Divorce & Family Law

Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer & Mediator

Joyce A. Faraone is a Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer and Rhode Island Divorce Mediator who handles ALL kinds of divorces — from the friendliest, uncontested divorce where she represents one of the parties whose spouse participates without an attorney, to the most serious of divorce circumstances, including those requiring the termination of parental rights. Joyce is a Rhode Island family law lawyer that defines the phrase “conflict resolution” and is dedicated to helping couples keep the costs of a divorce as low as possible.

The more a couple can make their own decisions about their divorce, the more they will stay out of court and the more money they will save! Ms Faraone uses her experience as a Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer to make sure her clients’ rights are protected and ALL the necessary issues are discussed and resolved, while still allowing both parties to maintain control over their agreement to the highest degree possible. This is NOT the kind of lawsuit where a “windfall” check is going to arrive at the end! The less parties spend on “fighting”, the less they will spend on attorney fees and the more money they will have to divide between themselves!

Friendlier is Cheaper!

Whether or not a couple has children, FRIENDLIER IS CHEAPER!

A divorce is a life-impacting experience, and we help our clients see the “light at the end of the tunnel!”

Joyce will explain how Rhode Island judges deal with issues regarding basic needs so that the couple can maintain the “status quo” while the divorce is pending.

If the couple has children, the prime questions are these:

Where will the children live? CHILD CUSTODY
How much will CHILD SUPPORT be?
What kind of visitation of children will there be?
Studies show that it is essential for children to know that they are not responsible for their parents’ divorce. Kids learn much about life while watching their parents divorce: how to treat the opposite sex, how to handle anger, how to compromise, how to handle disappointment, how to overcome diversity, how to forgive, how to make the best out of a bad situation!! Kids will use their parents as role models and, later in life, whenever they face any problems with their own relationships, they will act just like they saw their mom or dad do!

The couple will each be required to take a parenting class and to file the original of certificate of completion with the court. This is not really about parenting as much as it is about the effects of divorce on kids. We will provide a variety of acceptable classes so that a client can choose one with the most convenient date, time and location.

What If It Is Downright Ugly?

Unfortunately, sometimes the circumstances are such that the divorce requires a tough, aggressive legal approach. Even in these cases, a client can be confident that Ms. Faraone will use her negotiating and mediation skills to obtain the best result. Sometimes, a court hearing and / or trial is necessary. Whatever it takes, any client of Ms. Faraone can rely on her commitment and dedication to work hard to get the best possible outcome! The parties may go to DIVORCE MEDIATION prior to trial. In this situation, Ms. Faraone represents her client at the mediation, which would also be attended by the spouse and his or her attorney. This should be differentiated from the situations in which Ms. Faraone acts as a Rhode Island Divorce Mediator herself in order to facilitate an agreement between two spouses and their respective Rhode Island divorce lawyers.

Of course, our office also deals with many Rhode Island Family Law issues in addition to divorce. Rhode Island follows “no fault” equitable distribution divorce law. In essence, any party in a marriage can file for divorce and they need not state any particular reason. As a result, the most frequent reason stated for a divorce is ” irreconcilable differences.” Typically, in a divorce the Court will generally divide the “marital estate” on a 50/50 basis . The marital estate is made up of everything the parties own and everything the parties owe. If the conduct of one of the parties has been egregious, then the Court has the discretion to deviate from this 50/50 formula and award one spouse more. These are generalized rules and each case is different. The Court typically looks at a number of factors including, the length of the marriage, the conduct of the parties and whether there are any children from the marriage. The Rhode Island Family Court relies on a “tracking system” with specified timelines for each. When a complaint for divorce is filed it must be designated as either a “Nominal”, which is an uncontested divorce, or a Contested divorce. If a case is filed as a “Nominal” a date is given and the case is assigned for hearing. If the case is designated as “Contested”, then other “tracking” timelines apply

Divorce & Family Law

Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer & Mediator

Friendlier is Cheaper!

What If It Is Downright Ugly?

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