Search In Legal Rhode Island Heirship Affidavits Forms For Free

Interested individuals can access Rhode Island Probate Records through two primary sources: the Probate Courts in each county and the Rhode Island State Archives Repository.

In Rhode Island, you can make a living trust to avoid probate for virtually any asset you own?real estate, bank accounts, vehicles, and so on. You need to create a trust document (it's similar to a will), naming someone to take over as trustee after your death (called a successor trustee).

An estate consisting of personal property having a fair market value of $15,000 or less can use a simplified proceeding. Usually, this decision to use the "small estate" provision is made by the lawyer and the personal representative at the time of the initial conference.

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.

A Rhode Island small estate affidavit is a form that can be used to speed the distribution of assets in certain estates. Any estate that is valued at less than $15,000 is considered a small estate. This helps avoid the long and costly process of traditional probate.

Probate in Rhode Island will take at least six months, and the filing of both state and federal tax returns (if required) are due no later than nine months after the estate owner's passing. Of course, the entire process can take much longer to complete for very complex or large estates.