Family Law

• Divorce
  Contested and Uncontested Divorce. In contested divorces, the parties are adversarial, they cannot agree to a separation agreement. In uncontested divorces, the parties agree to all matters and present an executed separation agreement to the court for approval.
• Child Support
  Child Support. Court-ordered payments from the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent that are not tax-deductible by the non-custodial parent, nor includable in the custodial parent's taxable income.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  In divorce, forensic accountants are used to value marital assets, and forensic psychiatrists/psychologists are used in custody and visitation cases. Although many experts are competent, few have courtroom, i.e., forensic experience. Make sure counsel prepares your forensic expert for a rigorous cross-examination.
• Adoption
• Paternity
• Premarital Agreement
  Postnuptial Agreement. Same as a prenuptial agreement, but entered during the term of the marriage, often revising a prenuptial agreement.
• Spousal Support
  Alimony. Court-ordered spousal support, usually periodic payments, but sometimes paid in a lump sum as part of a marital agreement. See Rehabilitative Alimony and Temporary Support.
• Legal Separation
  Legal Separation; Separate Support; Separate Maintenance. Available in some states, including Rhode Island, a legal separation is similar to a divorce, except no divorce judgment is granted that ends the marriage.
• Annulment
  Annulment. The court’s judgment that a so-called “marriage” was never legally valid or became invalid after the marriage.
• Child Abuse
  In cases of child abuse, and in highly contested custody proceedings where the parties can’t communicate, sole legal custody may be granted to one parent, usually subject to visitation or supervised visitation. If parents with joint legal custody cannot agree about a major decision, then the court makes the decision. Courts often defer to the custodial parent, i.e., the parent with primary physical custody.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  The firm offers a multitude of legal services in the area of Family Law as well as Personal Injury, Criminal Law and Probate matters.
• DUI/DWI
• Restraining Order
  Attachments are issued by courts to preserve marital assets. An important adjunct to restraining orders, they are used if there is a substantial risk that a restraining order would be violated. For instance, if the marital home is in the husband’s name, and he decides to sell the house despite a restraining order, the attachment puts the world on notice that any purchaser would be subject to the wife’s rights. Obviously, no buyer would buy nor lender lend under these circumstances. Most orders of attachment are issued ex parte (see below).
• Kidnapping
  The federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act requires states to cooperate with each other in returning children kidnapped by a parent. The United States, along with approximately 35 other countries, are signatories to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. This treaty is similar to federal law except it is limited to signatory countries.

Employment Law

• Wrongful Termination

Property Law

• Land Use and Zoning

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Attorney Graziano has successfully tried many cases before juries in the Superior Court and has extensive experience in the areas of personal injury litigation, probate practice, District Court, Traffic Court defense, and municipal law. Also, Attorney Graziano has represented clients at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Department of Labor and Training and other state agencies.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy