Rhode Island Divorce Tips

Amicable, Simple, Affordable Rhode Island Divorces are Possible without Lawyers!

November 06, 2010

Yes, amicable, simple and affordable Rhode Island Divorces are possible without lawyers.

It's true. Now when I mean that these kinds of Rhode Island Divorces are possible without the involvement of lawyers I am talking about without a lawyer representing the parties in the courtroom.

Now, I will admit that I probably sit with the minority of Rhode Island lawyers here when I take this position. Heck, I may even be willing to agree that most other lawyers would not agree with me on this statement at all. In fact, I may be one lawyer standing out here all alone in an open sea of lawyers giving people hope of the thought of a theme of "lawyers not required" without a single strand of support from a RI family law judge or any other Rhode Island lawyer at all on this position.

In actuality, I can easily see why RI Family Court judges and my fellow Rhode Island lawyers, and particularly fellow divorce attorneys, might have the initial reaction that I am in some sense slandering my profession, belittling what we do, or taking instant offense to my proposition. Yet I would hope that the more learned colleagues in the profession would consider their actual response rather than merely react to what the initial gut reaction might be.

Notwithstanding any response however, you won't find me wavering one iota from taking the position that people can often do much better representing themselves in a divorce then engaging any one of our thousands of Rhode Island attorneys in our small state.

The fact is, if you extract lawyers who make money from both parties from the divorce scenario, you get two people who have more finances to divide and a better chance to move forward because they do. That's one plus in favor of not involving lawyers.

Also, if you consider the fact that by and large more nominal cases are reached with an agreement by the actual nominal date assigned by the court when the parties reach an agreement on their own.

Does that mean that I believe there is little or no value in the education or knowledge that we as Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers and Judges have?

Absolutely not!

What it does mean, is that I believe that a bit too often in the pursuit of careers and sometimes income that there are divorce and family law professionals who,

1) create issues where they could just as easily resolve them;

2) cause conflict when they could establish harmony;

3) destroy family relationships when they could save or strengthen them;

3) extend a case and bill clients more when they could simplify the and charge significantly less;

or

4) assist in ending a marriage when they could save that marriage.

Until we as Rhode Island divorce lawyers refocus our energies on the people we serve in such a way that we end conflict peacefully, amicably, and quickly using both legal skills and personal relationship skills, we will never be able to resolve a divorce and preserve a family as quickly, affordably, simply, and as stress free as two spouses who can still communicate with one another.

Yes, amicable, simple, affordable Rhode Island divorces are possible if two people can still talk to one another reasonably in an adult manner, with the help from a Rhode Island Divorce Coach who can economically help them through the process without representing either one of them in court.

It's not only possible, it happens all the time through my office. All it takes to get started is that first call. So what are you waiting for?

Authored By:

Christopher A. Pearsall, Attorney-at-Law

Rhode Island's Full-Time Divorce* Lawyer is Now
Rhode Island's Only Divorce and Family Law Coach!!

Discover the Tremendous Benefits You Receive by

Participating in Family Law Coaching Sessions!

Visit the RhodeIslandDivorceCoach.com

Call (401) 632-6976 Now
to
Schedule Your Low-Cost Rhode Island Divorce* or Family Law* Coaching Session!

Experience the Difference!

Copyright 2007 to Present. Christopher A. Pearsall, Esquire
Offering Rhode Island Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Coaching for a New Millenium!

* The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all attorneys in the general practice of law. The court does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any particular field of practice.

- - Recommended Websites - -

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The Rhode Island Divorce Coach - A Few things that Must be "On the Record" in a Nominal Divorce Proceeding!

October 31, 2010

Rhode Island Divorce Coaching these days reveals many of the things that people want to know about as I sit down and meet with more people to be coached for their divorce proceedings.

For instance, "What kind of things have to be "on the record" and in the Judge's Order about the divorce?"

It's easy to get confused in a divorce when you've already gone to the trouble of putting together a Marital Settlement Agreement that contains literally "everything" you and your spouse have agreed upon to resolve your divorce.

Outlining several of them may be helpful to people, though they may vary primarily depending upon whether you have minor children or not at the time of your Nominal Hearing.

1. Residency must be testified to and on the record.

2. Service upon your spouse needs to be on the record whether it is by you or mentioned quickly by the judge.

3. The marriage date and place must be confirmed as accurate and generally a date of separation of the parties living as husband and wife should be provided to the Rhode Island Family Court judge at the time of the hearing.

4. Identification of any Minor Children Must be on the record and specifics relating to legal custody, physical custody, visitation, child support and .

5. At least the general basis of the grounds for divorce that have been specified as the reason for granting the divorce.

6. In the very least, requests for alimony and waivers of alimony as well as statements about about age, health, education, and employment or income justifying a waiver of alimony must also be on the record.

7. The authentication of a Marital Settlement Agreement and submission of the agreement as a Full Exhibit must be made along with the testimony of both parties that each person identifies his or her signature on the Agreement, it was signed freely and voluntarily and that the person signing the document considers the Agreement to be a fair and equitable distribution of their marital estate.

These are fundamentals that must be on the record. Several other items should be on the record but need not be mentioned in this brief article. I will endeavor to address them in another article on Rhode Island Divorce.

This should not be taken as an "all inclusive list" of everything that must be on the record. Different proceedings and circumstances may call for additional items or fewer items.

Just keep in mind that the Rhode Island Family Court has a system in place that lets you go through your divorce as quickly as possible if you are amicable with your spouse, know what you have to do in order to use that system efficiently, and protect your children properly in the process.

Be prepared. Get some coaching from a professional who does this for a living and you will have the best chance at success getting through the process without spending a lot of money.

If you are nervous or uncertain about what to do, that's your internal signal telling you that you should be calling me for your low-cost divorce coaching session.

My best to you as you go before the Rhode Island Family Court System. It's not easy. Divorce never is. Let's make it easier for you and for the Rhode Island Family Court judge and make things as efficient as possible. You'll be happier. The Rhode Island family court's divorce process will work much better for you. And best of all I'll help you keep as much of your hard earned money in your pocket where it belongs!

Authored By:

Christopher A. Pearsall, Attorney-at-Law

Rhode Island's Full-Time Divorce* Lawyer is Now
Rhode Island's Only Divorce and Family Law Coach!!

Discover the Tremendous Benefits You Receive by

Participating in Family Law Coaching Sessions!

Visit the RhodeIslandDivorceCoach.com

Call (401) 632-6976 Now
to
Schedule Your Low-Cost Rhode Island Divorce* or Family Law* Coaching Session!

Experience the Difference!

Copyright 2007 to Present. Christopher A. Pearsall, Esquire
Offering Rhode Island Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Coaching for a New Millenium!

* The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all attorneys in the general practice of law. The court does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any particular field of practice.

- - Recommended Websites - -

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A Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer Thrilled his Divorce Coaching Practice is On the Rise!

October 29, 2010

As a Rhode Island lawyer I am thrilled that my divorce coaching program is on the rise even as other areas of practice for colleagues are struggling.

I was floored when I was actually asked recently, "What do you get out of this Rhode Island Divorce Coaching program? You certainly can't be making a mint from $135 sessions for an hour here and there each week. What's the catch?"

In a nutshell I'll let my readers know what I let this client know. I get to help people affordably in a difficult economy. I get to sleep restfully each night knowing I'm doing a good thing for people. Ultimately I still get to use what I've learned over the years. Lastly, but certainly not the least, I get to work for myself and spend more quality time with my wife.

The client was a bit stunned. Perhaps my readers would be too. A lawyer who doesn't bring in big bucks, who doesn't charge big bucks, who doesn't work 80 hours a week and who just wants to be able to live life without all the stress and aggravation that many lawyers put themselves through all for the sake of having more and more "things." Financially it gets a little tough sometimes with the rising cost of everything, but we're all dealing with that these days.

I suppose in a sense, I'm genuine. I know what it's like to do a hard days work, to have been through a first marriage that didn't work out, to see family law in action, to see families of all kinds and how they work and how they don't. I'm practical and I can relate to my clients. I have a big heart and though I can't give away my services for free, I've done the best I can to help others. In the end, I know I've done my best for people and based on what is truly important in life.

I hope other people find the path I have found some day and that colleagues pick up on it without overcharging. Rhode Island Divorce Coaching is something that I've received rants and raves from my clients confidentially about it and I know I've helped the judges with their calendars and the resolution of cases in the process.

I'm making a difference. I can see it. I can feel it. I hear about it from those who benefit from it and I am happy that the program I created works. I plan on making it better and as affordable as possible.

For now, it's still a great new program and it's evolving every day. For those who have given it a chance, they know what it does and can do.

I welcome everyone to have an initial meeting with me for 1 hour at only $135 for the hour. You won't be disappointed. So pick up your phone and dial (401) 632-6976 to make your appointment or to understand how I do what I do and why. I'll be more than happy to take a minute or two to discuss it with you, including how I do what I do and why.

Have a Fantastic Evening!

Christopher A. Pearsall, The Rhode Island Divorce Coach
Owner of the Rhode Island Divorce Coaching Institute

http://www.RhodeIslandDivorceCoach.com

http://www.ChristopherPearsall.com

http://www.Rhode-Island-Divorce-Lawyer.com

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What Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers and Attorneys Don't Do for their Clients but Divorce Coaches DO!

October 29, 2010

You've already heard or read that the Rhode Island Supreme Court doesn't license lawyers in any specific area of law. When we pass the Rhode Island Bar Exam and we are sworn in we are all sworn in as general practitioners. From that point on, we may choose certain areas that we want to "focus" in but we are not technically "specialists" in anything.

Of course this makes it very hard for people to find a Rhode Island lawyer who specializes or rather " is experienced in" the practice of divorce law. Yet whether you get an experienced lawyer in the area of law you are looking for, be it divorce or some other area of law, I have noticed something over the years that seems rather consistent but I will localize it to divorce law since that is my specific area of experience.

Since I began the Rhode Island Divorce Coaching Institute in March of 2009 I have had countless people come to me because they were either unhappy with their Rhode Island Divorce lawyers or wanted a second opinion about the lawyer's performance on their case.

I found that invariably there was one thing that was virtually always missing and that was this "explanation!" In almost every case, the attorney did not bother to explain to their client how the process works, the the options that were available to him or her so that the client could make important informed decisions about the direction of the case. This is something I have always done but do so in even more detail now in my capacity as a Rhode island Divorce lawyer acting in a coaching capacity because I find education to be a major role of a coach.

Now, if you didn't know. As the client you are supposed to be in control of your case. Now this doesn't mean that you hire a divorce attorney and then you micromanage his or her activities. If this were the case, then the divorce attorney's skills, experience and legal judgment would be worthless. However, if major decisions and the direction of your case needs to be chosen then by all rights this is a decision the client should make after being informed of all the options and the risks of exercising each option.

Now here is the crucial question! How can you do that if your Rhode Island Divorce attorney doesn't inform you of these things? The answer is, "You Can't!" This is not the best position to be in since at this point you've allowed your divorce lawyer to have so much authority that your case, your life, and your legal bill end up solely in the hands of the attorney simply because the attorney hasn't informed you or you haven't demanded to know what is going on.

In a nut shell, it is a bad idea to simply hire an Rhode island divorce attorney that you think is good at what he or she does and then just let them take it from there and tell you what to do. This is blind trust and leads to divorces that spiral out of your control because you do not insist on understanding what is going on legally and procedurally.

This is a major difference between what happens when you engage the services of a Rhode Island Divorce Attorney to represent you in family court as opposed to when you engage the services of a Rhode Island Divorce Coach to help you represent yourself. Think about it. How can you represent yourself if you don't understand the law and procedure that relates to the case right at that time? You can't! That's why as a Rhode Island Divorce Attorney and Coach I make sure you know what is going on, what issues apply and what issues might arise depending upon the options your might consider taking.

Ultimately, it's your Rhode Island divorce or family law issue, shouldn't you be in control of it since it deals with YOUR life?! Absolutely! Well, you certainly can't do that if you don't understand what is going on, right? So how good is a lawyer that you retain to represent you in court if he or she doesn't take the time to explain to you the divorce process, your legal rights, how matters are practically handled in the court, and what is realistic under the circumstances?

In my professional opinion, any divorce attorney can justify all he or she wants that he or she to saving you money, but that is NOT the time nor the subject matter to skimp on for the client. It is crucial for you to understand these things as a client otherwise you can't make informed decisions.

If you want understanding of the process and what you can expect, see a Rhode Island Divorce Coach even if it's just for an initial session. This will give you a tremendous edge by giving you the information you need to make decisions in your divorce case. It will be the best legal monies you will have spent and usually the coach can suggest things to you that may save you up to $800 with an attorney you may choose to hire.

So how can you boil this down into two sentences? A divorce lawyer who is engaged to represent you in court rarely explains in detail the fundamentals of what you can expect in your divorce matter. A Rhode island Divorce Coach does the opposite and teaches you what you need to know to make the important decisions in your case and not lose control of your life, your case and your decisions.

My Recommendation - Get Some Coaching even before your Retain a Courtroom Lawyer! It will be the best investment you make in your divorce . . . for YOU!

Authored By:

Christopher A. Pearsall, Attorney-at-Law

Rhode Island's Full-Time Divorce* Lawyer is Now
Rhode Island's Only Divorce and Family Law Coach!!

Discover the Tremendous Benefits You Receive by

Participating in Family Law Coaching Sessions!

Visit the RhodeIslandDivorceCoach.com

Call (401) 632-6976 Now
to
Schedule Your Low-Cost Rhode Island Divorce* or Family Law* Coaching Session!

Experience the Difference!

Copyright 2007 to Present. Christopher A. Pearsall, Attorney-At-Law
Offering Rhode Island Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Coaching for a New Millenium!

* The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all attorneys in the general practice of law. The court does not license or certify any lawyer as an expert or specialist in any particular field of practice.

- - Recommended Associated Legal Websites - -

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Rhode Island Divorce Law Terminology: What is an Uncontested divorce in the Rhode Island Family Court?

October 12, 2009

Common sense tells many people that an uncontested Rhode Island Divorce will also certainly cost less than a contested Rhode Island Divorce.

Without complicating matters an "uncontested Rhode Island divorce" is one in which the parties amicably agree on all issues relating to their divorce.

A "contested divorce Rhode Island divorce" in the RI Family Court System is a divorce case in which both spouses in the divorce are not in agreement on all issues relating to their divorce.

Notice that when describing an uncontested divorce versus contested divorces the main issue is whether the parties are in agreement on all issues or not.

If there is even one issue that is not agree upon by you and your spouse, then your divorce matter is considered "contested."

The only other time when your Rhode Island Divorce may be considered "uncontested" without the agreement of both parties occurs when you have a nominal divorce hearing date set by the court and the other party does not show up for the court hearing. This is essentially an "uncontested Rhode Island divorce" by default.

Authored By:

Christopher A. Pearsall, Attorney-at-Law

Rhode Island's Full-Time Divorce* Lawyer is Now
Rhode Island's Only Full-Time Divorce and Family Law Coach!!

Find out the Tremendous Benefits You Receive by

Participate in Family Law Coaching Sessions!

Go to RhodeIslandDivorceCoach.com

Call (401) 632-6976 to

Schedule Your Rhode Island Divorce* or Family Law* Coaching Session Now!

Copyright 2009. Christopher A. Pearsall, Esquire
Offering Divorce and Family Law Coaching for a New Millenium!

* Rhode Island licenses all attorneys in the general practice of law.

- - Recommended Websites - -

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