1988, No. 442, §1, eff. 1/1/1989.

Plain-English Summary

A signature on a discovery document is not paperwork. Article 1420 requires an attorney of record, or a party who has no attorney, to sign every discovery request, response, and objection and to state an address. That signature ties a specific person to the document and makes them accountable for it.

The signature also certifies three things: that the document is consistent with the discovery rules and supported by existing law (or a good-faith argument to change it), that it wasn't sent to harass anyone or run up the cost of litigation, and that it isn't unreasonable or unduly burdensome given what the case needs. A lawyer who signs a request has to have made a reasonable inquiry before putting their name on it.

An unsigned request, response, or objection gets struck unless it's promptly signed once someone points out the omission, and the other side has no obligation to act on it until then. If a court finds the certification was violated, on a party's motion or on its own initiative, it can sanction the signer, the party, or both -- which can include paying the other side's reasonable expenses and attorney's fees -- but only after a hearing where the accused party can respond.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has to sign a discovery request, response, or objection in Louisiana?

An attorney of record signs it in their own name if the party is represented; an unrepresented party signs it personally. Either way, an address has to be stated.

What does a signature on a discovery document certify?

That the document follows the discovery rules and existing law, wasn't filed to harass anyone or drive up litigation costs, and isn't unreasonable or unduly burdensome given what the case needs.

What happens if a discovery document isn't signed?

It's stricken unless it's promptly signed once the omission is brought to the signer's attention, and no one has to respond to it until it's properly signed.

Can a court sanction a lawyer for filing an improper discovery request?

Yes. If the certification was violated, the court can sanction the signer, the party, or both, potentially including the other side's reasonable expenses and attorney's fees, but only after a hearing.

Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature. Last verified July 30, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: discovery certification louisianasigning discovery documentsdiscovery sanctions louisianaimproper discovery objectionattorney signature discovery requests