Overview
East Greenwich, Rhode Island, is one of New England’s smaller county seats, serving as the governmental center of Kent County with a population under 14,000, yet the town hosts an active real estate market anchored by its waterfront access to Greenwich Cove and its location along the western shore of Narragansett Bay. D’Ellena Law Office has been part of the East Greenwich legal landscape since 1974, when Carmine J. D’Ellena founded the practice as a general law office. Over the following decades the firm shifted its focus toward real estate transactions, estate planning, and probate administration, building relationships with lenders, real estate agents, and title professionals across Rhode Island.
The firm is located at 700 Main Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818, and can be reached by phone at (401) 885-3800. The website is https://www.dellenalaw.com/ The firm includes eight attorneys and has received a Distinguished rating from Martindale-Hubbell as of 2026, a designation indicating peer recognition for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Practice Areas
Real Estate Law and Conveyancing
Real estate law is the central focus of D’Ellena Law Office. The firm handles residential real estate transactions from contract through closing, including the review and preparation of purchase and sale agreements, title searches, examination of title, closing document preparation, deed recording, and resolution of title issues.
Carmine D’Ellena began concentrating on real estate work in 1990 after becoming an exclusive closing attorney for Fleet Bank. He subsequently established a similar role at Bank of America. As the firm’s real estate practice grew, it developed working relationships with hundreds of lenders, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents across Rhode Island. The firm represents first-time homebuyers, repeat purchasers, sellers, and parties to commercial real estate transactions.
The firm’s real estate work also extends to short sales, foreclosure-related matters, and transactions involving condominiums. Melissa D’Ellena has developed particular familiarity with short sales and buyer and seller representation in the residential market.
Estate Planning
The firm assists clients in planning for the distribution of their assets and the management of their affairs in the event of incapacity or death. Estate planning documents typically include wills, durable powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. Trusts may be appropriate depending on the size and nature of the estate and the client’s objectives.
For clients who own real estate, coordinating property ownership and beneficiary designations with a broader estate plan is an important component of this work. The firm’s combined experience in real estate and estate planning allows it to address these intersecting concerns within a single practice.
Probate Administration
When a Rhode Island resident dies, their estate generally must pass through the probate process before assets are distributed to heirs. Rhode Island probate proceedings are administered at the local probate court in the city or town where the decedent was domiciled. The probate court oversees the appointment of an executor or administrator, the notification of creditors, the inventory of assets, and the ultimate distribution to beneficiaries.
The firm represents executors and administrators through each stage of the probate process. It also handles guardianship administration and matters involving probate litigation where disputes arise among heirs or claimants.
General Practice
The firm’s roots as a general practice office mean that its attorneys have experience across a broader range of civil matters. Available attorney listings identify additional practice areas including collections, personal injury, and automobile accidents and injuries. These areas reflect the breadth of matters the firm has handled over its five decades in operation.
Attorney Profiles
Carmine J. D’Ellena, Esquire
Carmine J. D’Ellena is the founding attorney of the firm. A Rhode Island native, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Providence College in 1971 and his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1974, the same year he opened his practice.
He began his career as a general practitioner before narrowing his focus to real estate law in 1990, when he took on the role of exclusive closing attorney for Fleet Bank. He later served in the same capacity for Bank of America. His extensive background in lender-side real estate closings gave him a detailed understanding of the documentation requirements, title standards, and procedural expectations of institutional lenders, which he carried into his work representing individual buyers and sellers.
He is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association. Outside of his legal practice, he has interests in boating and in real estate development.
Melissa K. D’Ellena, Esquire
Melissa D’Ellena is the daughter of Carmine D’Ellena and joined the firm in 2004 after completing her legal education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Bentley College, completed in 2000, and a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law, completed in 2004.
She is admitted to the bar in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Her practice focuses on real estate conveyancing and estate planning. In addition to her legal work, she has been involved in educating clients and real estate professionals about the closing process, and she is a member of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. Her background in accounting informs her approach to transactions involving complex financial structures.
Ralph D. Cuculo, Esquire
Ralph D. Cuculo has been practicing law since 1979. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts and earned his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law. Like Carmine D’Ellena, he began as a general practitioner and over time concentrated his practice on real estate conveyancing and title work. He focuses on real estate transactions and title examination.
Location and Service Area
The office is located at 700 Main Street in the downtown area of East Greenwich, the county seat of Kent County, Rhode Island. East Greenwich sits along the western shore of Narragansett Bay, approximately 15 miles south of Providence.
The firm serves clients throughout Kent County and across Rhode Island. Melissa D’Ellena’s Massachusetts bar admission extends the firm’s reach to Massachusetts matters as well. Given the firm’s longstanding relationships with lenders and real estate professionals throughout the state, it handles transactions in communities well beyond East Greenwich.
Client Focus
The firm serves individuals and families in connection with home purchases, home sales, estate planning, and probate matters. Buyers and sellers of residential real estate form a significant portion of the client base, including first-time buyers working through the closing process for the first time. The firm also represents clients in matters involving short sales and foreclosure situations.
For estate planning clients, the firm works with those at various stages of life who need documents in place to address the future distribution of their assets, guardianship of dependents, or the management of financial affairs in the event of incapacity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is involved in a residential real estate closing in Rhode Island?
A real estate closing involves the review and execution of purchase documents, verification of title, coordination with the mortgage lender, payment of taxes and recording fees, and recording of the deed with the appropriate registry of deeds. An attorney’s involvement helps ensure that the title is clear and that the documentation is executed correctly. Rhode Island does not require attorney involvement at closing as a matter of law, but it is common practice and provides protection for buyers and sellers.
Does the firm handle both sides of a real estate transaction?
In most real estate transactions, the buyer and seller are represented separately. The firm represents buyers, sellers, or in some contexts lenders, depending on the assignment. Clients should inquire about representation arrangements when scheduling a consultation.
What documents are typically included in an estate plan?
A basic estate plan in Rhode Island generally includes a last will and testament, a durable power of attorney designating someone to manage financial decisions, and a healthcare directive. Depending on the client’s circumstances, a trust may be appropriate. The firm advises on which instruments fit the client’s needs.
What is the difference between probate administration and estate planning?
Estate planning is the process of preparing documents during a person’s lifetime to direct the distribution of assets and the management of affairs. Probate administration occurs after death, when the decedent’s estate is administered through the probate court. A well-crafted estate plan can simplify the probate process for those left to manage the estate.
What is the firm’s phone number and how can a consultation be scheduled?
The firm can be reached at (401) 885-3800. The firm’s contact page is available at https://www.dellenalaw.com/contact
Closing
D’Ellena Law Office has operated from its Main Street location in East Greenwich since 1974, giving the firm a five-decade record of service in the Kent County real estate and estate planning markets. Its three named attorneys collectively span more than a century of practice experience in Rhode Island, with Carmine D’Ellena’s tenure alone extending back to the mid-1970s. The firm is located at 700 Main Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818. Phone: (401) 885-3800. Website: https://www.dellenalaw.com/