ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
I left my husband in 1997 and we have been separated since. Do I still have to file for divorce or after so many years?

ATTORNEY ANSWER:
Yes, you absolutely need to file for divorce. Only a governmental entity like the State Government can actually grant a divorce. While you may be separated and “De Facto” divorced, you are still officially married. You still share your income, assets and debts together. You or your spouse can make a claim for contribution towards debts incurred while separated or a claim towards assets you may have created during the separation.

Rhode Island family law and divorce lawyer Attorney Heberg serves individuals and families in the Providence, RI region including Cranston, Coventry, Cumberland, East Greenwich, East Providence, Johnston, Lincoln, North Kingstown, North Providence, Pawtucket, Riverside, Smithfield, Warwick, West Warwick, Warren, Woonsocket, Bristol and Barrington, Rhode Island.