Fabisch Law Offices works from Pawtucket and Bristol, serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including ancillary probate for out-of-state estates. It prepares and files probate documents and estate taxes for executors and administrators, with or without a will, at a flat fee, and handles guardianships. Attorney Matthew Fabisch is a former Rhode Island Probate Judge.
Barrington is in Bristol County.
More Estate Planning Firms in Bristol County
Howlett Law Offices is a Bristol practice led by attorney Jane Fearing Howlett that handles Family Court matters alongside probate and estate planning. Clients use an online case management system for messaging, calendar reminders, and billing, and the firm offers free phone consultations.
Kiernan, Plunkett & Redihan handles probate and estate administration across Rhode Island from offices in Providence, North Kingstown, Westerly, and Bristol. Its attorneys guide heirs, beneficiaries, executors, and creditors through estate accountings, creditor payments, and distributions, and handle probate disputes, alongside wills and trusts.
Rego & Rego is a Bristol firm serving Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, Portsmouth, Middletown, Tiverton, Newport, and Warren since 1976. It assists executors, conservators, and trustees with probate administration and litigates will contests, breach of fiduciary duty claims, power of attorney abuse, payable-on-death disputes, and trust disputes.
Probate in Bristol County
Probate Court Record
Town of Bristol Probate Court
Bristol County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Bristol County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Bristol County? →Settling an estate in Bristol County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Rhode Island
Free Rhode Island forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Rhode Island.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
In Rhode Island, a will is signed before 2R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Rhode Island allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.10-2Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Rhode Island requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityR.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryR.I. Gen. Laws § 18-16-2Verified Sep 20, 2026View source.
Pour-Over Will
In Rhode Island, a pour-over will is signed before 2R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Rhode Island
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Rhode Island: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Rhode Island, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Rhode Island takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.1%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Rhode Island runs $3,850Estimate: 10 hours at $385, Clio's Rhode Island Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,775Estimate: 15 hours at $385, Clio's Rhode Island Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,146Estimate: 3 hours at $382, Clio's Rhode Island Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,292Estimate: 6 hours at $382, Clio's Rhode Island Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Rhode Island costs an estimated $28,582R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.1%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Rhode Island does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-9.1Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Rhode Island costs an estimated $28,582R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.1%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%Modeled estimate under R.I. Gen. Laws (no statutory schedule; court discretion applies): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $15,000R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
