Right to counsel
Indigent parents are entitled to counsel in termination of parental rights proceedings, La. Child. Code Ann. art. 1016(C), including potentially in any appeal from those proceedings. State ex rel. D.A.G., 935 So. 2d 216, 218 (La. App. 2006). The court need not necessarily appoint separate attorneys for each parent though. See e.g., State ex rel. T.D. v. R.D., 781 So. 2d 871, 876 (La. App. 2001) (upholding appointment of single counsel to parents in child-in-need-of-care proceedings where parental rights were ultimately terminated); In re WS, 626 So. 2d 408, 412-13 (La. Ct. App. 1993) (upholding appointment of single counsel to separated parents in reunification proceedings when parents did not have conflicting interests at the time they were jointly represented).
