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Rhode Island follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesR.I. Gen. Laws § 18-6-1Verified May 27, 2026. Courts decide what's reasonable on a case-by-case basis, looking at trust size, complexity, and the trustee's actual work. Family-member trustees often waive the fee entirely. Professional trustees (banks, trust companies, attorneys) typically charge between 0.5% and 1.5% of trust assets per year, with corporate fiduciaries usually applying minimum annual fees. The Rhode Island trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in Rhode Island is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 6 months in Rhode Island — during which the trustee can't safely make final distributions. Simple trusts often wrap up in 6-9 months; trusts that hold business interests, real property in multiple states, or that need to file estate tax returns can take longer. See the Rhode Island trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in Rhode Island average $382 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,146–$2,292 for a simple individual will and $3,850–$5,775 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
Rhode Island allows estates under $15,000 to use a simplified Voluntary Administration procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Rhode Island probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Rhode Island, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; estates near or above the Rhode Island estate tax threshold; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 4,004 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
16 firms
Founded in 1986, Cameron & Mittleman is a team of approximately 19 experienced attorneys with a broad base of business law and estate planning backgrounds. Their trusts and estates team works with clients and financial advisors to create personalized plans for probate avoidance, estate tax savings, and transfer of assets.
Location
301 Promenade StreetProvidence, RI 02908
Phone
(401) 331-5700
Established
1986
A family-owned firm established in 1970, Connelly Law Offices is led by Certified Elder Law Attorney R.J. Connelly III, one of only 422 certified elder law attorneys in the United States. The firm serves clients in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts with a focus on elder law, estate planning, and Medicaid planning.
Location
372 Broadway, Suite APawtucket, RI 02860
Phone
(401) 724-9400
Established
1970
Correira Law is a boutique firm exclusively focused on trusts, estates, and elder law. With a tradition spanning over thirty-five years, the firm provides estate planning and administration, elder law and disability planning, tax and business planning, and trust and estate litigation services throughout Rhode Island.
Location
10 Dorrance StreetProvidence, RI 02903
Phone
(401) 454-5040
For 30 years, Duffy & Sweeney was a trusted Rhode Island institution before merging with Stevens & Lee in June 2025. The Providence office continues to operate under the Duffy & Sweeney name. The firm is widely regarded as the premier trusts and estates litigation practice in Rhode Island, earning consistent Tier 1 recognition from U.S. News Best Law Firms for Litigation in Trusts and Estates.
Location
321 South Main Street, Suite 400Providence, RI 02903
Phone
(401) 455-0700
Kalander & Nash (formerly Kalander & Shaw) represents clients in estate planning and elder law cases across Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts. Their attorneys help executors navigate the Rhode Island probate process, including filing wills with probate court, assembling assets, managing debts and taxes, and valuing assets.
Location
931 Jefferson Boulevard, Suite 2004Warwick, RI 02886
Phone
(401) 737-9720
Lambros Law Office helps individuals and families across Rhode Island and Massachusetts protect their assets, care for loved ones, and plan for the future. The firm focuses on estate planning, probate, and trust administration with a client-centered approach.
Location
100 Midway Road, Suite 16Cranston, RI 02920
Phone
(401) 383-9899
Established
2012
Moonan | Stratton is a women-owned and women-run boutique law firm with a focus on trusts, estates and elder law, as well as transactional matters. The firm has roots dating back to the 1920s and is led by partners Kristen Prull Moonan and Amy Stratton, both honored by Best Lawyers in America.
Location
4 Richmond Square, Suite 300Providence, RI 02906
Phone
(401) 272-6300
Established
1994
McDevitt Law Group offers estate planning and probate services from its Rhode Island office, serving both the Providence and Boston metro regions. Rhode Island attorney Ralph Gillis handles estate planning and probate matters with over 50 years of combined firm experience. Gillis has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star multiple years.
Location
300 Front StreetLincoln, RI 02865
Phone
(617) 282-7550
Orson and Brusini Ltd. was founded in 2004 by seasoned attorneys Theodore Orson and Stephen M. Brusini. The firm provides excellence in estate planning, elder law and special needs trust planning, estate administration, trust administration, guardianships, and estate and trust litigation. In 2025 the firm absorbed the trust and estate practice of Mignanelli & Associates after 41 years of service.
Location
211 Quaker Lane, Suite 201West Warwick, RI 02893
Phone
(401) 223-2100
Established
2004
Founded in 2006, PLDO is one of Rhode Island's premier multi-practice law firms. Their estate planning and trust team is led by Bernard A. Jackvony and Gene M. Carlino, who together bring over 50 years of experience in estate and tax planning, administration, Medicaid planning, probate, and trust litigation. Gene M. Carlino is an elected Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
Location
1301 Atwood Avenue, Suite 215 NJohnston, RI 02919
Phone
(401) 824-5100
Established
2006