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Barrington Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Barrington Probate Court |
| Filing and hearing address | Barrington Town Hall, 283 County Road, Barrington, RI 02806. Hearings are in the Town Council Chambers, second floor. |
| Mailing | Use Barrington Town Hall, 283 County Road, Barrington, RI 02806. |
| Phone | 401-247-1900. Ask for probate or use extension 306 for the probate line listed in the court baseline; the town clerk's general line is extension 1. |
| Fax | 401-247-3765 |
| [email protected] | |
| Counter hours | The town clerk's office is open Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. These are counter hours, not hearing hours. |
| Court session | Normally 9:00 a.m. on the first Monday of each month, unless that day is a legal holiday, with the court reserving the right to meet on a different day as necessary. Barrington's local administrative rules state the session schedule as required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. |
| Filing fee | Set by state statute: one percent of the decedent's personal property, with a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $1,500, payable before the petition is filed and computed from the petitioner's own estimate, figures unchanged since at least 1996 and still current under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Barrington adds its own file-maintenance and newspaper notice charges under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11; ask the clerk for the current town amounts before filing. The one percent is recalculated against the inventory and the difference is billed or refunded under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1. |
| Forms | Rhode Island PC forms are statewide and free under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Barrington rule 16 makes use of the statewide forms mandatory. |
| Electronic filing | Barrington's probate page does not offer electronic filing. Plan on a paper filing with the town clerk of Barrington, who serves as clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. |
| Case search | Barrington's site posts hearing notices and one-day court calendars, but it does not publish a searchable estate index. Probate files are kept by the town clerk of Barrington under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6 and 8-9-7. |
| Website | https://www.barrington.ri.gov/323/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose forms or ask for a hearing date, list the decedent's accounts, debts, real estate, vehicles and other property. In Barrington, the amount you estimate on the petition matters immediately because the probate fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 is paid before filing and later recalculated against the inventory required within 90 days under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
Sunset's estate settlement platform can search across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts and assets, then organize what you have found for the Barrington filing. That preparation makes it easier to decide whether the estate belongs in a full probate case, a voluntary informal filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, or another Rhode Island path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Rhode Island probate is municipal. Every one of the state's 39 cities and towns runs its own probate court, and the Barrington Probate Court is the court for Barrington alone under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9. File where the decedent lived: if the decedent's home was in Barrington, this is the court, and no other Rhode Island probate court has jurisdiction over the estate.
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The Barrington Probate Court is the court for the town of Barrington and for no other municipality under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9. Barrington is in Bristol County, which matters in one respect only: an appeal from a decree of this court goes to the Superior Court for that county under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, and the Superior Court sits in four divisions statewide, with Providence and Bristol counties served together.
The filing officer is the town clerk of Barrington, who by statute is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. The clerk's office receives filings, collects fees, keeps the probate files and supports the monthly court calendar.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets and debts first. The personal representative, meaning the executor or administrator appointed by the court, starts by identifying property, liabilities and the estimated personal property value that will appear on the petition and drive the provisional fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Choose the correct statewide PC forms. Rhode Island probate forms are prescribed statewide and furnished without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Barrington rule 16 makes the statewide forms mandatory.
- File with the Barrington town clerk. The town clerk of Barrington is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. File at Barrington Town Hall, 283 County Road, Barrington, RI 02806, in person or by mail.
- Pay before filing. For a petition to probate a will or grant administration, the state fee is one percent of the personal property, with a $30 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, figures unchanged since at least 1996 and current under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Barrington rule 4 says checks should be payable to the Town of Barrington.
- Handle notice or waivers. If notice must be published in the Barrington Times, Barrington rule 4 requires the matter and fees to be filed by the previous Thursday of the week of publication, and newspaper notice is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. If all interested parties sign a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, Barrington rule 4 requires the waived matter to be filed at least five business days before the hearing.
- Receive the hearing information. Rhode Island law requires the clerk to issue a written receipt when a fee is paid and to note the hearing date and time whenever possible under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Attend the Barrington session if a hearing is needed. The court normally sits at 9:00 a.m. on the first Monday of each month in the Town Council Chambers, second floor, 283 County Road. Barrington's local administrative rules set that schedule under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
- Use the uncontested path when it fits. R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30 has uncontested matters heard before contested matters, and Barrington rule 3 allows special sessions for contested matters without additional fee. Barrington rule 14 also handles affidavits of complete administration and voluntary informal filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 administratively in the clerk's office rather than placing them on the court calendar.
- Get certificates of appointment. When the court appoints you, ask the clerk for the certificates you will need for banks, transfer agents and other institutions. Each certificate of appointment costs $5, a figure set by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and current as of September 2026.
- File the inventory within 90 days. An executor or administrator must return an inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1. Barrington rule 13 repeats that duty, and the one percent fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 is recalculated against the inventory.
- Resolve creditor notice and taxes before closing. Barrington rule 7 requires proof that known creditors received notice tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5. Before the court will allow the final account, it must see that Rhode Island estate tax has been paid, extended or determined not to apply under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36.
- Close the estate. Use the required account or affidavit. Barrington rule 8 says the clerk will not accept an account unless it has the attorney certification required by the rule, and rule 14 lists the materials Barrington requires with an affidavit of complete administration.
Executor duties
Barrington adds several local filing rules to the statewide duties of a personal representative. Rule 13 repeats the statewide inventory deadline: an executor or administrator must file an inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
Rule 7 says Barrington will not accept a final account or affidavit of complete administration without a fiduciary affidavit showing that known creditors received notice, tied to the creditor rules in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5. Rule 8 says no account will be accepted unless it includes the attorney certification described in that rule. Rule 14 requires releases, proof the funeral bill was paid, estate tax lien discharge materials under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23, claim releases, creditor-notice certification and current fees before an affidavit of complete administration is accepted.
Rule 15 requires an affidavit supporting attorneys' and fiduciaries' fees, including time spent, work done and hourly rate. It also says an attorney serving as fiduciary may not bill professional rates for administrative or clerical work.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Barrington Probate Court
Rhode Island probate forms are statewide. A legislative commission prescribes them and the Secretary of State publishes them free to the public, to lawyers and to the probate clerks under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Barrington rule 16 is direct: use of the statewide forms is mandatory.
The Barrington Probate Court links to the Secretary of State's probate forms catalogue at www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/. Common estate forms include PC-1.1 for an administration petition, which cites R.I. Gen. Laws 33-8-8, PC-1.5 for probate of a will, PC-9.1 for waiver or newspaper notice under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, PC-7.3 for an affidavit of complete administration under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, and PC-9.3 for a claim of appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1.
Barrington does not publish a separate local probate form beyond the statewide PC series. A few Rhode Island forms are issued by the court rather than posted online, so if a needed form is not in the Secretary of State catalogue, ask the Barrington clerk's office for that form under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16.
Fees
Rhode Island sets probate fees by statute and the same statutory schedule applies in all 39 cities and towns. For a petition to probate a will or to grant administration, the fee is one percent of the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, with a floor of $30 and a ceiling of $1,500, figures unchanged since at least 1996 and current under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Two things about that fee surprise people.
First, the fee is due before the petition is filed and is calculated from an estimate you supply on the petition itself. The amount you pay at the counter is provisional: R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 requires the fee to be revised when the estimate turns out to be wrong, with a further payment or a refund, and the Barrington Probate Court recalculates it against the inventory you file within 90 days of appointment under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
Second, the statutory fee is not the whole cost. Matters that require newspaper notice are governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, and Barrington rule 4 names the Barrington Times for publication and requires the filing and fees by the previous Thursday of the week of publication. Barrington also maintains its own town fee schedule, but the exact current local dollar amounts should be requested from the clerk before filing.
If every interested party signs a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, the publication step and that newspaper cost can fall away. A separate $30 fee applies to certain other filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, including filing a will with no probate, an affidavit of complete administration and a petition to file a claim out of time under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5. Each certificate of appointment costs $5, and copies are $1.50 per page with $3.00 to certify, all figures set by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and current as of September 2026.
Timeline
- Before filing, decide whether notice will be published or whether all interested parties will sign a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22.
- For a matter requiring newspaper notice in the Barrington Times, file the matter and pay the required fees by the previous Thursday of the week of publication. Newspaper notice is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- For a matter on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, file at least five business days before the hearing date under Barrington rule 4.
- Barrington's regular hearing time is 9:00 a.m. on the first Monday of each month in the Town Council Chambers, second floor, 283 County Road. The local administrative rules set this schedule under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, and the court may meet on a different day as necessary.
- After appointment, file the inventory within 90 days unless the court allows a longer period under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1. The fee is then recomputed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Before closing, address creditor notice under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5 and the Rhode Island estate tax position under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36.
Local nuance
Barrington-specific considerations
Barrington is the Rhode Island town with the clearest published local administrative rules. The town posts 18 numbered rules, with an amendment history ending April 10, 2024, and those rules give practical instructions that matter to a filer: checks are payable to the Town of Barrington, matters requiring newspaper notice under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 use the Barrington Times, waived matters under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 must be filed at least five business days before the hearing, and statewide forms are mandatory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16.
The most important local shortcut is administrative handling. Barrington rule 14 says affidavits of complete administration and voluntary informal filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 are handled within the clerk's office rather than placed on the court calendar. That can reduce travel and hearing-day pressure when the estate qualifies and all required documents are complete.
Barrington also has a stricter accounting gate than many families expect. Rule 8 says no account will be accepted unless accompanied by the attorney certification described in that rule. Do not assume that a simple estate settlement will stay simple once an account, a contested issue or a home sale is involved.
Small-estate Alternatives
The voluntary informal route is statewide, but Barrington has a local handling rule worth knowing. Rule 14 says Barrington handles voluntary informal filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 administratively in the clerk's office rather than putting them on the court calendar.
The statewide limits still control. For an intestate estate, the voluntary administrator must qualify under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1. For a will naming an executor, the voluntary executor route is under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2, and an out-of-state executor must appoint a resident agent under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. The $15,000 figure, in force since 2005 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 and P.L. 2005, ch. 389, applies to qualifying personal property with tangible personal property excluded.
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Barrington local administrative rules | The town's posted probate rules include an amendment history ending April 10, 2024. The rules address session timing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, newspaper notice timing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, waivers under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, required statewide forms under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 and local closing requirements. |
Scenarios
| Archetype | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by confirming what property actually needs probate. If the Barrington filing can proceed with all interested parties signing a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, Barrington rule 4 avoids the newspaper notice cost under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. If the estate can close by affidavit, rule 14 keeps the affidavit of complete administration off the court calendar. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize the estate settlement tasks and prepare the packet so the spouse can focus on the assets that actually require Barrington probate. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the parent died without a will, an out-of-state child cannot serve as voluntary administrator because R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 requires the person using that route to be a Rhode Island resident. If the will names the child as executor, the voluntary executor route under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 may be available with a resident agent on PC-3.5 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. Barrington rule 14 handles qualifying voluntary informal filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 administratively. | Sunset helps the New York, Florida, California or Texas child sort the assets, understand whether the estate settlement can use R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, and connect with local help if a resident agent or attorney is needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Real property takes the estate outside the voluntary informal route under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1. A sale also requires attention to the Rhode Island estate tax lien and the Notice of No Tax Due process under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. Barrington rule 8 makes this the clearest counsel scenario because the clerk will not accept an account without the attorney certification described in the rule. | Sunset helps locate accounts, build the estate settlement checklist, prepare the probate packet and connect the parent with a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney for the home sale and closing steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Barrington Probate Court | Provides the court address, monthly session pattern, local administrative rules, hearing calendar links and fee schedule link for the Barrington Probate Court under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. | https://www.barrington.ri.gov/323/Probate-Court |
| Barrington town clerk | Provides counter hours, phone, fax and department contact information for the office that serves as clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. | https://www.barrington.ri.gov/166/Town-Clerk |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms | Provides the statewide PC probate forms free to the public under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Barrington rule 16 makes those statewide forms mandatory. | https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | Provides the court system location for an appeal from a Barrington probate decree under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, with Providence and Bristol counties served together. | https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/SuperiorCourt/Pages/default.aspx |
| Rhode Island Division of Taxation estate tax | Explains Form RI-706, estate tax lien discharge, the nine-month filing duty under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-1 and the tax clearance needed before a final account is allowed under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. | https://tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/estate-tax |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Rhode Island probate attorney when the estate includes real property, a home sale, disagreement among heirs, creditor issues under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5, estate tax clearance under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23, or any account that must satisfy Barrington rule 8. Counsel also helps when the personal representative lives outside Rhode Island, when a resident agent is needed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2, or when a decree may need an appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property so the Barrington estate settlement starts with a clearer asset list.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for the Rhode Island PC forms published under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, including the asset estimate that drives the provisional fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Find a local probate attorney. When Barrington rule 8, a home sale, estate tax clearance under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23, or a contested matter makes counsel important, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand the Barrington filing path and decide what local help they need without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Barrington?
File with the Barrington Probate Court through the town clerk of Barrington, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. The filing address is Barrington Town Hall, 283 County Road, Barrington, RI 02806. Barrington has jurisdiction when the decedent lived in Barrington under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9.
When does the Barrington Probate Court meet?
The court normally meets at 9:00 a.m. on the first Monday of each month, unless that day is a legal holiday, in the Town Council Chambers on the second floor of Town Hall. Barrington's local administrative rules state that schedule under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, and the court reserves the right to meet on another day as necessary.
Can I file a Barrington probate case online?
Barrington's probate page does not offer electronic filing. Rhode Island probate statutes assume paper filing: petitions are in writing, the original will must reach the court when required, and the fee is paid before filing with a written receipt under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Plan to file in person or by mail with the town clerk of Barrington under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
What is the filing fee in Barrington probate?
For probate of a will or administration, Rhode Island sets the fee at one percent of personal property, with a $30 minimum and $1,500 maximum, figures unchanged since at least 1996 and current under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. The amount paid at filing is based on your estimate and is later adjusted against the inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1. Barrington also charges for town items such as newspaper notice under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, so ask the clerk for current local amounts.
How do waivers affect a Barrington filing?
If all interested parties sign a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, the publication step under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 may be avoided. Barrington rule 4 requires waived matters to be filed at least five business days before the hearing.
Does Barrington have its own probate forms?
Barrington uses the statewide Rhode Island PC forms, and rule 16 makes those statewide forms mandatory. The forms are published free by the Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 at www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
Can I look up a Barrington probate case online?
Barrington's website posts hearing notices and one-day court calendars, but it does not provide a searchable estate index. Probate files are kept by the town clerk of Barrington under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6 and 8-9-7.
Do I have to travel to Barrington for every step?
Not always. Waivers under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 can remove the need for newspaper notice under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, and Barrington rule 14 handles affidavits of complete administration and voluntary informal filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 administratively in the clerk's office rather than on the court calendar. For any matter that is set for hearing, call the clerk before travelling because the court normally meets monthly under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
What happens if someone disagrees with a Barrington probate decree?
An aggrieved person may appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, but the deadlines are strict. The claim of appeal must be filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the decree, and the certified claim and reasons must be filed in the Superior Court within 30 days after entry. Both deadlines are jurisdictional under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, and the appeal is heard de novo.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.