Callaghan & Callaghan practices from Wickford Village in North Kingstown and serves Washington, Kent, Newport, and Providence counties. Its wills, estate planning, and probate practice files petitions in local Rhode Island probate courts and drafts wills and healthcare and durable powers of attorney, with remote drafting by phone or video. The firm offers a free confidential consultation.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Washington County, Rhode Island
How probate works in Washington County: the Town of South Kingstown Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Washington County Town of South Kingstown Probate Court
Washington County
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879
Website
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedPetitions are filed with the Town Clerk at Town Hall, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and the fees go with the petition. The probate clerk is at extension 1235.
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 South Kingstown. No matter is heard until all fees currently due are paid.
Hearing schedule
- 3rd Thursday at 9:30 AM
Fax
1-401-789-5280
About the court
- This is the probate court for the Town of South Kingstown. An estate of someone who lived in another Washington County town is filed in that town's own probate court.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Washington 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 Washington County, probate runs through the Town of South Kingstown Probate Court at 180 High Street, Wakefield.
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 Washington County
What probate costs in Washington 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 South Kingstown Probate Court at 180 High Street, Wakefield.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Affidavits of completed administration are handled by the clerk; Advertising $25; no advertising fee on waiver.
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 South Kingstown Probate Court
Probate cases in Washington County are filed at the Town of South Kingstown Probate Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
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 Washington County Self-Filing Assessment.
Washington 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.
SourceWaiver petitions by noon the Friday before court
A petition that needs no advertising, or is on waiver, is due to the Town Clerk by noon on the Friday before the session.
SourceAdvertised petitions about four weeks ahead
A petition that must be advertised has an earlier deadline, about four weeks before the session, and the town's yearly calendar lists each one. The notice runs three times in the Narragansett Times before the hearing.
SourceCourt Appearances
Court on the 3rd Thursday at 9:30 AM
The court normally sits on the third Thursday of each month at 9:30 AM in the Town Council Chambers on the second floor of Town Hall. The docket is posted on the probate page two days before the hearing.
SourceService Requirements
Other 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 South Kingstown 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 Washington County
In Washington 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
Washington 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
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County are recorded with the Town Clerk at 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879. Phone: 1-401-789-9331 ext. 1230. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (recording).
The Town Clerk charges $84 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page.
Washington County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
Town Clerk
Washington County · Land Records Registry
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (recording)
Office
180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879
Website
E-recording
available via Simplifile and CSC
Fax
1-401-788-9792
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 Washington County
Rhode Island uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Washington 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 Washington County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Town of South Kingstown 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.
Capalbo, Capalbo & Hartford is a Westerly firm serving Washington County and New London County, Connecticut, including Charlestown, Hopkinton, Narragansett, South Kingstown, and Stonington, since 1934. The office drafts wills, living trusts, and powers of attorney, advises on estate tax, and has negotiated settlement of trust disputes. It offers a free consultation.
Santiago Law Offices has offices in Warwick and Wakefield and serves Rhode Island and Massachusetts clients. Attorney Jill M. Santiago prepares and files probate documents, represents families through the probate process, and lays out a step-by-step plan for each estate at the first meeting. A free Zoom or in-person consultation is offered.
Orson and Brusini is based in West Warwick with offices in Newport, Wakefield, and Westerly, serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Its estate team supports executors and trustees with probate filings, creditor notices, trust administration and distributions, guardianships, and estate and trust litigation.
Rampino Law is an elder law and estate planning practice with offices in North Kingstown and Providence. Attorney Kenneth R. Rampino represents personal representatives through probate, from the petition and inventory through distribution, tax returns, and the final account, and advises trustees on accountings and distributions. The firm also handles guardianships and conservatorships.
Sullivan Estate Law has handled estate administration and probate in and around North Kingstown since 1955. Its attorneys advise executors and other fiduciaries on estate settlement, including opening an estate in the local probate court, inventory, debts and taxes, and distribution. James C. Sullivan is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA).
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
- Washington County Town of South Kingstown Probate Court, official page
- Washington County Town Clerk, official page
- Washington 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.
Browse firms
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
