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Cranston Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Cranston details |
|---|---|
| Court | Cranston Probate Court, also styled the Probate Court of the City of Cranston. |
| Where to file | City clerk's office, Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910. File in person or by mail at that address. Counter payment is cash, check or money order only. The city clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. |
| Where hearings are held | City Council Chambers, third floor, Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910. |
| Phone | (401) 780-3197 for probate. The City Hall switchboard is 1-401-461-1000. |
| Fax | The city's website does not publish a probate fax number. |
| No role email is listed for probate. Use the probate phone line or the contact form on the city clerk directory page. | |
| Clerk's office hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except legal holidays. The office does not close for lunch. These are counter hours, not court session times. |
| Court sessions | Second and fourth Thursday of each month at 9:00 a.m. in the City Council Chambers, third floor of City Hall. The sign-in sheet is available from 7:30 a.m.; matters are heard in sign-in order, with matters on waiver and name changes heard first and contested matters heard last. The court publishes local administrative rules under 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, figures unchanged since at least 1996, payable before the petition is filed and computed from the petitioner's own estimate (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). Cranston also publishes local charges on its city schedule available September 2026: administration or probate of will is $84.00 with waiver and $134.00 with advertising, and either voluntary informal route is $39.00 with the certificate included. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Local forms | Cranston uses Rhode Island's statewide PC forms and its rule 4 requires filings to be on those forms. The Secretary of State publishes the statewide forms free under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. |
| Local rules | Yes. Cranston publishes thirty-one administrative rules adopted in February 2019 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. |
| Online filing | Paper filing. Cranston's probate website does not offer electronic filing; plan to file in person or by mail. |
| Case lookup | Yes. Cranston links two probate searches from its own court page: a Cranston probate index for estates filed on or before July 1, 2024, and a Curia Systems public probate search for estates filed from July 1, 2024 onward. |
| Remote appearance | Court materials place sessions in the City Council Chambers. If travel is difficult, call the probate clerk's office before the hearing. |
| Website | https://www.cranstonri.gov/departments/city-clerk-records-and-licenses/cranston-probate-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Start by identifying the accounts, debts and titled property before you file in Cranston. Rhode Island computes the opening charge from the personal property estimate you put on the petition, then revises the amount if the estimate proves wrong (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions so the estate settlement starts with a cleaner asset list.
The liability side matters too. Cranston's rules require notice to known or easily ascertainable creditors and to the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services before the court will accept a final account or closing affidavit, and the creditor claims period runs from the first publication (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5). Gather bills, funeral information and claim releases early so the closing step does not stall.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File where the decedent lived. If the decedent's home was in Cranston, the Cranston Probate Court is the court, and no other Rhode Island probate court has jurisdiction over the estate (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). If the decedent lived in another Rhode Island city or town, that municipality's own probate court is the one to file in.
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The Cranston Probate Court is the court for the city of Cranston and for no other municipality (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). Cranston is in Providence County, which matters in one respect only: an appeal from a decree of this court goes to the Superior Court for that county (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1), and the Superior Court sits in four divisions statewide, with Providence and Bristol counties served together.
The jurisdiction process
- Build the asset and debt list before you pick forms. The petition asks for a personal property estimate, and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 makes that estimate the starting point for the filing fee calculation.
- Order the certified death certificate before you go to City Hall. Cranston's rules treat birth and death certificates in the court file differently from ordinary public records, so bring the certified copy you need rather than expecting to copy one from the file.
- Use the statewide PC forms. Cranston's rule 4 requires every matter filed with the court to be on the statewide forms, and those probate forms are published free by the Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16.
- File at the city clerk's office at Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910. The city clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. Cranston probate is a paper filing, so file in person or by mail.
- Pay before the petition is filed. Bring cash, a check or a money order if you file at the counter, because the clerk's counter does not take debit or credit cards. For opening petitions, state law sets one percent of the decedent's personal property, minimum $30 and maximum $1,500, figures unchanged since at least 1996, with later revision if the estimate is wrong (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). Cranston's city schedule available September 2026 adds its own local charges.
- Decide whether all interested parties can sign a waiver. In Cranston's September 2026 city schedule, administration or probate of a will is $84.00 with waiver and $134.00 with advertising. Advertising is paid to the clerk in advance and is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- Meet Cranston's calendar deadline. For an advertised matter, the 2026 court schedule gives a filing deadline about three weeks before each session and two publication dates. For a matter waiving advertising, Cranston's rule 5 requires filing at least 48 hours before the hearing.
- Watch for the written receipt. When a filing calls for a hearing, the clerk notes the hearing date and time on the receipt whenever possible, or sends it as soon as practicable after filing (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
- Attend the session if a hearing is required. Cranston sits on the second and fourth Thursday at 9:00 a.m. in the City Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall. The sign-in sheet is available from 7:30 a.m.; matters are called in sign-in order, waiver matters and name changes are heard first, and contested matters are heard last. Uncontested matters are heard before contested matters by statute, and a special session for a contested matter carries no extra charge (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30).
- Ask for certificates of your appointment. Rhode Island sets the charge at $5.00 for each certificate, unchanged since at least 1996, under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Banks, transfer agents and motor vehicle agencies often need their own certificate.
- File the inventory of personal property within 90 days after appointment, or petition Cranston Probate Court for more time if you cannot meet that deadline (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). Cranston's rule 9 restates that duty.
- Resolve the Rhode Island estate tax position before closing. Cranston's rule 12 will not accept the closing affidavit without a statement of no tax due or a paid tax bill from the Division of Taxation, and R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36 bars allowance of a final account unless the tax has been paid, extended, or determined not to apply.
- Close on Cranston's local checklist. Rule 11 requires an affidavit that notice was given to known or easily ascertainable creditors and to the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Rule 12 also calls for original releases of legatees, a copy of the paid funeral bill, releases of claims, and either a recorded certificate of devise and descent or an affidavit of no real property. If an account is filed, rule 10 requires a certification of accounting signed by both the fiduciary and the attorney for the fiduciary.
- If real estate must be sold, prepare the sale package before the hearing. Cranston's rule 16 requires an appraisal by an independent appraiser who is not a realtor in the transaction, plus a signed purchase and sales agreement. The rule says the court will not hear a sale petition without that agreement.
Executor duties
Cranston adds several local gates to the statewide duties of a personal representative, executor or administrator. These come from the court's administrative rules adopted in February 2019 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
| Local duty | What Cranston requires |
|---|---|
| Inventory extension | If the 90-day inventory of personal property cannot be filed on time, the fiduciary must petition the court for an extension (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). |
| Account certification | Rule 10 says no account will be accepted unless a certification of accounting, signed by both the fiduciary and the attorney representing the fiduciary, is submitted with the account. |
| Creditor and state notice | Rule 11 requires the fiduciary's affidavit that notice went to all known or easily ascertainable creditors and to the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services. The creditor claim period is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5. |
| Closing papers | Rule 12 requires original releases of legatees, the paid funeral bill, releases of claims, the tax statement or paid tax bill, and the real property title filing or affidavit before the affidavit of completed administration is accepted. The final account estate tax gate is R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. |
| Fee petitions | Rules 13, 26 and 27 require a hearing with notice and an itemization of hours and work before attorney, accountant or fiduciary fees are approved. |
| Sale of real estate | Rule 16 requires an independent appraisal and a signed purchase and sales agreement before the court will hear a petition to sell real estate. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Cranston 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 probate clerks (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16). They are numbered in the PC series and available at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
The Cranston Probate Court uses the same forms as every other Rhode Island probate court, and Cranston's rule 4 requires every matter filed with the court to be on the statewide forms. A few forms are issued by the court rather than posted online, so ask the probate clerk's office if you cannot find the form your filing requires.
| Common filing need | Form path |
|---|---|
| Administration when there is no will | Use the statewide administration petition from the Secretary of State's PC form catalogue; that petition's face cites R.I. Gen. Laws 33-8-8. |
| Probate of a will | Use the statewide petition for probate of will from the Secretary of State's PC form catalogue (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16). |
| Voluntary informal administrator | Use PC-1.10 for the R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 route. |
| Voluntary informal executor | Use PC-1.9 for the R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 route. |
| Appointment of an agent | Use PC-3.5 when an out-of-state executor must appoint a resident agent under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. |
| Waiver of advertising | Use PC-9.1 when the waiver affects advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
Fees
Rhode Island sets probate fees by statute and the same state-law 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 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). The fee is due before the petition is filed and is calculated from an estimate you supply, so the amount paid at the counter is provisional and must be revised if the estimate proves wrong. The statute also sets $1.50 per page for copies and $3.00 to certify probate documents, figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
Cranston publishes an itemized probate fee schedule on its city website. The schedule available September 2026 does not give its own revision date, so confirm the total with the probate clerk before filing. The city labels its $4.00 add-on a state surcharge, and the table below uses Cranston's own labels.
| Filing or service | Amount on Cranston schedule available September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Administration with waiver | $84.00 total: $30.00 filing fee, $4.00 state surcharge and $50.00 advertising for qualification only. |
| Administration with advertising | $134.00 total: $30.00 filing fee, $4.00 state surcharge and $100.00 advertising with qualifications. |
| Probate of will with waiver | $84.00 total: $30.00 filing fee, $4.00 state surcharge and $50.00 advertising. |
| Probate of will with advertising | $134.00 total: $30.00 filing fee, $4.00 state surcharge and $100.00 advertising. |
| Voluntary informal administrator or executor | $39.00 total: $30.00 filing fee, $4.00 state surcharge and $5.00 certificate, on the September 2026 city schedule and under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 and 33-24-2. |
| Affidavit of complete administration | $34.00 total: $30.00 filing fee and $4.00 state surcharge. |
| Accounting | $50.00 advertising charge on the September 2026 city schedule. |
| Petition to sell real estate | $50.00 advertising charge on the September 2026 city schedule. |
| Certificate of appointment | $5.00 each, unchanged since at least 1996, under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. |
| Copies | $1.50 per page, unchanged since at least 1996, under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. |
| Certification of copies | $3.00 per packet, unchanged since at least 1996, under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. |
The local money point in Cranston is the waiver. On the city's September 2026 schedule, a waiver reduces the advertising charge from $100.00 to $50.00, but it does not remove advertising entirely because the qualification notice is still charged. Advertising is paid in advance and is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
Timeline
- About three weeks before a session, use the filing deadline listed on Cranston's 2026 schedule for any matter that must be advertised. Two 2026 deadlines are set at 12 p.m.
- Fourteen days before the hearing, the first newspaper publication date appears on the Cranston schedule. That timing matches the minimum notice rule in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- Seven days before the hearing, the second publication date appears on the Cranston schedule. R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 requires publication once a week for at least two weeks.
- At least 10 days before a contested hearing, Cranston rule 7 requires notice in contested matters.
- At least 7 days before a contested hearing, Cranston rule 6 requires a prehearing memorandum with argument summary, witnesses, exhibits, stipulated facts and legal citations.
- At least 48 hours before the hearing, file a matter that waives advertising under Cranston rule 5. Waiver practice is tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22.
- At 7:30 a.m. on the hearing day, the sign-in sheet is available. The docket is called in sign-in order, with contested matters last (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30).
- At 9:00 a.m. on the second or fourth Thursday, the court is in session in the City Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, under Cranston's local administrative rules and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
- Seven days after a proposed order or decree is submitted to counsel, Cranston rule 15 allows entry if no objection is filed.
- Within 90 days after appointment, file the inventory of personal property or petition for an extension (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1).
- Six months from the first publication, creditor claims are barred unless an allowed exception applies (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5).
Local nuance
Cranston-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters in Cranston |
|---|---|
| Two probate searches | Cranston links a city-hosted probate index for estates filed on or before July 1, 2024 and a Curia Systems public probate search for estates filed from July 1, 2024 onward. Rhode Island's judiciary case portal does not handle municipal probate, so use the Cranston court page as the entry point. |
| Waiver saves time and money | On Cranston's September 2026 city schedule, waiver lowers the opening charge from $134.00 to $84.00 for administration or probate of a will, and Cranston rule 5 allows waiver matters to be filed 48 hours before hearing rather than by the advertised-matter schedule. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Sign-in order | The sign-in sheet is available at 7:30 a.m., the session starts at 9:00 a.m., and matters are called in sign-in order. Contested matters go last on the docket, consistent with R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. |
| Voluntary informal filings stay off the session docket | Cranston rule 23 says petitions for voluntary informal administration or voluntary informal executor are reviewed and processed administratively, with authority limited to the assets listed. Those routes are governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 and 33-24-2. |
| Real estate sale package | Cranston rule 16 requires an independent appraisal and a signed purchase and sales agreement before the court will hear a petition to sell real estate. |
| Public file limits | Cranston rule 31 treats filed probate documents as public records, but carves out birth certificates, death certificates and sealed matters. The probate clerk's duties are described in R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7. |
Small-estate Alternatives
Cranston has one local practice note for the statewide small estate routes. Rule 23 says petitions for voluntary informal administration and voluntary informal executor do not appear on the court docket; they are reviewed and processed administratively by the probate court, and the authority granted is limited to the assets stated. The administrator route is under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1, and the executor route is under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2.
On Cranston's city schedule available September 2026, either voluntary informal route is $39.00 total, with the certificate included. That local figure sits on top of the statewide limits and eligibility rules in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24.
Recent updates
| Update | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2026 session schedule | The city published a Cranston Probate Court Schedule for 2026, revised December 19, 2025, setting hearing dates on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, with a filing deadline and two publication dates for each session. The fourth Thursday of November 2026 and the fourth Thursday of December 2026 are marked no session. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Cranston path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the decedent lived in Cranston, file at the city clerk's office in City Hall. Real property means this is not handled only through the voluntary informal path under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24. If every interested party signs a waiver, Cranston's September 2026 city schedule shows $84.00 rather than $134.00 for administration or probate of a will, and waiver matters are heard first. If title must be transferred, Cranston rule 12 requires the recorded title filing or an affidavit of no real property before closing. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues before filing so the estate settlement starts with the right petition, the right fee estimate and the right closing documents. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | An out-of-state child of a Cranston decedent who died without a will cannot serve as the voluntary administrator under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 because that route requires a Rhode Island resident. If the child is named as executor in a will, the voluntary executor route may be available with a resident agent under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. Cranston rule 23 processes those voluntary informal petitions administratively, and the September 2026 city schedule lists either route at $39.00 with the certificate included. | Sunset helps the family find the assets to list, generate the Cranston packet and connect with a local attorney if a Rhode Island resident agent or a different filing path is needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the child lived in Cranston and owned the home, file a full administration or probate of will in Cranston. Rule 16 requires an independent appraisal and a signed purchase and sales agreement before the court will hear a sale petition, and the September 2026 city schedule lists the petition to sell real estate at $50.00 for advertising. The estate tax position must also be resolved before closing because R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36 bars allowance of a final account unless tax has been paid, extended or determined not to apply. | Sunset helps locate accounts, organize the sale-related documents, flag the tax closing step and connect the family to a Cranston probate attorney for the real estate petition. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Cranston Probate Court | The court's page with the 2026 session schedule, filing and publication dates, administrative rules, fee schedule, statewide forms link and both probate searches. | https://www.cranstonri.gov/departments/city-clerk-records-and-licenses/cranston-probate-court/ |
| Cranston City Clerk | The department that keeps probate records and staffs the probate court, with office hours, counter payment methods and a department contact form. The city clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. | https://www.cranstonri.gov/departments/city-clerk-records-and-licenses/ |
| Cranston City Clerk directory | The direct probate telephone line and the note that the office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with no lunch closure. | https://www.cranstonri.gov/departments/city-clerk-records-and-licenses/city-clerk-directory/ |
| Cranston Probate Court fee schedule | The city's itemized probate fee list available September 2026, including local filing, state surcharge, advertising, copy and certification charges. State probate fees are governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and advertising by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. | https://www.cranstonri.gov/_resources/common/userfiles/file/Probate%20court%20fee%20schedule_5007.pdf |
| Cranston Probate Court administrative rules | The court's thirty-one rules adopted in February 2019 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, covering session order, filing deadlines, account certification and real estate sale petitions. | https://www.cranstonri.gov/_resources/common/userfiles/file/Cranston%20Probate%20Court%20Administrative%20Rules%202019.pdf |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms | The free statewide PC form catalogue used by Cranston and published under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. | https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | The court that hears an appeal from a Cranston probate decree under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. | https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/SuperiorCourt/Pages/default.aspx |
| Rhode Island Division of Taxation, estate tax | Estate tax return and lien discharge information for estates that need the Division's tax determination before Cranston Probate Court will allow a final account (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36). | https://tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/estate-tax |
When to hire an attorney
Cranston is a place where counsel often makes practical sense, especially if the estate has real estate, an account, a disputed issue or a sale petition. Cranston rule 10 says the clerk will not accept an account without a certification signed by both the fiduciary and the attorney representing the fiduciary, rule 6 requires a prehearing memorandum before a contested hearing, and rule 16 will not let a real estate sale petition be heard without an independent appraisal and a signed purchase and sales agreement. Sunset connects you to a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build the asset list before filing, which matters in Cranston because Rhode Island uses the personal property estimate on the petition to calculate the opening charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into an organized Cranston filing packet using the statewide probate forms published by the Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, with local reminders for Cranston's waiver deadline, hearing schedule and closing requirements.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a contested matter, an account, a real estate sale or a tax closing issue, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney who understands Cranston's local rules.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a practical estate settlement workspace, document organization and attorney connection support without charging families to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Cranston, Rhode Island?
File with the city clerk's office at Cranston City Hall, 869 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910. The city clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. If the decedent lived in Cranston, this is the correct probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9.
When does the Cranston Probate Court sit?
The court is in session on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 9:00 a.m. in the City Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall. Cranston's 2026 schedule marks the fourth Thursday of November 2026 and the fourth Thursday of December 2026 as no session. The court's local administrative rules are adopted under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
How much does it cost to open a probate estate in Cranston?
For an opening petition, R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 sets one percent of the decedent's personal property, with a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $1,500, figures unchanged since at least 1996, payable before filing on an estimate you provide. Cranston's city schedule available September 2026 lists administration or probate of will at $84.00 with waiver and $134.00 with advertising, plus the state-law revision if the personal property estimate changes. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
Can I look up a Cranston probate estate online?
Yes. Cranston's own probate page links two searches: a city-hosted index for estates filed on or before July 1, 2024, and a Curia Systems public probate search for estates filed from July 1, 2024 onward. Use the Cranston court page as the entry point, because the city links both tools from there.
Does Cranston have its own probate forms?
Cranston requires Rhode Island's statewide probate forms, not a separate Cranston form set. The Secretary of State publishes the statewide PC forms free under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Cranston rule 4 requires filings to use them.
Is Cranston probate a paper filing?
Yes. Cranston's probate materials point to filing in person or by mail with the city clerk at City Hall, and the court website does not offer electronic filing. Bring cash, a check or a money order if you pay at the counter.
What is the deadline to get a matter on the Cranston probate calendar?
For advertised matters, use the filing deadline on Cranston's current annual schedule, which in 2026 is usually about three weeks before the hearing and gives two publication dates. For a matter waiving advertising, Cranston rule 5 requires filing at least 48 hours before the hearing. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
Do I have to come to Cranston in person to settle an estate?
If a hearing is required, Cranston's rules place the session in the City Council Chambers and call matters from a sign-in sheet. If every interested party signs a waiver, Cranston rule 5 gives a shorter filing deadline, waiver matters are heard first, and some voluntary informal petitions under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 are processed administratively rather than placed on the docket. Call the probate clerk before the hearing if travel is a problem.
What does the Cranston Probate Court need before it will close an estate?
Cranston rule 11 requires an affidavit that notice went to all known or easily ascertainable creditors and to the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services. Rule 12 also calls for original legatee releases, the paid funeral bill, releases of claims, and the tax statement or paid tax bill. R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36 separately requires the estate tax to be paid, extended or determined not to apply before a final account is allowed.
Where does an appeal from the Cranston Probate Court go?
An appeal from a Cranston probate decree goes to the Superior Court for Providence County under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. The statute has two jurisdictional steps: a claim of appeal is filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the order or decree, and the certified claim and reasons of appeal are filed in the Superior Court within 30 days after entry. 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.