Jane Fearing Howlett

Jane Fearing Howlett is a Bristol, Rhode Island attorney whose practice is centered on family law. She handles divorce, contested child custody, child support, DCYF and juvenile matters, and mediation, along with selected estate planning, probate, landlord-tenant, personal injury, and criminal matters. Her family law work draws on more than three decades of regular practice before the Rhode Island Family Court.

Howlett graduated from Providence College in 1983 and earned her J.D. from the University of Bridgeport School of Law in 1987. She is licensed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Her legal education, combined with long service in family court matters, supports a practice that requires careful analysis of custody, support, domestic relations procedure, and the practical consequences of family transitions.

Howlett has served as Chief Municipal Court Judge for the Town of Bristol since 2006 and has chaired the Family Court Bench Bar Committee since 2004. She has also participated in the Domestic Relations Rules Committee, Permanency Committee, and Rhode Island Child Support Guideline Taskforce. These roles complement her client work in divorce, custody, support, juvenile matters, and family dispute resolution.

Jane Fearing Howlett has remained active in Rhode Island legal and judicial organizations while continuing a substantial family law practice. Howlett is a Fellow of the Rhode Island Bar Foundation and has frequently participated in continuing legal education programs. Her combination of courtroom experience, committee service, and municipal judicial work informs her approach to complex family matters that require procedural knowledge and practical judgment.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Howlett Law Offices
• Member, Rhode Island Bar Association
• Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
• Chairperson, Family Court Bench Bar Committee (2004 – Present)
• Fellow, Rhode Island Bar Foundation
• Chief Municipal Court Judge, Town of Bristol (2006-Present)
• Member, Committee to rewrite the Domestic Relations Rules of Procedure
• Member, Permanency Committee
• Member, Rhode Island Child Support Guideline Taskforce

Licensed State

• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts

Awards & Badges