Rhode Island Family Law Blog

There is still a great deal of stigma associated with mental illness here in the United States. When those with mental illnesses are parents, their diagnoses can become an issue if the child's other parent, a family member or the state of Rhode Island decides to challenge the custody rights of the mentally ill parent.

To be sure, a parent whose disease is not under control or who is noncompliant with medication may not be competent to care for a child. But it's a sad fact that a parent's mental illness is often used as leverage against them to remove children from their custody after a divorce, break-up or even family rifts.

Throughout your life you have worked hard for what you have. You went to school, studied hard and graduated. After that, you not only got married, but you also started your own business. You are very proud of your business and everything that you have accomplished. You want that success to continue well into the future.

While your business is doing great, your marriage unfortunately isn’t. You and your spouse have decided that both of you would be better off apart. Now that you’ve decided to divorce, you are worried about your business and the legacy you’ve built.

There are many considerations during the difficult process of separation and divorce. But nothing is more important than the present and future for children of a couple, especially if the couple is no more. Rhode Island recognizes the vital need for services geared toward children of divorce with a state agency dedicated to enhancing their well-being.

What are the duties of the Rhode Island Office of Child Support Services?

Many people consider common law marriage to be common sense and common knowledge. The English tradition of assigning rights to partners who have lived in the same place for seven years or more has made its way into the laws of a few states. These privileges, however, can cut both ways when they are recognized.

An unusual ruling on common law marriage had to be issued by a Rhode Island judge when she presided over the separation of a couple that had lived together for more than 20 years but never took a vow of marriage. The male partner argued that they had fewer commitments to each other than a marriage suggests.