Looking for Rhode Island‘s rules on marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support? Want to find Rhode Island‘s state court forms and instructions and local court websites? Here’s where to start. For a wide range of other articles on family law in Rhode Island, see the Resources by State section on this site.
Marriage Rules in Rhode Island
Requirements: No blood test required. You must be of the age of consent, not be too closely related to your intended spouse, not be married to anyone else, and have sufficient mental capacity, meaning you understand what you are doing when you marry. You can marry immediately after your marriage license is issued, and your license is good for three months. For more details, check your county clerk’s office.
Common law marriage: Yes. A couple must intend to be married, live together for a significant period of time, and hold themselves out as a married couple.
Community property: No.
Same-sex marriage: No. However, same-sex couples in Rhode Island can enter into civil unions that come with the rights and responsibilities of marriage under state law.
Rhode Island Divorce Rules
Grounds for divorce: Fault or no-fault grounds are allowed, or you can base your divorce on the fact that you’ve been separated from your spouse for at least three years.
Residency requirement: At least one spouse must be a resident of Rhode Island for one year before filing for divorce.
How property is divided: Equitable division.
Child Custody Rules in Rhode Island
Child custody guidelines: Rhode Island courts begin with a presumption that it’s best for a child to have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after a divorce. If possible, judges want to support joint custody arrangements.
Rhode Island Child Support Rules
Child support guidelines: Rhode Island requires all parents to support their children. The amount of child support depends primarily on each parent’s income and other resources and how much time each parent spends with the children.
Child support calculators to determine state guidelines: www.alllaw.com/calculators/childsupport/rhode_island.
State child support enforcement agency: Office of Child Support Services, www.cse.ri.gov.
Rhode Island Courts and Family Law Resources
Rhode Island court information and family law forms: www.dcyf.ri.gov.
Family services section of Rhode Island website: www.courts.ri.gov.
