Family Law

All Rhode Island Divorce Attorneys and Family Law Lawyers are NOT created equal!

Why?  Let me explain.

The yellow pages and the internet are littered with advertisements for lawyers offering divorce services.

But the Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses ALL attorneys in the general practice of law. 

The Rhode Island Supreme Court doesn't license attorneys in specific areas of practice.

Yet don't you want a lawyer that knows the ins and outs of Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law?

So how do you find an attorney who really knows what they are doing in Rhode Island Divorce and Family law?

Well, it's not as easy as you might think because the attorney has done one of two things when he or she advertises. The attorney has either (1) simply included "Divorce and Family Law" as a category he or she will take cases in because the more categories you include the more likely you are to get calls from prospective clients, OR (2) the Rhode Island Attorney has included "Divorce and Family Law" because he or she has truly taken the time and effort to focus his or her practice in that specific area of law.

It's the second class of attorneys that you truly want to locate and interview for your Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Attorney.

This introduction is certainly not intended to discourage you. It is intended to inform you so that you can make the best choice that suits your needs.

Its can be a tough search because any lawyers who offers a legal service may or may not be skilled in it! That is something you need to find out in the interview process.

For instance, I am not certified as a Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Lawyer by the Rhode Island Supreme court. Why is that? Because no attorney is! We are all licensed as general practitioners here in Rhode Island.

So how can someone legitimately offer services as a Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Lawyer to the public if they've got nothing else to show for it except their license to practice law generally in Rhode Island? The answer is . . . they just can! Plain and simple! Divorce is an area of law and they have a license to practice in any area of law so nothing prevents them from advertising that they do so.

So, in otherwords, if someone advertises they are a Divorce Lawyer, Personal Injury Lawyer, Estates Lawyer, etc.... then it's something they've self-proclaimed. It's an area of law they've decided to practice in . . so they put it in their advertisement.

Now for the million dollar question.  What makes me any different, right?  Well, the answer itself is odder than most.

Like most other attorneys who I consider true Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Attorneys, I have chosen specifically to practice in this area of law. I've kept up with the law and it's rulings and I practice in the Rhode Island Family Court System on a weekly....if not daily basis.

This is what makes a "Divorce" attorney truly different from any "Divorce" advertisement that may be out there. A true Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Attorney will practice regularly before the Rhode Island Family Courts and will make it their business to keep up to date on family law rulings, court orders, etc...

One thing my clients find interesting about me is that "I tell it like it is." I don't sugar coat anything and I don't try to drag their matter out. I want it resolved as favorable to my client as possible and as fast as possible.

I met with a prospective client at the end of 2007 and told him that. He thought I was handing him a "line" just to get his business. Here's the response that followed:

Potential Client:   Yeah, sure.

Attorney Pearsall:  You don't believe me do you?

Potential Client:  It's just that no lawyer really does that.  They spin it out to make more money.

Attorney Pearsall: Well, I'm sorry you feel that way and it may be true of other lawyers but it's not true of me. If you knew me you'd understand.

Potential Client:  Well what is so different about you that I should believe you.

Attorney Pearsall:  If it makes a difference. . . I hate family law and dislike lawyers even more.

Potential Client:  That doesn't make any sense.  Why do you practice family law then?

Attorney Pearsall: To make a long story short, I attended the seminary to become a priest in my early years but left when I realized I wanted a family. So I got married, went through a terrible divorce, was held in contempt, went bankrupt, got laid off from my job of 10 years, sacrificed my house and just about everything I owned for the sake of my children and later became a lawyer. The divorce experience affected me so profoundly that I swore I'd never practice divorce or family law.

Potential Client:  Okay.  So why are you practicing in it?

Attorney Pearsall: I searched for a job for months. The only thing I could find was a position as an independent contractor paying very little money. So I picked up a few of my own clients here and there and I worked on a project basis as an independent contractor. Just about every project was a divorce or family law issue. I fell into it by necessity and I had to put food on the table.

Potential Client:  So why are you still practicing in it if you hate it?

Attorney Pearsall: Well, after you do things over and over again you get good at them. I disliked it but here I am with my colleagues telling me that I'm really good at it. I started to become known for it.

Potential Client:  So it's because you were stuck with it.

Attorney Pearsall: No, it was because I got good at it. I'd already been through my own divorce and I could truly understand client's concerns and emotions. I began caring about what my clients were going through and I began working harder for my clients because of it.

Potential Client:  So do you consider yourself a Rhode Island Divorce attorney?

Attorney Pearsall: Absolutely. I keep up with the law in the area but I keep focused on my client's legal and non-legal needs. I think this desire to help people and do the right thing came from my seminary days, and for that I am extremely thankful.

Potential Client:  So what makes you so different?

Attorney Pearsall: If you need a Rhode Island Divorce and Family Law Lawyer, that's the majority of my law practice. I'm not a newbie right out of law school without any practical skills. I know what I'm doing. And...I care about my clients because I've walked in their shoes. I'm here to help people through the process and let them know they have me on their side to shield them from the anxiety and stress. In my opinion there's a big difference between an attorney who practices family law and one who has actually lived it. I've lived it and practiced it. If you haven't lived it you just can't appreciate the client's situation enough to care about the client. Sometimes that caring is what gives me the edge to win a case for the client.

Authored by:

Christopher A. Pearsall, Esquire
PEARSALL LAW ASSOCIATES
571 Pontiac Avenue
Cranston, RI  02910
Phone:  (401) 354-2369

NOTE:  The postings on this website are NOT legal advice, DO NOT create an attorney/client relationship and are NOT a substitute for a detailed consultation with an attorney experienced in the state where you have your legal issue.  This site is presented for the convenience of the internet public.

* The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers in the general practice of law and has no procedure for recognition of specialty in any area of law.