According to a news advisory from the RI Judiciary, the Family Court will be the first in the Rhode Island Judiciary to launch a service known as “Guide & File” for self-represented litigants and other users of the Judiciary’s electronic case filing system. Guide & File is a web-based electronic tool that enables litigants to create legible legal documents for specific types of case filings from any computer having internet access at any time.
The Family Court will offer the service as a pilot program to assist parties involved in basic divorce proceedings to generate the two documents that are needed to finalize a divorce: a decision pending entry of final judgment and a final judgment. Oftentimes, self-represented litigants are uncertain of what must be included in these required documents. The new service will help them through the confusion. At present, the service is not offered as a way to initiate divorce proceedings.
Guide & File, which is a Tyler Technologies product, is accessible on www.courts.ri.gov in the Self-help Center, on the Family Court’s home page, and on the Family Court’s Virtual Clerk’s Office page, which includes an explanation of the service. If you have any questions, please click here to be directed to the Guide & File help center.
According to an email from RI Superior Court Presiding Justice Alice B. Gibney, the Superior Court will conduct Settlement Week in the Frank Licht Judicial Complex during the week of December 14, 2020 from Monday through Wednesday.
During the uncertainty of the ongoing health pandemic, and the potential for changes to courthouse protocols to ensure the safety of all, we must make accommodations for different approaches to accomplish our hearings. Please review the Mediation Form carefully and note that all information must be complete and accurate in order to schedule a matter. Forms must be electronically filed no later than October 31, 2020; please use the code “Mediation Submission Form” (or “Mediation Summary” as applicable) when filing and indicate in the comment box if you are filing for the Plaintiff or Defendant.
Cases that are not properly submitted will not be scheduled for mediation. Should you have any questions please contact Mary Smith in the Arbitration Office at 401-222-6147.