Meeting The Diverse Legal Needs Of Individuals And Families In Rhode Island
Divorce • Estate Planning And Probate • Personal Injury • Criminal Defense
The Law Office of Douglas H. Smith takes pride in being responsive to the legal needs of its clients. While the firm has an extensive business law , real estate and construction law practice, it also provides a variety of legal services to individuals and families.
There is no need to look elsewhere for trustworthy and dedicated legal representation. Contact the Providence Law Office of Douglas H. Smith to speak with an attorney about any of the following legal matters:
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As a result, the wife received 100 percent of the equity in the marital residence and all of her ex-husband’s IRAs and retirement accounts. |
Divorce And Marital Property Settlements
Rhode Island divorce lawyer Douglas Smith is particularly skilled with the valuation of businesses, pension plans, and 401(K) distributions, as well as the division of more common marital assets. Building upon the firm’s extensive experience with family-owned businesses, the Law Office of Douglas H. Smith is well prepared to help with complex marital property division that can accompany the divorce of a couple with a business in common.
Concerned that your former spouse has not been honest about assets and business income? The firm is prepared to uncover the financial facts by tracing assets and reviewing business records to discover undisclosed income.
Foreclosure And Loan Modifications
Our firm represents and assists clients facing foreclosure or bankruptcy in matters related to loan modifications, lien stripping and foreclosures . If you have a second mortgage on your home, you may be able to “strip down” your second mortgage and have it discharged as unsecured debt under current bankruptcy laws. If you are facing foreclosure, there are a number of legal and financial issues you should be aware of in dealing with your lender. As your attorney, Douglas H. Smith can help you through the process and ensure your rights and prerogatives are protected.
Elder Law, Estate Planning, And Probate
If you have a car, a home and a bank account, you need a will. If you have children and/or substantial assets, you should consider a more comprehensive estate plan that may include a trust. The Law Office of Douglas H. Smith works with clients to develop estate plans that meet their unique family needs. That often includes:
- A will, a trust or a living trust (a trust avoids the costly and time consuming process of probate and can shelter your assets from excess taxation)
- A health care proxy (this designates a trusted person to make medical decision for you when you cannot)
- An advanced health care directive (sometimes called a “living will,” this document expresses your health care wishes for your family’s and doctor’s information should you become incapacitated)
In addition, the firm litigates contested wills and deeds. Attorney Douglas H. Smith has the extensive litigation experience and skill to effectively argue these cases in court.
Personal Injury
Early in his law career, attorney Douglas H. Smith worked as an insurance defense attorney. This provided invaluable experience in trial and negotiation, and also allows him to understand how insurance companies value personal injury cases and choose when to settle or to fight.
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Attorney Smith represented a 32 year-old father of two who had suffered a soft tissue injury as a result of a motor vehicle collision. After obtaining $100,000 from the other motorist’s insurance (the policy limit), the firm obtained an additional $25,000 for the driver from his own under-insured motorist policy. |
The firm represents injured people seeking compensation for personal injuries in car accidents, truck wrecks, taxi accidents, bus collisions and mass transit (RIPTA) accidents, as well as in premises liability cases. Contact the Law Office of Douglas H. Smith if you have suffered a back, hip, wrist, arm or other injury in a motor vehicle accident or from a fall on a poorly maintained property, in a stairwell or staircase or in an elevator or escalator accident.
Criminal Defense
Attorney Smith represents clients facing criminal charges for nonviolent and white-collar offenses such as drunk driving, embezzlement, forgery, insurance fraud, bank fraud, benefits fraud, Internet fraud, credit card fraud and identity theft.
Jurisdictional Disputes
In civil and criminal law matters, jurisdictional issues can arise when Rhode Island attempts to exert its prerogative in trying a case in a Rhode Island venue. In family law matters, especially in cases involving child custody,
disputes can arise that are affected by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). Our office has the knowledge and experience to handle jurisdictional disputes in both state and federal cases. We have had success in having cases dismissed in Rhode Island as well as success in having them transferred to our client’s home jurisdiction.