Notarize Legal Rhode Island Probate Forms For Free

In Rhode Island, the following assets are subject to probate: Solely-owned property: Any asset that was solely owned by the deceased person with no designated beneficiary is subject to probate. This could include bank accounts, cars, houses, personal belongings, and business interests.

Each town has its own probate court in Rhode Island with assigned judges. The town's council members usually appoint them. The only exception is New Shoreham because the town council here acts as the probate judge. You can expect probate here to take at least six months for the simplest cases.

You can absolutely prepare all of the probate forms yourself and do this on your own. Some states may require a lawyer for submitting them to probate court, but Rhode Island doesn't. A lawyer will save you time and headaches. A lawyer can make sure you don't make big tax mistakes or miss any deadlines.

If a person dies with less than $15,000 of personal property, probate may be shortened under the "small estate" provision.

Every City or Town in this state has it's own probate court, which administers these laws. Probate Court is a court of law established by RIGL 8-9; the operating statute for Probate is RIGL Title 33. Providence Probate Court is located on the fifth floor of City Hall.

In Rhode Island, executor fees are not explicitly stipulated by statute. Instead, the state allows for "reasonable" compensation, which is determined on a case-by-case basis. This ambiguity can be both a benefit and a drawback, depending on the complexity of the estate and the amount of work required by the executor.