Parties to a Family Court case often have never hired an attorney before. They may never have stepped foot in court before. For this reason, during my initial consultation with Family Law litigants I find myself having to explain what…
The question divorce attorneys get asked more often than any other - believe it or not - is how to properly complete the financial form. The financial form, or as we call it in R.I. a "DR-6", is the mandatory…
Imagine you are a young dad (that would make you “Dad” in our story). You just found out that your ex-girlfriend (“Mom”) is pregnant. You are dubious but you need to find out. So, you ask your friends, family, pastor,…
As a family law attorney, I am self-conscious of the stigma of my choice of law. The shadow that follows we brave few everywhere we go. Not so much a shadow as a stench. Family law attorneys are not popular,…
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…
In R.I., child support can be terminated when a child BOTH reaches eighteen (18) years of age AND graduates from high school. The obligation will not end until the latter of these two milestones is reached. For example, if the…
In R.I., child support is carefully modulated by the General Assembly to help with the minor child’s food, clothing, and shelter. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Therefore, if a non-custodial parent pays his (let’s say his for this hypothetical) child support consistently,…
A Guardian ad Litem is an attorney who represents the child, and only the child. She is not beholden to either party and is thus independent of the burden of having a paying client to impress. Mother’s attorney is expected…
A wonderful woman came into my office last week, a victim of abuse who had been cornered and stuck in her marriage for far too long. Her spouse was emotionally and psychologically abusive, was controlling every aspect of her life. …
A common question asked by clients seeking to end their marriage is something along the lines of: “What if I file for divorce and then we reconcile?” This phenomenon has been common enough that the law actually anticipates it as a very…