A Rhode Island domestic partnership or cohabitation agreement can make thing easier when a relationship ends by predefining a fair property settlement agreement and defining how child custody and visitation will be handled.
Providence family lawyer Stephen Linder helps couples establish the legal foundation for the joint ownership of property and responsibility for assets and debt. To schedule a consultation with Mr. Linder, call (401) 521-6800 or contact our Providence law office online.
Since the change in Rhode Island family law to allow same-sex marriage, fewer people are creating domestic partnership (or cohabitation) agreements. And yet these types of agreements can be as valuable for opposite-sex couples as they were for same-sex couples.
Rhode Island is a common law marriage state. If you hold yourself out to the community in a manner that leads reasonable people to believe you are married, the court may consider you married. This would give you have the same rights and obligations as people in a traditional marriage, including the need to legally divide property and establish fair child custody, visitation, and child support arrangements when the relationship ends.
When determining whether a relationship qualifies as a common law marriage, the Court looks at a number of different factors:
Non-biological parents who have lived with a child for a long time may wish to assert a right to visitation, or even child custody, after their relationship with the biological parent ends. Such parents are called 'de facto parents' or 'psychological parents' because they have a significant bond with the child and have acted as a parent to the child.
Our law firm is familiar with this evolving area of the law. If you have been the de facto parent in a child's life, we may be able to help you bring your claim for continued contact with the child to court.
If you have questions regarding domestic partnership or cohabitation agreements, Please contact us today to discuss your specific needs and concerns.