3/5/2023 0 Comments Ri public portal smart searchIf you pay attention to local news at all (let’s be honest- just go on Facebook and you can see it), you know that DCYF is under some pretty serious investigation. Office of the Child Advocate (OCA): This, my friends, is an agency that just may be your best friend if your child has been brought into the toxic swamp for any number of reasons. What if your court date was moved? What if the opposing counsel is trying to put you in contempt? WHAT IF you just started dating someone, they seem absolutely perfect and not crazy at all, but you type in their name in the portal and 37 cases come up against them with an enormous criminal record?! People: Be smart, be safe. Why do you need access to this? Well, if you have an ongoing case, it’s probably helpful to know ANY of these things. If you are at home doing this, you won’t be able to see the actual documents if you need these documents, go down to the courthouse (2 nd floor in Providence), access the same public portal, and you’ll be able to see (almost) every motion and order entered in any case – exactly as it was entered into the system after the judge signed it. It still amazes me that most people don’t even know that this resource exists anyone with access to the internet can look up any person, any case, and see any charges against them or case they may be involved in, who else is involved, what that person may or may not have done, the attorneys and judges assigned to the case, every single motion filed, and order entered, every court date scheduled for each case. Within the last year or so the state has made this public portal much easier and user-friendly. RI Judiciary Website: I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH: go to this website and read everything you can about everything!!!! Then: go to Public Resources > Public eService Access and use Smart Search. You might not like or agree with their advice, but chances are they are right. Your attorney might be an absolute angel that actually advocates and fights for you they might be a total pain in the maybe they make snarky comments you don’t particularly appreciate maybe they are overloaded with cases and can’t remember each detail of yours (but they will). Step 3: LISTEN to your attorney they went to law school. If you can’t afford one, try to see if you’re eligible for a court-appointed one. Remember: if the opposing party has an attorney, YOU NEED AN ATTORNEY. Step 2: Pick a few of your top choices and meet with them most offer free one-time consultations. Take a look at the attorney’s website, reviews, research their reputation, ask around. Your Attorney: As stated in some of our previous blog posts, do your research and find the right attorney for you. Take a look at some of these resources that can actually be quite helpful to you. If you’re new to the swamp: Welcome! It sucks. Family Court changes all the time, as do some of these resources. If you’re stuck in the swamp and you’ve been through all these resources, or think you have, look into them again.
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