My Child Found a Corpse!
Parents who suffer a bitter break-up often struggle to communicate as well as they would like, or as their child may require. To the parents, this is a natural fact of life. After all, for every reaction there is an…
Honesty with Clients
Being brutally honest with potential new clients saves everyone involved a lot of time and trouble, even if it negatively affects the office's bottom line. Early this morning I received a frantic call from a father who was afraid for…
When Is Child Support Retroactive?
When the R.I. Family Court enters a child support Order stating that the “non-custodial parent” (whichever parent does not live with the child primarily, or the parent who has fewer overnights with the child in a given month) must pay…
The Christopher Explanation of Jurisdiction
As a Family Law attorney in Rhode Island, I am accustomed to legal cases where two parents are fighting over children. Occasionally, a grandparent will even be thrown in to the fray just off the top rope, just for fun. …
{S} ex-Parte?!
As I waited in line at the Family Court clerk's office to file an ex-parte case with the patience of a Nichiren Buddhist monk, the gentleman and scholar directly in front of me was having himself a moment. Causing quite…
The Race to the Bottom (of Hell)
I have entered into a child custody case. Or at least, it is a child custody case at heart. Unfortunately for the parties, the judge, and most importantly me, it has begun as a restraining order. The custody merits will…
The Parent Signal
Today's parents already wear many hats: nurse, teacher, spiritual guide, saucier, confidante, cheerleader, janitor, exorcist, on and on. Modern parents navigating a bitter divorce find themselves in an impossible situation. Bestselling books and Ph.D. theses have been written about the…
Communicate!
Months into a contested custody case I have (I represent the mother), opposing party (father) racked up his second DUI by wrapping his car around a utility pole. Mercifully, the child was not in the car at the time. But…
You Need a Divorce Dolphin!
People first shopping for a family law attorney in their state never consider the value of a dolphin, everyone wants (or at least they think they want) a shark. Everyone wants a shark, right?! That’s how those moms in TV…
I Need All the Custody
There are two kinds of custody, depending on where you live. Brief tutorial. Where I practice, in the great State of Rhode Island, “custody” means the right to remain informed of the child’s significant life events and be reasonably informed…