Free Rhode Island Small Estate Affidavit

Complete Rhode Island's official PC-1.10 Petition for Voluntary Informal Administrator for estates up to $15,000. R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1.

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Your Information

The Rhode Island affidavit identifies the claiming successor and the basis of entitlement.

Skipping probate?Settle the whole estate in one place.

State Where the Property Is Collected*

The decedent's state. Only states where this tool prepares the affidavit are listed; other states' pages explain their procedure.

Your Full Legal Name*

The successor signing the affidavit.

Your Entitlement to the Property*

Street Address*

City*

State

ZIP Code*

Telephone

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Frequently Asked Questions About Rhode Island Small Estate Affidavits

Yes — PC-1.10 Petition for Voluntary Informal Administrator, and its use is required. This tool completes the official form with the estate, successor, and property details.

$15,000, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1. This tool checks the entered estate value against the limit and does not prepare an affidavit for an estate over it.

30 days after the death (R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1). The affidavit states that the waiting period has elapsed, so it cannot be signed earlier.

The decedent's surviving spouse, child, grandchild, parent, brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt or uncle, or any interested party — if of full age and legal capacity and a resident of Rhode Island — provided no petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration has been filed with the probate court of the decedent's city or town. R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1(a).

Filed with the probate court of the city or town in which the decedent resided, with a certificate of death and a $30 filing fee; upon payment of $5 the clerk — after review by the probate judge, and if no other administration is pending — issues a certification of appointment of voluntary administrator (no hearing required unless the judge orders one). The voluntary administrator collects each scheduled asset by presenting a copy of the certification, a written receipt, and surrender of any policy, passbook, note, certificate, or other evidentiary instrument (§ 33-24-1(b)-(c)).

Payments and deliveries made under the section discharge the liability of the debtor, obligor, or deliverer to all persons with respect to the asset, unless a duly appointed executor or administrator has made written demand before the payment or delivery (§ 33-24-1(c)). The voluntary administrator must first pay funeral and last-sickness expenses and necessary administration expenses, serving without fee (§ 33-24-1(e)).

Personal property only: the procedure requires an estate "consisting entirely of personal property," and the statewide form has the petitioner affirm the deceased owned no real estate at the time of death. The $15,000 cap is measured exclusive of the decedent's tangible personal property (§ 33-24-1(a)). R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1(a).

Small Estate Collection in Rhode Island

Rhode Island publishes an official form for the voluntary informal administration of small estates — PC-1.10 Petition for Voluntary Informal Administrator — and the successor completes it; the statute requires the official form. The completed affidavit collects the decedent's property without opening probate.

Eligibility runs on the numbers: the estate qualifies when its value does not exceed $15,000, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1. The affidavit can be signed 30 days after the death.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Rhode Island Small Estate Affidavits

Yes — PC-1.10 Petition for Voluntary Informal Administrator, and its use is required. This tool completes the official form with the estate, successor, and property details.

$15,000, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1. This tool checks the entered estate value against the limit and does not prepare an affidavit for an estate over it.

30 days after the death (R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1). The affidavit states that the waiting period has elapsed, so it cannot be signed earlier.

Small Estate Collection in Rhode Island

Eligibility runs on the numbers: the estate qualifies when its value does not exceed $15,000, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1. The affidavit can be signed 30 days after the death.

Free Rhode Island Small Estate Affidavit

Your Information

Frequently Asked Questions About Rhode Island Small Estate Affidavits