Successions / Probate
Family Law
Business Law
Experienced ... Trusted ... Knowledgeable
Walton Barnes, II
Attorney at Law
Mr. Barnes was born in Fort Worth, Texas. In his childhood he lived in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. Following his father’s discharge from the military, the family settled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, eventually moving to Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, now part of the City of Central. He graduated from Central High School. For a brief stint, during his college years he was a civilian employee on the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and worked at other jobs in the Baton Rouge area during his college career.
He graduated from LSU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and received his Juris Doctorate from the LSU School of Law.He is a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity and the Edward Douglas White chapter of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.
Mr. Barnes began his legal career in Baton Rouge, opening additional offices in Zachary, Louisiana. He then relocated his law practice to the new City of Central following its formation.
During his career he has handled cases in 36 parishes in Louisiana and presented arguments and briefs in all five appellate court districts in the State and the Louisiana Supreme Court. His legal practice has also brought him cases in Arkansas, Florida and Washington, D.C. serving as counsel pro hac vice.
Legal matters he has handled have included contracts, business litigation, personal injury, criminal cases, family law, products liability, municipal and public law, successions, trusts and probate law. He was the City Attorney for Zachary, Louisiana between 1978 and 2003. He presently serves as the Administrative Hearing Officer for the City of Central.
In addition to his practice, Mr. Barnes has presented papers as a faculty member for legal seminars. He has made presentations for the Louisiana State Bar Association Family Law Section, Tulane and Southern Schools of Law , the Baton Rouge Bar Association and the National Business Institute. Papers he has presented have included topics on custody, retirement law, professional ethics, insurance law, community property and division of retirement systems under ERISA. He has participated as a judge in Moot Court and other student trial and appellate competitions and student exercises in negotiations with the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center. In the past he also authored updates in family law for the Louisiana Bar Journal, a publication of the Louisiana Bar Association and submitted an article published in the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association publication. He taught paralegal courses at a Baton Rouge based paralegal college, served as a delegate for the Louisiana State Bar Association Family Law Section to the community property symposia, and served as an officer and council member in the Louisiana State Bar Family Law Section. Mr. Barnes’ achievements include listings in Who’s Who, American Registry of Outstanding Professionals, recognition and achievement awards from the Louisiana Trial Lawyers (now the Louisiana Association for Justice) for his service on the LTLA Board of Directors , LSU Moot Court program and other organizations.
His interests outside of law have included raising cattle, equine competition (team penning and sorting), giving riding lessons and supporting youth riding competition. He has been certified as a master horseman by the LSU Agricultural Extension program. He has also dabbled in rose gardening, and enjoyed camping and hiking in places such as Colorado, Arkansas, New Mexico and the Grand Canyon. He has maintained a keen interest through the years in history, physical anthropology, American Belle Lettres, theology and current events. He has served on the board of directors for the City of Central Chamber of Commerce, the Central Food Bank, the Central Cultural Foundation and was a member of the former Central Rotary Club, as well as serving on various committees for Central.
Contact Us
(225) 262-2212
13414 Hooper Rd
Suite D-1
Central, LA 70818
Notable Cases
Family Cases
Useman vs. Useman, 2004 CU 1881 (La. App. 1st Cir. 09/22/04), 883 So. 2d 544, a memorandum decision Mr. Barnes succeeded in reversing a trial judge decision nullifying a judgment of custody. The case was remanded for further proceedings. A judgment awarding damages against Mr. Barnes’ client was reversed.
State of Louisiana vs. A.P., (C.J. 2372, 06/20/03), 858 So.2d 499, holding that the best interests of a child may be best served by not allowing DNA testing of a man unknown to the child, where the child had known another man as her father before the mother’s action to collect child support from the unknown man following the disability of the legal father.
Dixon vs. Dixon, 99/CA/1325 (La. App. 1st Cir. 06/23/2000), 762 So.2d 731, where Mr. Barnes was successful in reversing a trial court judge that found that LSU football tickets were community property when in fact the parties had a prenuptial contract which caused the ownership interest in the tickets to be vested solely in Mr. Barnes’ client.
McMorris vs. McMorris, 94-0590 (La. App. 1st Cir. 04/10/1995), 654 So.2d 742; Mr. Barnes was successful in overturning a trial judge who found that the wife was not entitled to recover for separate funds invested into the community regime and applying rules of co-ownership which were enacted by the legislature. Mr. Barnes’ success with this judgment was capitalized upon in later proceedings by one of the spouses against the property insurer following a loss by fire.
Fontenot vs. Noble, (La. App. 1st Cir. 05/11/2001) 786 So.2d 335, finding that a father had not properly stated a cause of action to have a child carry his name where the parties were not married at the time of the child’s birth.
Succession of Festus Brown, 84-CA-0198 (La. App. 1st Cir. 04/16/1985), 468 So.2d 794, wherein Mr. Barnes succeeded in overturning a trial court judgment holding that succession property should be divided in accordance with community property laws, where the deceased and his wife had not entered a property settlement prior to the death of the husband and holding that the procedure for dividing succession property was the proper procedure even under the circumstances of divorce.
Civil Cases
Riche vs. Juban Lumber Company, No. 15050 (La. App. 1st Cir. 10/12/82), 421 So.2d 318; Mr. Barnes successfully upheld a jury verdict obtained for his client against a contractor who completed a dwelling in a faulty fashion and then without the plaintiff’s authority obtained remaining sums due under the contract from a lending institution causing mental anguish resulting from conversion. The jury verdict for the faulty construction and the damages due for the conversion were upheld upon appeal.
Warren vs. Valmet Appleton, (La. App. 1st Cir. 03/06/1992), 599 So.2d 525; a successful jury verdict obtained by Mr. Barnes was upheld on appeal awarding damages to the plaintiff for severe injuries sustained as a result of improper design of an industrial machine.
Leatherman vs. Riverside Village, 95-2227 (La. App. 1st Cir. 06/28/96), 676 So.2d 1180, where a successful jury verdict in Mr. Barnes’ favor was upheld, but reduced on appeal for severe burn damages sustained by a handicapped plaintiff who specifically chose to reside in a handicapped apartment complex advertising its design to avoid injuries of the type suffered by the plaintiff.
Peters vs. Allen Parish School Board, 08-0323 (La. App. 3rd Cir. 11/05/2008), 996 So.2d 1230. Mr. Barnes represented a non-relative who was found to have a cause of action for his own damages for injury to children who resided in his home caused by the actions of school officials.
Snyder vs. Bergeron, 501 So.2d 291 (La. App. 1st Cir. 1986), wherein Mr. Barnes was successful in securing a damage award for the family a 14 year old child who was killed in a one car accident where a neighbor allowed the child access to a motor vehicle even though the child was unlicensed and inexperienced.