Attorney Christopher A. Pearsall

The economy nationwide is taking everyone by storm including Rhode Island lawyers.

Many lawyers who do not regularly practice divorce and actually focus on other aspects of law such as criminal law, real estate law, estate practice, and tenant evictions for landlords are finding that their market for clients is far from great.  So, being lawyers, and having an instinct for survival they often choose survival over closing their practice.  Too many of them are choosing to branch out into areas of law that they are unfamiliar with.  This is a danger that is ever present to those trying to hire a lawyer.

Lawyers in Rhode Island are licensed in the general practice of law and therefore they can practice any type of law that their license allows them to practice even if they have no knowledge or experience in it.

I have found that even while some long term Rhode Island divorce practitioners are having difficulty finding clients in an economy where people are trying to represent themselves, that real estate lawyers, estate planning lawyers and other lawyers with differing experience are now jumping into divorce practice in the hope of bringing in a few dollars.

This poses a potential threat to clients who want to hire a practitioner who knows what they are doing and is not going to be learning "on their dime" what to do.

A client's biggest nightmare may be to realize that the lawyer they hired for their divorce is actually only experienced in landlord-tenant law or real estate.  The last thing you want to discover as a client is to find out that the attorney you hired has taken on your case which is out of his or her league.

A word to the wise prospective client.  Find a lawyer who regularly practices family law at least a few times per month in the family courts and has been doing so for 3 to 4 years.  If you have a divorce and divorce is not one of the lawyer's top fields of focus, then move on ... and interview another lawyer no matter how good the financial offer you are given may seem.  

A single dollar you pay to an inexperienced practitioner or one who doesn't know the field at all is a wasted dollar.  Better to spend 5 dollars on a lawyer who knows what to do in your case than to waste 2 dollars on a lawyer who has no clue what they are doing on your case.

All My Best to You in Your Journey Through the RI Family Court,
Attorney Christopher A. Pearsall "The Rhode Island Divorce Coach"

Serving Kent County, Providence County, Washington (South) County, and Newport Counties in divorce and family law practice for over 12 years.

Call me now at (401) 632-6976 for a relatively cheap legal advice session so that you know your legal rights BEFORE you act!

Rhode Island Divorce Question from Maralyn

Question from Maralyn:  

Attorney Pearsall, I've called six (6) divorce lawyers.  I told each of them that I have a simple divorce.  My husband and I agree on everything about our kids and that we have no assets or debts. None of the divorce lawyers would give me a straight answer on what it would cost for my simple divorce.  What's the problem?

Answer to Maralyn:

Keep in mind that when you call a divorce lawyer you are asking a legal professional to give you a price for his or her services based upon how much time he or she will spend on your case and how much time the lawyer will have to spend on your case.  You are asking for this price without the divorce attorney being able to sit with you, hear about your marriage, ask all the important questions divorce lawyers ask, and allow the divorce attorney to evaluate whether in his or her professional judgment if it truly is a "simple" divorce.

Some attorneys will quote you a retainer and an hourly rate they use for all clients.  Other divorce lawyers in Rhode Island will quote you a flate rate.  Experienced divorce lawyers usually don't quote a flat rate simply by a telephone call because they may force themselves into a situation where your divorce gets out of control and require countless court appearances, arguments, motions, discovery, and other documents despite what you may both have thought was a "simple" divorce.  In the end the lawyer could end up making minimum wage on your case or worse.... take a loss.

Remember what you are asking for is not something on a menu like ordering a burger and fries at McDonalds.  Every divorce is different. 19 out 20 people who have asked me for these quotes and I can't give it to them.  Quotes for legal cases are based on the amount of time a lawyer expects to spend on a case and how difficult it will be.

You're having so much difficulty because you're thinking its easy to give you a price and that we all have price rates for simple and uncontested divorce based on how many kids you have, assets you have, or issues you have.  It doesn't work that way.  Divorce lawyers don't have check lists that we can go through and know how much time your case may take.

Honestly, it's not realistic to call and get a set rate from an attorney on the total cost of your divorce over the phone.  That would be similar to telling an electrician that you simply need your entire house rewired and asking the electrician to give you a total price over the phone for his services.  To expect that the electrician could give you such a price without looking over the situation at length and give you a quote after asking the pertinent questions and analyzing the situation, right?  Then how can you expect a Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer to do anything different?

This is precisely why I require a 1 hour Session with each person who comes to me for $135.00 to cover my time and expenses and then provide a quote specific to each person based upon that meeting within a day or two after that meeting.  Every case is different, so every quote is different.  It's just common sense..  

It makes me wonder why other attorneys haven't been doing this.  Seems as though I am the only Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer who has made this logical leap in the best interests of my clients.

All in all I hope this answers your question Maralyn.  There usually is no "one size fits all" price for a Simple Rhode Island Divorce... and if you do get one, it may be the best price... but what are the lawyer's qualifications.  Finding the cheapest lawyer isn't always the best thing for anyone.

Caveat Emptor!  Let the buyer beware!

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!!

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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.  There is no recognition for specialization of attorneys in any area of law.

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