Evelyn Weiss Zawatsky is a solo attorney in Barrington. Her probate practice covers appointing a personal representative, marshalling assets and date-of-death values, notifying creditors and publishing notice, paying final bills and estate taxes, and distributing the estate, along with guardianships. She has practiced solo since 1992.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Bristol County, Rhode Island
How probate works in Bristol County: the Town of Bristol Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Town of Bristol Probate Court
Bristol County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
10 Court Street, Bristol, RI 02809
Website
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedPetitions are filed at the Town Clerk's office in Town Hall, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Matters on waiver are filed before the hearing date.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe statewide probate forms are published by the Secretary of State and every probate court uses them. The probate clerk can file and docket papers but gives no legal advice and does not help fill in forms.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCheck.Checks are payable to the Town of Bristol. No matter is heard until all fees currently due are paid.
Hearing schedule
- 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 9:15 AM
Departments
- Probate (Senior Clerk)1-401-253-7000 ext. 121 · probateassistant@bristolri.govThe Town Clerk's probate desk.
About the court
- This is the probate court for the Town of Bristol. An estate of someone who lived in another Bristol County town is filed in that town's own probate court.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Bristol County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Bristol, probate runs through the Town of Bristol Probate Court at 10 Court Street, Bristol.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Rhode Island intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Rhode Island estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsR.I. Gen. Laws §§ 33-11-4, 33-11-5, 33-11-5.1, 33-11-5.2, 33-12-11, 33-18-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Bristol County
What probate costs in Bristol County, Rhode Island comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Town of Bristol Probate Court at 10 Court Street, Bristol.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Petitions $34; advertising $94 to $154; Creditor-notice affidavit before closing.
Rhode Island charges $4 plus 1% of personal property, minimum $34, up to $1,504R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21(a); § 42-8.1-20(b)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Rhode Island are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Rhode Island allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-14-8 (reasonable compensation as court considers just)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Rhode Island requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1 (bond with sufficient surety); § 33-17-4 (a will's exemption reaches only the surety); § 33-17-1.2 (no surety for a spouse or sole-heir intestate administrator)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Rhode Island typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Town of Bristol Probate Court
Probate cases in Bristol County are filed at the Town of Bristol Probate Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Probate (Senior Clerk).
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Rhode Island, informal probate is not available, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Bristol County Self-Filing Assessment.
Bristol County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
File in the city or town where the person lived
Rhode Island has no county probate court. Each city and town has its own, and an estate is filed in the probate court of the city or town where the person who died lived.
SourceAdvertised matters by the Tuesday of the week before publication
A matter that must be advertised is filed, with its fees paid, by the Tuesday of the week before publication. The notice runs three times in the Thursday edition of the Bristol Phoenix before the hearing.
SourceCriminal record check for a name change
The Attorney General runs a criminal record check on every person who petitions for a change of name. A minor's name change goes to the Family Court.
SourceCourt Appearances
Sessions on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 9:15 AM
The court sits at 9:15 AM on the first and third Tuesday of each month, unless the day is a legal holiday, in the Conference Room at 10 Court Street. Attorneys sign the docket there that morning, and cases are heard in sign-in order with contested matters at the end.
SourceOther Requirements
Appeals go to the Superior Court
An order of a city or town probate court is appealed to the Superior Court for the county. The claim of appeal is filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after the judge signs the order.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Town of Bristol Probate Court: Death certificate — required by local probate-court rule and filing checklist rather than by statute; some courts (e.g. East Greenwich) require a certified copy, others list only "Death Certificate". Statewide, Title 33 requires a death certificate only for the voluntary informal small-estate track ("a certificate of the death of the deceased", §§ 33-24-1(b) / 33-24-2(c)) and for a will filed with no assets ("a certified copy of the decedent’s death certificate", § 33-7-5(b)) — not for the PC-1.5 / PC-1.1 appointment petitionR.I. Gen. Laws Title 33 — § 33-22-2 (contents of petition for probate or administration), § 33-8-8 (administration of intestate estate), § 33-17-1 (bond before entering on the trust), § 33-7-5 (will delivered into court within 30 days of notice of death), § 33-22-16 (uniform probate forms), § 33-22-21 (fees)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Bristol County
In Bristol County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Local Registrar of the town or city where the death occurred, or from Rhode Island Department of Health - Center for Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Rhode Island Department of Health - Center for Vital Records
Bristol County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-3:30 PM
Office
Center for Vital Records, Simpson Hall, 6 Harrington Road, Cranston, RI 02920
Website
Certified copies
From the Local Registrar of the town or city where the death occurred, or from Rhode Island Department of Health - Center for Vital Records
Center for Vital Records
Simpson Hall
6 Harrington Road
Cranston, RI 02920
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $22 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $18 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Bristol County · Office of State Medical Examiners
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Website
Serves this county
Office of State Medical Examiners
Cremation authorization
Signed by this office
Mail and offices
900 Highland Corporate Drive
Building 3
Cumberland, RI 02864
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Bristol County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Town Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Bristol County are recorded with the Town Clerk at 10 Court Street, Bristol, RI 02809. Phone: 1-401-253-7000. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The Town Clerk charges $84 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page.
Bristol County does not offer e-recording.
Recording Office Record
Town Clerk
Bristol County · Land Evidence
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
10 Court Street, Bristol, RI 02809
Website
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $84 |
| Each additional page | $1 |
R.I. Gen. Laws 34-13-7; R.I. Gen. Laws 42-8.1-20
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Bristol County
Rhode Island uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Bristol County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Rhode Island are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Bristol County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Town of Bristol Probate Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
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.
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.
Sheehan & Associates Law serves Rhode Island clients from its Barrington office and Massachusetts clients from Taunton. The women-owned firm handles probate for families and executors settling estates, guardianship and conservatorship matters, and wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. It offers a free initial consultation.
Bardorf & Bardorf practices on Washington Square in downtown Newport and serves clients across Rhode Island. Its probate and estate administration work covers executors and personal representatives, successor trustee duties, will contests, and dispute resolution, alongside wills and trusts. The firm has served Rhode Island since 1965.
Corcoran, Peckham, Hayes, Leys & Olaynack is a Newport firm serving Aquidneck Island, Newport County, and the rest of Rhode Island, in continuous operation for over 150 years. Its attorneys handle probate of estates, advise trustees on carrying out trust terms, and represent clients in guardianship matters, alongside wills, trusts, and elder law planning.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(8)·
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-14-8 (reasonable compensation as court considers just)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21(a); § 42-8.1-20(b)
- R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 33-11-4, 33-11-5, 33-11-5.1, 33-11-5.2, 33-12-11, 33-18-1
- R.I. Gen. Laws Title 33 — § 33-22-2 (contents of petition for probate or administration), § 33-8-8 (administration of intestate estate), § 33-17-1 (bond before entering on the trust), § 33-7-5 (will delivered into court within 30 days of notice of death), § 33-22-16 (uniform probate forms), § 33-22-21 (fees)
- R.I. Gen. Laws 34-13-7; R.I. Gen. Laws 42-8.1-20
- Town of Bristol Probate Court, official page
- Bristol County Town Clerk, official page
- Bristol County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Rhode Island statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Rhode Island
Free tools for settling an estate in Rhode Island: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Rhode Island: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysR.I. Gen. Laws §§ 33-9-1, 33-9-4Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsR.I. Gen. Laws §§ 33-11-4, 33-11-5, 33-11-5.1, 33-11-5.2, 33-12-11, 33-18-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Rhode Island happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteR.I. Gen. Laws Title 18, Chapter 18-4 (Powers of Fiduciaries); § 18-4-27 (validity of trusts)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Rhode Island, informal probate is not available, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Get the Answer
Hire a Rhode Island Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Rhode Island attorneys handling probate matters.
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