Believe it or not, the most exasperating word a family law attorney can hear is MEDIATION. Why, because once most, not all, attorneys who practice primarily litigation involving dissolution of marriage and child support and custody issues get a case, they view them as a continuing stipend. The more court hearings they can force, the more money they can make. The more assets they can convince their client they are entitled to, whether true or not, the more conflict and angst they can conjure up and the more money they can ensure themselves during the long drawn out fight that accompanies the litigation fiasco. I have seen literally dozens and dozens of cases end in mindless and needless court battles, because the attorneys have created issues out of whole cloth. They have stirred the pot, like witches brew. Is their interest what is best for their client, or what is best for them? I am sorry to say, that in so many cases, my colleagues put their interests, ahead of their clients.

Because of this pretense marital cases can cost the husband and wife thousands of dollars. I was personally involved in one marital dispute in which the wife was represented by one of the top boutique marital dissolution law firms in Beverly Hills. There was a large corporation involved, which I represented, and the husband was represented by a two person well known law firm. The wife's law firm had two partners and several associates sitting around a conference table during the rented judge trial while the husband had one. The wife's attorneys' had her believing she could get ½ of the corporation and run it, when she had never stepped foot in it and her husband had been running it for years extremely successfully and with an independent board of directors. Telling her she would get to run the business and that her husband would do everything to steal money and keep her from getting anything was an abominable lie meant to exacerbate her already vicious feelings about her husband, with the only reason being the lining of the law firm's pockets.

I witnessed this Beverly Hills law firm charging well over $1,000.00 per hour for a three week trial and that was subsequent to my attempting to settle the corporate issues for a very fair amount of money and future participation in profits, which would have been huge, with her own accountant able to review all financial records of the company. I offered this settlement even before a trial was set. After the three week trial the wife's lead attorney came to me to settle the corporation's part of the case for $17MM after taxes were paid. This for a corporation that was, at that time showing a profit of well over $17MM the prior year and was growing at the enormous rate of twenty percent a year. My offer prior to trial was well over twice as much, but it was rejected and now the wife's attorney was coming to me with this ridiculous offer to settle.

You see, the firm had already exceeded $1MM in fees and I am quite confident did not want to finish the trial which had gone on for, as I wrote above, three weeks, because they knew their client was never going to be able to run the corporation, even though that was what they promised their client they would get for her. As much as I wanted to protect the wife from this disastrous settlement, I was representing the corporation and bound by ethical duty not to do so.

I cringed when I went to my client, the corporation, and told its board about my settlement, because I knew how incredibly low it was, but I accomplished my job. On the other hand the wife's law firm essentially through her under the proverbial bus. These kinds of stories unfortunately happen every day. It happens in all types of litigation, but more in family law than any other litigation.

So how do you avoid these tremendous fees and bad outcomes? You seek good mediators who have no skin in the game and who only care about doing one thing. That one thing is seeing to it that the parties reach a resolution of their case at the least possible cost, both financially and emotionally. As mediators we help guide you through the process of developing your own resolution. By being the master of your own destiny you own the process and decisions as opposed to attorneys and a judge. When you own the decision you feel better about yourself and, in many cases, your spouse or other party with whom you may be locked in conflict. This helps to take much of the emotion out of the mediation which is especially important when dealing with issues involving children insofar as you and your spouse may have years of co-parenting children well under the age of eighteen and continuing your relationship with your children's families.

Many times women feel more comfortable with a female mediator and men with a male mediator. This is why we have developed the concept of cross gender mediation. To avoid this preference issue, both a man and woman are offered to facilitate these cases at the cost of the usual single mediator. This company has as its major goal, keeping people who are at their most vulnerable condition, focused on their children first, if there are any, and their assets and liabilities as opposed to the unconstructive feelings that have lead them to this stage of their marriage, and to do so at a cost that will not deplete the parties bank accounts.

The Story

Once a girl named Sally met a boy named Harry. They fell in love, got married, bought a house and had two kids. Day by day Harry starts to hate the fried eggs Sally cooked in the morning everyday; and Sally started to pay undue attention to a new French guy who had moved next door. Arguments started and grew into big fights; Harry filed for a divorce. Sally immediately took the advice of a family law attorney but Harry did not (after all it is her fault). Sally did not just employ any lawyer; she took the best family attorney of Beverly Hills. Sally did not work and the lawyer charged on fat hourly salary. End of the story: Sally got the house, the kids and with them, alimony and child support.

Beware

If you do not want to take the counsel of a family law attorney you better think twice, otherwise you will end up on the streets just like Harry. Family law lawyers are indispensable when filing a divorce where property, assets and children are involved. These kinds of lawyers are professionally trained to support you during your divorce. You will have to let them know from the start about every asset you have, pension plan and property etc. A family law attorney will work for your safety and will advise you on the best moves to make.

A good family divorce attorney will have a lot of experience and like our friend Sally; you might be rewarded for the traumatic experience of a failed marriage. The family law attorney per excellence will also support you emotionally and will make sure that you are able to maintain the lifestyle you had when you were married in future as well.

Equal To All

A family law attorney should not have gender bias, giving equal legal rights to both the father and the mother. He/She should also take into primary consideration children and should always make sure that they get all the psychological and financial benefits of the divorce, (Harry and Sally's children receive a lot of gifts, when the child support check arrives at the end of the month). The most important thing when choosing an attorney is to remember that if you hire an expensive one, you will benefit at a later stage, because the bill will be sent to the one who loses the divorce case. We wish all the best in your search and we hope that your next love story will never end!

Most of us do not hire family lawyers until we find ourselves trapped in a seemingly endless problem. We also do not bother knowing which law firm to go to in case we get across the need to have a legal consultation. Your family is probably your biggest investment in life. You have not just invested financially but you also invested emotionally, mentally and spiritually. So it would definitely hurt you to find your marriage, which is considered the foundation of your family, drowning in problems that are most likely going to end up in a divorce. With this, you have all the reason to protect your family by knowing which law firms can best help you in cases of unwanted family problems like divorce.

Family law firms can with your divorce or your separation from your partner. However, it does not end there. The firms also deal with other problems that may arise from your divorce. They deal with those things that would guarantee you and your child a secured future despite ending up in a broken family.

The usual causes of divorce are physical and mental abuse. If you have an abusive partner, you can protect yourself and other members of the family even prior to your divorce through restraining orders or protection from abuse orders. Both are things that the firms can deal with.

Child custody, child support, grandparents' rights and property division are among the biggest factors that prolong the process of divorce. But if you consult family law firms that have knowledgeable and experienced lawyers, these things can easily be resolved. You are guaranteed that your child's future and relationships with the other members of the family is not damaged. Family law firms that have well experienced family lawyers are also able to guarantee fair property division unless you have signed any agreement that restricts you from getting a share prior to your marriage.

If after your divorce you plan to get into a second marriage, you should also make sure to protect yourself and all your investments to make sure that you do not end up in dumps in case your second marriage does not work. Family law firms are able to deal with a prenuptial agreement or anything similar.

Although family law firms in general are able to help you mend broken family relationships, they are also able to help you create a family. If in case you and your partner would like to adopt a child, they can help you with all the necessary legal adoption processes that you would need to go through. Family law firms primarily deal with everything that you may need in order to have your ideal family if you are just looking to establish one and create a good family relationship despite not ending up in a perfect marriage. They deal with what would provide you and your family that security you need and the peace of mind when you move on with your lives after a huge trial.

The world of family law is very different than just about any other type of legal practice. One of the major differences is that unlike dealing with many of the business related areas in which lawyers practice - family law can get personal. These family attorneys regularly deal with issues such as divorce, child custody and support, unforeseen deaths, wills and successions. These are areas of our lives which invoke strong emotions and are not always easy to deal with.

Child Custody

The issues of child custody and guardianship are a factor of the high divorce rate in America compounded by the number of children born out of wedlock. Family law matters surrounding children involve designating custody, child and spousal support, parental rights, adoption as well as community property negotiation. And when there are kids involved, hopefully all parties can focus on the best interests of the entire family rather than strictly their own self interests.

When it comes to child custody - courts will generally choose one of the following types:

· Temporary custody - this is granted during the divorce or separation proceedings and is usually replaced with a more permanent solution.

· Exclusive custody - This is when one parent gets all of the custody rights to the child and the other parent is excluded.

· Joint custody - refers to when parents are granted some version of equal rights regarding the child's upbringing. Joint custody is usually reserved for situations where both parents are competent and able to carry about parental duties.

· Third party custody - if both parents are either incapacitated or deemed unfit, the courts can award custody to a third party and may include family members such as uncles, aunts and grandparents.

Guardianship Issues

Another issue facing parents is what to do if you do not have a trustworthy person to leave as a legal guardian or trustee for your children or heirs. When this scenario arises, guardianships can be used as a last resort.

A guardianship refers to a situation where a child or incapacitated adult needs someone to manage their assets. These are usually supervised and assigned through the court system and require extensive legal work to setup and manage, including annual accounting and restrictions as to how money can be used and spent.

Wills & Successions

Wills & successions are often thought of as "estate planning" instruments, but really they should be considered part of family law. Taking the time to plan for unforeseen events is a critical part of ensuring your family is protected and your wishes can be followed, especially if the unimaginable happens. If you want to know how important having even a simple will can be, simply ask anyone who has unexpectedly lost a family member who didn't have one!

Family law includes all those laws that may affect you if you get married, separated, or divorced. It includes the laws that deal with marriage contracts, property division, child custody, access and support as well as spousal support. The family laws in Ontario are complex but there are many ways you can inform yourself about family law in Ontario and your options.

Whether you live in Toronto, Windsor, London, Barrie, Ottawa, Oshawa or any other location in Ontario, your local family court will have a Family Law Information Centre that can provide you with information for families separating, guides to court procedures, and information about mediation services in your community. In addition, family courts in Ontario may provide you with access to family lawyers for advice.

It is important to know that, with the exception of divorce, you do not have to go to court to settle your family law issues. Separation agreements are often an effective way to settle all issues surrounding your separation from your spouse including child custody, access, child support, spousal support, division of family property, and any other issues that arise from the marriage. In Ontario, an agreement cannot make a divorce effective. Only a court can grant a divorce.

It is recommended that you seek the advice of a family lawyer whether you are seeking information of marriage contracts or separating from your spouse. A family lawyer will ensure that you understand your legal entitlements.

This article is not intended to provide legal advice. It is recommended that you consult your family lawyer for advice concerning your particular case.

If you've come to the conclusion that you can't sort out your family issues amicably, then perhaps you need a family law solicitor to help you.

Here are some of the common reasons.

1. Many people will use a family law solicitor when they get divorced. If your marriage has ended, and can't be resolved, or you don't want to try and get back together, then you might be thinking about divorce. You'll want to get the right legal advice, so that you know what to do, and where you stand. Seeking legal advice will help you at this very traumatic time.

2. If you're not married, and living with your partner and you decide to split up, then you'll want to know what rights you have, especially if you have children, and you'll also want to know who gets to keep what.

3. If you do divorce or separate, and there are children involved, you'll still want to able to see your children if they don't live with you. Your family law solicitor will be able to help you to arrange time with your children, or so that their other parent can see them.

4. As well as parents, grandparents have rights too. If you're a grandparent and have been told that you can't see your grandchildren you might want to take legal advice.

5. As a result of your divorce or relationship breakdown, you might have to sell your house, or get rid of other assets and possessions. You'll want to make sure that you're getting the appropriate legal advice.

6. You might need legal help and advice with your finances after a divorce or at the end of a relationship. Your family law solicitor will be able to provide the assistance you need.

7. If you're planning a civil partnership, a family law solicitor will be able to advise you on your rights under law.

8. If you're getting married, then you might be considered having a pre-nup drawn up. Although not as popular here as in America, and not enforceable by law, a prenuptial agreement can show the intents and purposes before your wedding, and give you the reassurance you need.

9. If you're thinking about moving in with your partner, then you might want to know more about how it will affect you legally. Perhaps you'll want advice on cohabitation laws, or about paying your mortgage.

10. If you're suffering domestic violence, then you'll need to get out, and get your children out too. A family law solicitor can give you all the help you need, such as finding you accommodation, and being out of reach of your partner. With untraceable phone lines, and many other ways to stay hidden, your partner won't be able to find you.

Now you know more about the services they provide, perhaps you do need a family law solicitor.

If two people make the decision to marry, there is always a lot to consider. However, sometimes, those who have decided to get married settle down and end up in a divorce after they hit some personal problems. Some people never seem to recover after their traumatic experiences and they may not know what the right thing to do is.

Family law can cover a wide range of subjects for a family or to resolve personal disputes across a wide range of areas ranging from marriage and divorce to dealing with retirements and wills. It can be used to protect couples and guide them in their personal lives. If one or both people have significant assets prior to marriage and they are possibly looking to protect their own investments, then the couple could arrange for a prenuptial agreement that would identify this aspect and isolate them for individual benefits. The law also can cover many laws about domestic partnerships and civil unions. If after a couple marries, they are unable to produce children, they can legally adopt a child who would mean that the child takes the family's name and become their legal guardian.

However, family law can also provide protection for couples who are divorcing or having domestic issues. For example, if one partner is abusive towards the other, the victim can make use of that as grounds for a legal separation and perhaps going further to extract temporary restraining orders or protection orders that would prohibit the abusive partner hurting the victim again. It also allows couples to discuss child support and custodial issues so that both parents can maintain equal status and responsibility in the child's life. However, this is only if both parents are deemed fit enough to look after the child. If they are not, a judge may give custody to the parent deemed fittest to provide for a child. If this is the case, it would also entitle the custodial parent to child support which may ease the financial burden on the guardian. If an ex-partner is going beyond their limits, a judge might re-iterate their parental responsibilities and rights to make sure that everyone is kept safe and what is in the best interests of the child.

Family law also covers legal issues about preparing for the future such as planning for retirement and what someone may have to do in case they passed away unexpectedly. A couple or a person who is looking to outline and create a will would need to get a lawyer to sign and make the document legally binding. They should also make sure that the will is fulfilled properly after that person passes so that the correct people can inherit what has been passed down to them.

Therefore, it may be worth getting a basic understanding of family law as it can give protection and guidance over any important personal and domestic issues which everyone will encounter at some point in their lives.

As everyday people, I'm sure you know how important it is to understand family law. If you're asking the question "what is family law", there are some time proven tips you should follow when searching out information.

• See yourself looking through tons of law documents and legal papers. The key secrets are right in front of your face, and after all, there was a reason they have a law library in the first place, and by checking out your local college or law library, you will begin the process of your education.


• Having a trust worthy destination to find up to date credible information on what is family law is only the beginning when learning family law. Now that you have decided to study family law its time to focus on what branch interest you. Although eventually the goal is to have a firm grasp in all areas.


• It will take some take some time and dedication to your education and none of the your previous bad study habits may continue. Get ready to put 100% of your efforts into making some much-needed changes.


• Take it slow when first starting your study plan. When you feel things are starting to make sense, do not rush the situation but let it happen naturally. With some much need time, you will feel the confidence. Have patient and don't let yourself get discouraged.


• Remember to just give it time and things will eventually fall into place. Find yourself full of knowledge from the very start of your research/training. The great thing about all of this is you can train yourself from day one. Go about the new found subject with wisdom and certainty, after all your spending all these hours studying.


• You ca find a ton of valuable resources online to help you learn the ins and outs of family law, but watch out for mis-information. always make sure you choose a trusted site. You can download a program called SEOquake which will tell you the ranking of a website you have visited. Look for a page rank of between 3 and 10 and if the site is on the first page of the major search engines.


• Taking the time needed to find the right source for information is critical. As different laws pertain to each state in most of cases, it's very important to get the correct laws for each state. You can find a mountain of credible resources on what family law is if you put in the necessary time.

For more info, make sure and follow the link in the resource box below.

Selecting a lawyer to represent you may be one of the most essential decisions you'll ever take. The more careful you are in selecting the best family law lawyer for you, the more assurance you'll have -- in the counsel and in the court process. Eventually, you want ideal success for yourself and your kids. Of course, you want to ask how much you'll be investing for lawyer solutions, how much for paralegal solutions, how and when you will pay, and how much of a retainer fee is necessary. But don't decide just by depending on charges. Here are a few concerns you should also ask before you consider selecting a particular family law firm.

Concern #1: Has the attorney been consented for ethics violation?

Attorneys are held to high moral expectations regarding how they exercise law and the support service they provide to clients. Each state's bar relationship handles its associates and, when necessary, professions legal professionals with supports to discipline for functions of professional wrong doings. Arizona's legal professionals must be associates current with the Condition Bar of Arizona in order to exercise law within the talk about.

A grievance submitted against an attorney can lead to reprimand, probation, restitution, and cancellation of the legal certificate to exercise law within the state. A relatively small breach may be the legal disaster to pay bar member subscribers appropriate, creating an automated cancellation and an easy solution.

Concern #2: Is he/she involved in Family law Firm?

The only consistent in family law is change, sometimes in an obvious way and sometimes in a hundred simple ways. The judges always experience regulations in another way, and our legislatures always pass new regulations and modify existing ones. Regulations of municipal procedure, evidence, and local court rules vary from one judge to the next. When the paralegal is centered on family law and is part of a Family law Firm, then that attorney is in synchronization with changing trends in the field.

Concern #3: Will this attorney be managing your situation, from the beginning to the end?

At some family law firms, the attorney you discuss your case with is not the attorney who will be representing you. Enabling your situation to be designated to whoever has the lightest load this week will not help you. You are not a commodity neither are legal professionals. Be sure to ask if the attorney you're finding will actually be the attorney managing your situation.

Family law is one of the most important and most difficult areas of the legal system. It deals with families at their most difficult times. For those who are going through these types of situations, it is best to speak to an attorney that specializes in this area. You can protect those you love and use the law to help you to make the changes necessary to do that. Ultimately, finding the right attorney will make all of the difference. Are you struggling with personal decisions or complications that you need to resolve legally? If so, you are not alone.

Custody and Child Visitation

When parents cannot get along, it is often the child that suffers. Yet, after a divorce, separation or just from the start of the child's life, there are people fighting for their right to be a part of that child's life. One of the most difficult areas of family law focuses on child custody and visitation rights. Parents, grandparents, and siblings often want to be a part of each other's lives, but in some cases, there are reasons they should not be. When you want to protect your children and be a part of their lives, hire an attorney to help you through the process.

Divorce and Separation

Ending a marriage is difficult enough. An emotional bond is broken. No matter what the reason is, it has legal implications, as well as emotional ones. Because you are facing so many emotional changes and you are suffering, it is best to let someone help you through the legal process. The good news is that it is easy to do just that when you have an attorney by your side to guide your decisions and help you to get the best possible footing for your future.

Adoption

Are you planning to adopt a child? No matter if it is a child you are biologically linked to or one from across the world, the process of making this lasting bond requires numerous legal steps. Though it is not easy to do, many parents-to-be will find the aid of an attorney is ideal to help them through this matter.

What other legal situations are you dealing with? Are you questioning the paternity of a child? Are you facing the termination of parental rights? Grandparent rights, spousal support, and orders of protection are additional steps you need to take in a court of law with the aid of an attorney. Family law has complexities, but with the aid of an attorney, you can navigate your way through these difficult situations to achieve the goals you have.

Though not specifically addressed within the realm of Rhode Island divorce proceeding, a particular issue has raised its head several times in my practice over the years in the form more of a particular factual set of circumstances rather than as a direct legal issue itself.

A recent call presented this scenario from a Rhode Island lawyer and colleague who was endeavoring to assist clients with a preplexing issue. It went something like this.

Two parents who have not yet become a divorce statistic have moved across the country. Their minor child has remained with a friend (unrelated by blood or marriage to either parent) here in Rhode Island to provide consistency with the child remaining in his current school system, etc. The parents would like to have the child remain with the friend through the remainder of his or her schooling. The friend is presumably agreeable to his as long as the parents continue to provide the financial support necessary for the child and that the friend is not held responsible for any liability of the child. The friend also needs the authority to be able to act in the best interests of the child and take legal action as necessary to enroll the child in programs, receive confidential health care information regarding the child, etc...

This of course causes a variety of questions to arise that the colleague wanted my input on. The general question was, how should this be done properly (i.e. legally) to be able to accomplish what they would like to do.

The tremendous number of Rhode Island family law questions that this factual situation presents is remarkable and therefore, I will end this particular blog post with the questions it raises rather than simply providing the answer I believe is appropriate under the circumstances.

Now you may be saying.... huh . . . Chris, what the heck are you doing? This is a Rhode Island Divorce Tips blog. What you've set your self up for is to give us TIPS and HELP on these issues, not to give us the darn questions and have us figure it out for ourselves!

This may or may not be a semi-useless exercise but it is one that I wanted to try. True, this is a Rhode Island Divorce Tips blog and that it is my intention to give at least some general guidance regarding the issues presented as opposed to any specific legal advice. Yet the one common thread that I have found in writing this Rhode Island divorce and family law blog is that when people contact me about these issues they rarely appreciate the nature and depth of the issues or the true value that are getting by some insight from a legal professional who is trying to assist in the understanding of these issues.

In truth, it seems that Rhode Islanders, divorce and family law clients, and even other Rhode Island lawyers who don't practice in the areas of divorce and family law have a greater appreciation of the the depth and complexity of these legal problems and issues if they at least consider the questions. . . .or by considering the number and type of questions that present themselves to a legal practitioner when he or she either endeavors to provide some helpful information on a Rhode Island legal issue
relating to divorce and family law.

Ultimately, is you consider the Rhode divorce and family law questions presented before receiving the answer directly, you gain a better understanding and appreciation of what legal professionals offer in their services and perhaps why their education is so costly which often necessitates rates that seem out of whack with today's minimum wage.

All this digression from the topic aside, consider these various questions that this scenario presents:

1. Can an unrelated person be given legal authority over all aspects of their minor child's life?

2. Can custodial rights be given or assigned to another person?

3. What are the bodies of rights that a parent has with respect to a child?

4. How would you absolve people who take in your child from any liability for decisions relating to your child?

5. If you have your child stay with an unrelated person iin a particular school district n order to keep the child in a particular school system, is this perpetrating a fraud upon the school department.

6. If you can place your minor child with another person voluntarily and you do so, what are your obligations to support that minor child?

7. If place your minor child with an unrelated person voluntarily and with the person's consent and agree to continue to support the child but assign the child's care to that unrelated person, who is responsible for the minor child's transgressions if he or she decides to damage school property?

The questions are truly endless. What are your thoughts? What else should you consider? These are all questions that are very specific and your matter is factually driven. There is no real set answer to any general questions such as these that could be included in an article such as this. In my opinion, the best you can hope for is to be informed and to think about all the concerns that need to be presented to the Rhode Island attorney that your approach to seek guidance about your factual situation.

When approaching an attorney about these issues, list all the issues and concerns in the form of questions and present to the attorney a detailed picture of all the facts and relationships based on all the possible scenarios that may be encountered both by you as a parent or as a caregiver for the child. It is only be identifying all the facts and the anticipated issues that you want the caregiver to address and/or be protected on when executing those duties that a good Rhode Island family law practitioner will be able to provide you with sound legal advice to address your particular facts and circumstances.

Today there is more and more software being developed for family law. There are software programs that aid with divorce, adoption, child custody etc. One particular type of child custody software are programs that allow the user to create a child custody agreement. This is beneficial to attorneys because it can save them countless hours of time figuring out schedules and counting days and it gives them a nice calendar to present to their client. And, this program also helps divorced parents because they can make their own child custody agreements and save money in legal fees. Here are some of the features and benefits that these programs have.

The most basic thing that a custody program should do is allow you to easily create a nice calendar with your visitation schedule. User interface is important for this. Some programs are very difficult to figure out and will actually bring you more hassle then help. It should be very easy to simply click on a basic schedule that you want and have that applied to a year. Then you should easily be able to add holidays, special events, recurring events that change the schedule, and vacation time. The easiest type of program to work with is one that lets you click on the day of the calendar where you want the other parent to have custody. This type of program actually saves you time.

Certain cases need certain features in their software. Some software lets you put time toward a third party--like daycare, school, or a grandparent. If this is a component that's important to you, find a program that lets you do it.

You can also find programs that allow you to create your entire agreement along with a calendar. With these you can add provisions and stipulations that print out with the calendar. That is nice for parents to see and think about, and it can also help the attorneys save time.

One very helpful feature that a custody program can do is calculate time-share and overnight percentages. These are the numbers that are used when determining child support--and they are also very difficult to figure out. No attorney or staff has the time to count the hours and days in a parenting plan to figure out this number. The computer can automatically keep track while you create the schedule. Parents also want this number because they want to make sure the child support is being calculated correctly. Also, it's handy to see the percentages because it gives the parents a good idea of how much time they have with the children.

Because there are so many programs available for creating parenting plans, you should be able to find one that fits your needs. Look around before you purchase one. It's always a good idea to give the software a trial run--and any program worth buying will let you have a free trial. Download a few until you find one that can help your family law case.

Mediation is the process in which parties attempt to settle and resolve disputes, divide property, and determine child custody issues using a Rhode Island Mediator.

The purpose of the mediation process is an attempt to curtail a long, contentious and expensive court battle in Rhode Island Family Court. A mediator is a neutral third party who seeks to facilitate a settlement or compromise rather than decide the case. Rhode Island Family Court Judges decide Cases. Rhode Island Divorce Lawyers advocate for their clients best interest and seek to get their client the best disposition possible.

Mediators are neutral and attempt to facilitate an agreement between the parties. A mediator is similar to a referee. A mediator seeks to facilitate creative solutions to problems, disputes and feuds. Mediation occurs in a Lawyers conference room not a courtroom and should be less stressful than a contested divorce or child custody battle.

Mediation should be less expensive than a litigated RI divorce. Mediation allows you to resolve your Divorce, Child Custody Dispute or Family Law Case on your schedule not the Courts schedule. Mediation is usually a lot less time consuming then a contested divorce. Mediation allows you to Come to a mutually agreed upon result rather than having a disposition forced upon you.

Mediation sessions could also occur in the middle of a RI Contested Divorce in which both parties have Rhode Island Divorce or Family Court Case or Family Lawyers representing them. The parties can meet with the mediator in the middle of the divorce and seek to obtain a compromise that the Lawyers / Attorneys were unable to achieve. In some divorce cases, it becomes increasingly obvious that it is the attorneys who are battling more than the clients and it is the attorneys who appear to need a "divorce".

The Rhode Island divorce process can be destructive to the children and the parties.

A contested divorce may involve endless posturing between the parties and attorneys in Family Court. There is often bickering and petty disputes that occurs in Providence, Kent, Washington and Newport Family Court. There is often endless waiting for a court hearing or trial that may never happen. There is often endless court dates, and nonstop continuances. The Divorce process can be a long, drawn out battle involving a massive amount of legal fees, countless court appearances and incredible amounts of stress.

Mediation allows the parties to skip the expensive and often stressful process of competing attorneys posturing to get leverage. Mediation is a way to avoid endless court appearances, endless continuances, waiting in Court

The Sad reality is that often the parties could have come up with the same resolution of their disputes at the beginning of the case through the mediation process without the huge combined legal bill, without the missed days of work and without the stress.

The Mediation Process can help parents learn how to co-parent and come up with a visitation schedule or custody plan on their own terms.

Many parties should at least try mediation as a way to attempt to settle their divorce on their own terms. Mediation allows parties to be invested in resolving their disputes rather than allowing the judge to make the decision.

Divorce is usually not a "win- loss" process. Rhode Island is an equitable division of assets state Therefore, no one usually completely "wins" in a Rhode Island divorce. A mediator can help the parties come to an equitable division of the Real Estate, Pensions, 401k, boats, cars, businesses, property, cd's, marital debts.

-Stop the Madness,
- End the "divorce war",
-Curtail out of control legal fees,
-Divorce with Dignity,
-Protect your Children from the adverse consequences of a contested divorce,
- Become invested in the process,

-At least attempt an amicable settlement before the Divorce battle begins.

If the parties cannot agree and are not willing to make at least some concessions to their positions / claims then mediation will probably not work. If the mediation is successful then Rhode Island Mediator David Slepkow will draft a memorandum of understanding or a Parenting plan.

Attorneys legal Notice per RI Rules of Professional Responsibility:

The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer or attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice.

Family law is the term given to the law practice area covered by a family attorney. The issues these lawyers mostly deal with involve legal relationships between and among spouses, children, and domestic partners. The lawyer who specializes in family laws need to have knowledge regarding a range of issues, right from child custody problems, visiting rights of a parent, domestic violence cases, divorce cases, issues involving juveniles, property rights, support obligations, foreign relatives to adoption rights. However, family law can vary from state to state.

In family law, the lawyers come across a number of different situations. In property division cases for example, the common understanding is court divides the property equally but, if you are in Texas, courts there believe in the "just and right" attitude. They weigh both the party's situation and rights and then they give away the final decision. Sometimes if there is an involvement of children, the property might be divided unequally. If the case at hand us about divorce, Texas courts would first resolve the issue on properties, child custody and support. This does not take a very long time, however, as these are done all at the same time. In lawyer speak, this is what they call as "no bifurcation".

There are many ways by which you can get in touch with a Texas family lawyer, the most common of which is online. There are a number of online directories that could give you contact details of family lawyers in your area. You can also ask for referrals from your family and friends.

When looking for a lawyer, you have to take into consideration several issues, one of which is the area of expertise of the lawyer. Check whether the lawyer you have in mind has a solid background in the area of your problem. Keep in mind that family lawyers can indulge in different types of cases. Do not be ashamed to ask them how long they have been practicing family law, and if he or she has handled a case similar to yours as well as what the outcome was. Check also what strategy they have in mind for your case. It is also advisable that you discuss financial matters with him or her before getting their services. This would include the mode of payment, hourly rates, and miscellaneous expenses (telephone calls, faxes, photocopies, etc.). That way, you have time to prepare yourself financially. Some lawyers would also allow you to negotiate directly with your spouse while some would even suggest that you undergo a marriage counselling first. You should also note where you could get in touch with them in cases of emergency.

There are many specialties in the legal world. Here is what family law experts cover.

Attorneys often specialize in one or more legal areas and one of those specialties is family law. Some other examples include criminal, DUI, business and tax, bankruptcy and the more personal legal issues which make up the arena of family law. If a person needs legal advice in dealing with issues pertaining to their children, spouse or parents, they should seek the advice of an expert who has experience dealing with families' concerns. Here are some of the more common cases that they work on:

- Divorce: When a marriage relationship has ended, legal actions must be taken in order to divide the assets, debts, and determine parental rights. Having competent advice during this life change can make or break a person's financial and emotional world for years to come.

- Legal Separation: A legal separation is very similar to a divorce except that the parties cannot remarry. Some couples choose this over a divorce because of health insurance, retirement benefits or property division issues. The financial lives of each person will be severed but other rights and obligations such as health and retirement benefits will be retained.

- Child Custody: A legal decision must be made after dissolution of marriage occurs regarding the caretakers of the union's children. Examples include joint or shared custody, custodial and visiting parent and even rights for grandparents.

- Child Support: Regardless of who has custody of the kids, both parents are responsible for their offspring's financial support until their brood reaches 18 years of age. Support obligations that are not voluntarily adhered to by either parent will need to be enforced by the courts.

- Adoption: When a couple or individual chooses to adopt a baby or children, this is a legal process that involves protecting the best interests of all parties concerned. The process needs be monitored and overseen by a family law attorney.

- Paternity rights and obligations: Legal help is sometimes necessary in order to give a father his rights to his children even if he is not married to the mother of his kids. Paternity issues also arise when an unmarried father is not assuming financial responsibility for his offspring and must be forced to do so by the court system.

- Juvenile court issues: If there are problems concerning the law with an adolescent, the legal system may step in to help alleviate or correct the problems.

- Foster care: When a child enters the foster care system, he or she will need the expert oversight and advice of a lawyer to make certain that the child is placed with a qualified foster family and that financial needs are taken care of.

Individuals and their relatives who need legal representation should go to the professionals. All of the above needs can be competently addressed by a good firm.