Rhode Island Divorce Laws
Divorces from the bond of marriage shall also be decreed for the following causes:
(1) Impotency;
(2) Adultery;
(3) Extreme cruelty;
(4) Willful desertion for five (5) years of either of the parties, or for willful desertion for a shorter period of time in the discretion of the court;
(5) Continued drunkenness;
(6) The habitual, excessive, and intemperate use of opium, morphine, or chloral;
(7) Neglect and refusal, for the period of at least one year next before the filing of the petition, on the part of the husband to provide necessaries for the subsistence of his wife, the husband being of sufficient ability; and
(8) Any other gross misbehavior and wickedness, in either of the parties, repugnant to and in violation of the marriage covenant.
(b) Final judgment shall not be entered until the expiration of twenty (20) days after entry of the judgment pending final judgment or, if the time for taking an appeal has been extended pursuant to Rule 4 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure, Article I, Rule 4 of the Supreme Court Rules, until the expiration of the extended period.
(c) Final judgment may be entered ex parte and in chamber on the suggestion of the prevailing party.
(d) If no final judgment is presented to the court for entry within thirty (30) days next after the expiration of twenty (20) days from the date of decision, after this a final judgment may be entered only in open court and on motion.
(e) Notice of the filing of the motion shall not be required in cases in which the original petition is unanswered.
(f) The taking of an appeal shall operate as a stay of the judgment during the pendency of the appeal. Upon motion and for good cause shown:
(1) The family court may, prior to the filing of a notice of appeal, order that the judgment become final and operative immediately; and
(2) The supreme court may, in the event an appeal is taken, vacate the automatic stay provided under this section.
§ 15-5-3.1 Divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences.
(a) A divorce from the bonds of matrimony shall be decreed, irrespective of the fault of either party, on the ground of irreconcilable differences which have caused the irremediable breakdown of the marriage.
(b) In any pleading or hearing for divorce under this section, allegations or evidence of specific acts of misconduct shall be improper and inadmissible, except for the purpose of making a determination pursuant to §§ 15-5-16 and 15-5-16.1, or where child custody is in issue and the evidence is relevant to establish that parental custody would be detrimental to the child, or at a hearing where it is determined by the court to be necessary to establish the existence of irreconcilable differences.
(c) Upon hearing of an action for divorce under this section, the acts of one party shall not negate the acts of the other nor bar the divorce decree.
§ 15-5-12 Domicile and residence requirements.
(a) No complaint for divorce from the bond of marriage shall be granted unless the plaintiff has been a domiciled inhabitant of this state and has resided in this state for a period of one year next before the filing of the complaint; provided, that if the defendant has been a domiciled inhabitant of this state and has resided in this state for the period of one year next before the filing of the complaint, and is actually served with process, the requirement of this subsection as to domicile and residence on the part of the plaintiff is deemed satisfied and fulfilled. The residence and domicile of any person immediately prior to the commencement of his or her active service as a member of the armed forces or of the merchant marine of the United States, or immediately prior to his or her absence from the state in the performance of services in connection with military operations as defined in subsection (c) of this section, shall, for the purposes of this section, continue to be his or her residence and domicile during the time of his or her service and for a period of thirty (30) days after this. Testimony to prove domicile and residence may be received through the ex parte affidavit of one witness.
(b) Every word importing the masculine gender only shall be construed in this section to extend to and include females as well as males.
(c) The term “services in connection with military operations” shall be construed in this section to include persons serving with the American Red Cross, the Society of Friends, the Women’s Auxiliary Service Pilots, and the United Service Organizations.
§ 15-5-13 Venue.
(a) All complaints for divorce from the bond of marriage and from bed and board and complaints for relief without commencement of divorce proceedings shall be filed in the county in which the plaintiff is residing, unless the complaint is based upon the residence of the defendant, in which case the complaint shall be filed in Providence County or in the county in which the defendant resides.
(b) All complaints for divorce from the bond of marriage and from bed and board and complaints for relief without commencement of divorce proceedings may be tried and heard in the county in which the plaintiff resides, unless the complaint is based upon the residence of the defendant, in which case the complaint may be heard and tried in Providence County or in the county in which the defendant resides. In the interest of convenience, the court may, with the consent of the chief judge of the family court or any associate justice designated by him or her and the parties, order any such actions transferred to another county.
(c) The chief judge of the family court, or his or her designee, in accordance with the provisions of the Family Court Act, § 8-10-14, may order any complaint for divorce from the bond of marriage and from bed and board and complaints for relief without commencement of divorce proceedings to be transferred to Providence County for trial on the merits should it be determined by the trial judge in the county in which the action was originally brought that the trial would require a minimum of three (3) court days for testimony. Any complaint, which is transferred under this section, shall have priority on the trial calendar in Providence County.
Child Custody and Visitation Law
§ 15-5-19 Restraining orders – Treatment for harmed or menaced spouse – Custody of children – Allowances – Alimony and counsel fees. (ABBREVIATED)
(d) In regulating the custody of the children, the court shall provide for the reasonable right of visitation by the natural parent not having custody of the children except upon the showing of cause as to why the right should not be granted. The court shall mandate compliance with its orders by both the custodial parent and the children. In the event of noncompliance, the non-custodial parent may file a motion for contempt in family court. Upon a finding by the court that its order for visitation has not been complied with, the court shall exercise its discretion in providing a remedy, and define the non-custodial parent’s visitation in detail. However, if a second finding of noncompliance by the court is made, the court shall consider this to be grounds for a change of custody to the non-custodial parent.
(e) In all hearings regarding denial of visitation, the court shall make findings of fact.
§ 15-5-16 Alimony and counsel fees – Custody of children. (ABBREVIATED)
(a) In granting any petition for divorce, divorce from bed and board, or relief without the commencement of divorce proceedings, the family court may order either of the parties to pay alimony or counsel fees, or both, to the other.
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(d) In regulating the custody of the children, the court shall provide for the reasonable right of visitation by the natural parent not having custody of the children, except upon the showing of cause why the right should not be granted. The court shall mandate compliance with its order by both the custodial parent and the children. In the event of noncompliance, the noncustodial parent may file a motion for contempt in family court. Upon a finding by the court that its order for visitation has not been complied with, the court shall exercise its discretion in providing a remedy, and define the noncustodial parent’s visitation in detail. However, if a second finding of noncompliance by the court is made, the court shall consider this to be grounds for a change of custody to the noncustodial parent.
(2) In regulating the custody and determining the best interests of children, the fact that a parent is receiving public assistance shall not be a factor in awarding custody.
(3) A judicial determination that the child has been physically or sexually abused by the natural parent shall constitute sufficient cause to deny the right of visitation. However, when the court enters an order denying visitation under this section, it shall review the case at least annually to determine what, if any, action the parent has taken to rehabilitate himself or herself and whether the denial of visitation continues to be in the child’s best interests.
(4) The court may order a natural parent who has been denied the right of visitation due to physical or sexual abuse of his or her child to engage in counseling. The failure of the parent to engage in counseling, ordered by the court pursuant to this section, shall constitute sufficient cause to deny visitation.
(e) In all hearings regarding denial of visitation, the court shall make findings of fact.
(f) This chapter does not affect the right of the family court to award alimony or support pendente lite.
(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and § 15-5-19, the court, when making decisions regarding child custody and visitation, shall consider evidence of past or present domestic violence. Where domestic violence is proven, any grant of visitation shall be arranged so as to best protect the child and the abused parent from further harm.
(2) In addition to other factors that a court must consider in a proceeding in which the court has made a finding of domestic or family violence, the court shall consider as primary the safety and well-being of the child and of the parent who is the victim of domestic or family violence. The court shall also consider the perpetrator’s history of causing physical harm, bodily injury or assault to another person.
Property Division
§ 15-5-16.1 Assignment of property.
(a) In addition to or in lieu of an order to pay spousal support made pursuant to a complaint for divorce, the court may assign to either the husband or wife a portion of the estate of the other. In determining the nature and value of the property, if any, to be assigned, the court after hearing the witnesses, if any, of each party shall consider the following:
(1) The length of the marriage;
(2) The conduct of the parties during the marriage;
(3) The contribution of each of the parties during the marriage in the acquisition, preservation, or appreciation in value of their respective estates;
(4) The contribution and services of either party as a homemaker;
(5) The health and age of the parties;
(6) The amount and sources of income of each of the parties;
(7) The occupation and employability of each of the parties;
(8) The opportunity of each party for future acquisition of capital assets and income;
(9) The contribution by one party to the education, training, licensure, business, or increased earning power of the other;
(10) The need of the custodial parent to occupy or own the marital residence and to use or own its household effects taking into account the best interests of the children of the marriage;
(11) Either party’s wasteful dissipation of assets or any transfer or encumbrance of assets made in contemplation of divorce without fair consideration; and
(12) Any factor which the court shall expressly find to be just and proper.
(b) The court may not assign property or an interest in property held in the name of one of the parties if the property was held by the party prior to the marriage, but may assign income which has been derived from the property during the term of the marriage, and the court may assign the appreciation of value from the date of the marriage of property or an interest in property which was held in the name of one party prior to the marriage which increased in value as a result of the efforts of either spouse during the marriage. The court also shall not assign property or an interest in property which has been transferred to one of the parties by inheritance before, during, or after the term of the marriage. The court shall not assign property or an interest in property which has been transferred to one of the parties by gift from a third party before, during, or after the term of the marriage.
(c) The assignment of property, if any, to be made shall precede the award of alimony, since the needs of each party will be affected by the assignment of property, and once made in a final decree shall be final, subject only to any right of appeal which the parties may have. Any assignment made by the family court shall be regarded as a judgment for debt so that suit may be brought or execution may issue on the debt for the property due and undelivered, or the amount due and unpaid to be shown by affidavits of the person entitled to the property and the attorney of record of the person, the executions to run against the goods and chattels of the husband and wife, as the case may be; and the court may make all necessary orders and decrees concerning the suits or executions.
Legal Notice per Rules of Professional Responsibility: The Rhode Island Supreme Court licenses all lawyers and attorneys in the general practice of law, but does not license or certify any lawyer / attorney as an expert or specialist in any field of practice
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