Court costs in connection with the examination shall be taxed against the judgment debtor, except that if the court determines that the creditor invoked the remedy needlessly, the court may tax the costs against the creditor.
Art. 2455.Costs
Book IV. Execution of Judgments · Title II. Money Judgments · Chapter 5. Examination of Judgment Debtor · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 2455 places the costs of a judgment-debtor examination on the judgment debtor by default, but lets the court shift those costs to the judgment creditor if it finds the creditor invoked the examination remedy without a genuine need for it.
Full Text of Art. 2455
Plain-English Summary
Someone has to pay for a judgment-debtor examination -- the filing, the time in court, the mechanics of compelling an appearance. Article 2455 assigns that cost to the debtor as the default rule, consistent with the idea that the debtor's own failure to pay the underlying judgment is what made the examination necessary.
That default is not absolute. If the court concludes the creditor invoked the examination without a genuine need for it -- using it as pressure rather than as an attempt to locate assets -- the court can shift the costs onto the creditor instead.
The provision works as a modest check on the examination remedy. Because a creditor can obtain the order to appear on an ex parte motion under Article 2453, without first showing the court a real need, Article 2455 supplies a cost consequence after the fact for a creditor who used the tool where it was not needed, while leaving the ordinary case, where the examination serves its intended purpose, with costs falling on the debtor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays the costs of a judgment-debtor examination in Louisiana?
The judgment debtor, as the default rule under Article 2455.
Can the costs of an examination be shifted to the creditor instead?
Yes, if the court finds the creditor invoked the examination remedy without a genuine need for it.
What might make a court find an examination was invoked needlessly?
The article does not list specific examples, but a creditor using the examination as leverage or pressure, rather than an actual attempt to locate assets, is the kind of situation the provision targets.
Does Article 2455 stop a creditor from bringing an examination in the first place?
No. It only affects who bears the costs afterward; it does not act as a bar to filing the motion.
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
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