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South Kingstown Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | South Kingstown Probate Court, the probate court for the town of South Kingstown alone (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). |
| Where to file | Town Clerk's office, Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879. The town clerk serves as clerk of the probate court under the town charter and R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. |
| Where hearings are held | Town Council Chambers, second floor, Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879. |
| Phone | (401) 789-9331 extension 1235 for probate. |
| Fax | (401) 789-5280. |
| [email protected]. | |
| Clerk hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. These are counter hours, not court session times. |
| Court sessions | Normally 9:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month, subject to change under the town's local administrative rules (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29). The town publishes an annual calendar with hearing dates, advertising deadlines under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, and docket deadlines under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. |
| Cost at filing | Rhode Island sets the probate filing fee by 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 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). South Kingstown's town schedule, published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists a $34.00 minimum and $1,504.00 maximum, plus $25.00 advertising and $25.00 qualification advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 unless the petition is on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22. The one percent amount is recalculated against the inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1. |
| Forms | Rhode Island probate forms are statewide PC forms furnished without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. South Kingstown's rules point filers to the Secretary of State, and the live form catalogue is at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/. |
| Paper filing | Plan to file in person or by mail with the town clerk. South Kingstown's probate page and rules do not offer an electronic probate filing path, and Rhode Island statutes assume written, signed papers and payment before filing (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1 and 33-22-21). |
| Estate lookup | South Kingstown publishes a current probate docket for an upcoming session, but not an online searchable index of past estates. Probate records are kept by the probate clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7. |
| Video or phone hearings | South Kingstown does not publish a probate video or phone hearing rule. Call the probate clerk before planning estate settlement travel around anything other than the Town Council Chambers session. |
| Website | https://www.southkingstownri.gov/278/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in South Kingstown, list the accounts, vehicles, tangible property, debts, real property, and beneficiaries. Rhode Island's opening cost is tied to the personal-property estimate you put on the petition, and South Kingstown recalculates the one percent charge against the later inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1.
Sunset's estate settlement platform searches more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then helps organize what belongs in the South Kingstown packet. That preparation matters locally because waiver signatures, advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, and the town's Friday filing deadlines can change whether your matter is ready for the next third-Thursday session.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File where the decedent lived. If the decedent's home was in South Kingstown, the South Kingstown Probate Court is the court, and no other Rhode Island probate court has jurisdiction over the estate (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). South Kingstown's Town Hall is in Wakefield, but Wakefield is a village inside South Kingstown, not a separate municipality and not a separate probate court.
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The South Kingstown Probate Court is the court for the town of South Kingstown and for no other municipality (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). South Kingstown is in Washington 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
- Confirm the South Kingstown venue. File in South Kingstown only if the decedent lived in the town of South Kingstown, even though the Town Hall mailing line says Wakefield (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9).
- Inventory the estate settlement facts before choosing forms. The personal-property estimate on the petition controls the initial one percent filing fee, which is due before filing and later revised when the inventory is filed (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1).
- Download the statewide PC forms from the Rhode Island Secretary of State, which furnishes probate forms without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, or ask the South Kingstown probate clerk for any form that is issued by the court rather than posted online.
- File the petition with the town clerk of South Kingstown, who serves as clerk of the probate court under the town charter and R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. The filing office is Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879.
- Pay the amount due before the petition is filed. South Kingstown's schedule, published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists a $34.00 minimum on the one percent probate charge, a $1,504.00 maximum, $25.00 for advertising and $25.00 for qualification advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 unless the matter is on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22. Checks should be payable to the Town of South Kingstown.
- Use waiver signatures when the interested parties agree. South Kingstown's fee schedule says that if all parties have signed a waiver, there is no advertising fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 and 33-22-11.
- Meet the local filing cutoff. South Kingstown's rules require advertised matters to be filed and paid by the Friday before the week of publication, with three publications in the Narragansett Times under the town's practice and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. The town's probate page says matters that do not require advertising or are on waiver should be submitted by noon on the Friday before the court session.
- Attend the hearing if the matter is on the calendar. The court normally convenes at 9:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the Town Council Chambers, subject to change under local administrative rules required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. The docket order under South Kingstown's rules and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30 places change-of-name matters first, then probate of will, administration and foreign will matters, then guardianship matters, miscellaneous petitions, accounts and contested matters.
- After appointment, order certificates from the probate clerk. Rhode Island charges $5 for each certificate of appointment, a figure in force under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, and institutions commonly ask for their own certificate.
- File the inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). South Kingstown's schedule says the inventory fee is billed when the Universal Inventory is filed, using the one percent calculation under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Handle claims and tax before closing. Creditor claims are presented within six months from first publication under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5. Before the South Kingstown Probate Court will allow a final account, it must see that Rhode Island estate tax has been paid, extended or determined not to apply, and the Division of Taxation's certification settles that point (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36).
- Close the estate with the appropriate account or affidavit of complete administration. South Kingstown's rules require final-account support, including a receipted funeral bill, a Notice of No Tax Due for probate court purposes, releases from beneficiaries and heirs, and either an affidavit of no real property or a recorded certificate of descent when real property is involved (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36). South Kingstown handles affidavits of completed administration administratively in the clerk's office rather than placing them on the docket under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the South Kingstown 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). The South Kingstown Probate Court uses the same PC form set as other Rhode Island municipal probate courts.
South Kingstown does not publish a separate local probate form packet. Its own rules direct parties to the Secretary of State for probate forms under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, but the town's printed link is stale. Use the live catalogue at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
| Need | Form or document | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| Open an intestate estate | PC-1.1 Administration Petition, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-8-8 | File with the town clerk at Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield. |
| Probate a will | PC-1.5 Petition for Probate of Will | The original will must reach the court when required by the route you use. |
| Use the voluntary informal administrator path | PC-1.10, used with R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 | The statewide section 33-24-1 route has a Rhode Island residency requirement for the person acting in an intestate estate. |
| Use the voluntary informal executor path | PC-1.9, used with R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 | South Kingstown's fee schedule, published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists $34.00 for this petition; an out-of-state named executor appoints a resident agent under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. |
| Appoint a resident agent | PC-3.5 Appointment of Agent, used with R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 | Relevant when a named executor lives outside Rhode Island. |
| Use waivers | PC-9.1 Waiver or Advertising, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and 33-22 | South Kingstown says no advertising fee is charged when all parties sign a waiver. |
| Appeal a decree | PC-9.3 Claim of Appeal, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1 | The first appeal step is filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the decree. |
| Close administration | PC-7.3 Affidavit of Complete Administration, a $30 filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | South Kingstown handles these filings administratively in the clerk's office rather than on the docket under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. |
Fees
Rhode Island sets probate fees by statute and the same statewide schedule applies in every municipal probate court. For a petition to probate a will or grant administration, the charge 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, then revised when the inventory is filed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
South Kingstown adds its own local charges. The town's schedule, published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists the opening one percent charge as a $34.00 minimum and a $1,504.00 maximum, plus $25.00 for advertising and $25.00 for qualification advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 unless the petition is on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22. The same schedule says the inventory fee is billed when the Universal Inventory is filed, which is the local expression of the state estimate-and-revision rule in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
| Item | South Kingstown amount | Authority or note |
|---|---|---|
| Probate of will, administration, guardian or conservator appointment | One percent of personal estate, $34.00 minimum and $1,504.00 maximum, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | State component is one percent, $30 minimum and $1,500 maximum under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, with South Kingstown's local records charge added. |
| Advertising | $25.00, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | Newspaper notice is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Qualification advertising | $25.00, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | South Kingstown lists this separately from the basic advertising charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Waiver matters | No advertising fee when all parties have signed, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | Waiver practice rests on R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22. |
| Inventory fee | One percent of personal estate, $34.00 minimum and $1,504.00 maximum, billed when the Universal Inventory is filed, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | Inventory timing is 90 days after appointment unless extended by the court (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1); fee revision is under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. |
| Petition for Voluntary Informal Executor | $34.00, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | Used with R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. |
| Affidavit of Complete Administration | $34.00, as published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026 | The state filing component is $30 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. |
| Certificate of appointment | $5.00 each, in force under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | Ask for enough certificates for banks, transfer agents and other institutions. |
| Copies and certification | $1.50 per page and $3.00 overall to certify, in force under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | Applies to probate documents on file. |
Timeline
- Before filing, gather asset and debt information. The one percent opening charge is based on your estimate and later revised under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- For an advertised matter, file and pay by the Friday before the week of publication. South Kingstown uses the Narragansett Times for three publications before the hearing under its own local practice and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- For a matter on waiver, file by the Friday before the hearing. The live South Kingstown probate page says waiver matters should be submitted by noon on that Friday, and waiver practice is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22.
- Appear at the regular session if your matter is set for hearing. South Kingstown normally sits at 9:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the Town Council Chambers, subject to change under local administrative rules required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
- After appointment, file the inventory within 90 days unless the court allows a longer period (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). South Kingstown bills the inventory fee when the Universal Inventory is filed, using the one percent calculation under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Track creditor claims from the first publication. Claims are presented within six months from first publication or are forever barred, subject to statutory exceptions (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5).
- Before closing, resolve the Rhode Island estate tax position. A final account cannot be allowed until the court finds that tax has been paid, extended or determined not to apply, and the Division of Taxation's certification is conclusive for that purpose (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36).
- If a party appeals a decree, the first step is filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the decree, and the certified claim and reasons are filed in the Superior Court within 30 days after entry of the decree. Both deadlines are jurisdictional under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1.
Local nuance
South Kingstown-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Wakefield address | Town Hall is at 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879, but Wakefield is part of South Kingstown. File in the South Kingstown Probate Court, not in a separate Wakefield court (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). |
| Town clerk role | The town's probate page says the town clerk serves as clerk of the probate court under the town charter and R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. South Kingstown's rules add that if the Probate Judge is absent or unable to serve, duties are temporarily performed by the Town Solicitor, or if the Town Solicitor is absent, by the Probate Clerk, under the local rule tied to the town charter and R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-4. |
| Local notice practice | South Kingstown's rules require matters needing advertising to be filed and paid by the Friday before the week of publication, and publication runs in the Narragansett Times three times before the hearing. The statewide notice statute requires publication once a week for at least two weeks, with the first publication at least 14 days before the first hearing date (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11). |
| Order of hearing | The town's rules call change-of-name matters first, then probate of will, administration and foreign will matters, then guardianship, conservatorship and custodianship, then miscellaneous petitions, then accounts, then contested matters. Dockets and special sessions are governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. |
| Affidavits handled off calendar | South Kingstown's rules say affidavits of completed administration do not appear on the court docket and are handled administratively in the clerk's office, under the court's local practice and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. |
| Final-account support | For a final account, South Kingstown's rules require a receipted funeral bill, a Notice of No Tax Due for probate court purposes, releases from beneficiaries and heirs, and either an affidavit of no real property or a recorded certificate of descent when real property is involved. The final-account tax gate is R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. |
| Hearing recordings | At the request of a party or the Probate Judge, South Kingstown's rules say a proceeding is tape-recorded by the Probate Clerk. Recordings are kept for one year under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7 and are available for transcription at the requesting party's expense. |
| Forms link | South Kingstown's rules point to the Secretary of State for forms, but the printed web path is stale. Use the current Secretary of State probate forms catalogue, furnished without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/. |
Recent updates
South Kingstown publishes an annual probate calendar for 2026 with one hearing date each month, plus an advertising deadline under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and a docket deadline under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30 for each session. The calendar states that all dates are subject to change, so check the town's current calendar before relying on a session date.
Page last reviewed: September 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely South Kingstown path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by confirming which assets actually need probate. If everyone who must receive notice signs a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, South Kingstown's fee schedule says there is no advertising fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. If real property must be addressed in probate, the final account will need the local real-property closing support and the estate tax clearance required by R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues and beneficiary information before the spouse pays South Kingstown's filing costs or asks relatives for waiver signatures. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | For a Rhode Island decedent who died without a will, an out-of-state child cannot act as voluntary administrator under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 because that section requires the person acting to be a Rhode Island resident. If the child is named executor in a will, R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 allows the voluntary executor path with a resident agent, using PC-3.5 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2. South Kingstown's schedule, published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists $34.00 for the Petition for Voluntary Informal Executor. | Sunset helps the out-of-state child sort whether the estate fits the R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 route, gather account information without repeated trips, and get connected to local counsel if a resident agent or full administration 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. In South Kingstown, the parent should expect a full petition, possible newspaper advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 unless waived under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, inventory within 90 days under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1, and estate tax lien clearance before the final account can be allowed under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. | Sunset helps organize assets, generate a probate packet, and connect the parent with a vetted probate attorney for the sale, tax clearance and final account steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| South Kingstown Probate Court | Local session schedule, waiver submission rule under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, and links to the town's fee schedule, administrative rules under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, annual calendar and current docket under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. | https://www.southkingstownri.gov/278/Probate-Court |
| South Kingstown probate fee schedule | The town's published probate charges, retrieved September 1, 2026, including one percent petition and inventory charges under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, qualification advertising, and certificates of appointment. | https://www.southkingstownri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9637/Schedule-of-Probate-Fees |
| South Kingstown administrative rules | The town's local rules, revised January 10, 2023, including the order of hearing, advertising and waiver deadlines, final-account support, recordings, and the no-legal-advice rule under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7 and 33-22-29. | https://www.southkingstownri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/153/Probate-Court-Administrative-Rules-PDF |
| South Kingstown 2026 probate calendar | Dated 2026 hearing sessions, advertising deadlines under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, and docket deadlines under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. | https://www.southkingstownri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11456/2026-Probate-Court-Calendar |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms | Statewide PC probate forms furnished without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. | https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | The Washington County division hears appeals from South Kingstown probate decrees 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, nine-month clock under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-1, lien discharge and Notice of No Tax Due information needed before the 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
Probate counsel makes sense in South Kingstown when the estate includes real property, a sale is needed, the family cannot obtain waivers, a creditor problem appears, a fiduciary accounting is required, or someone may appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. South Kingstown's own rules require account certification by the fiduciary and the attorney representing the fiduciary or the CPA who prepared the account under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-14-2.2, but that local rule should not be read as a statewide statement about every filing. Sunset connects families to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for accounts, policies and other assets so the South Kingstown petition starts with a clearer estate settlement picture and a better personal-property estimate for R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for Rhode Island's statewide PC forms under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, including family contacts, assets, debts and the documents a South Kingstown filing may need.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a house, contested heirs, account certification, creditor claims under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5 or an appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to move from asset discovery to estate settlement organization without paying Sunset for the core service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in South Kingstown?
File with the town clerk at Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 02879. The court is the South Kingstown Probate Court because the decedent lived in the town of South Kingstown, and Rhode Island probate jurisdiction is municipal (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). The town clerk serves as clerk of the probate court under the town charter and R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
Is Wakefield the probate court name?
No. Wakefield is the village location of South Kingstown Town Hall. The probate court is the South Kingstown Probate Court, and it serves only the town of South Kingstown (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9).
When does the South Kingstown Probate Court meet?
The court normally meets at 9:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month in the Town Council Chambers on the second floor of Town Hall. South Kingstown publishes local administrative rules and an annual calendar under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, and the calendar says dates are subject to change.
Can I file South Kingstown probate online?
Plan on a paper filing with the town clerk. South Kingstown's probate page and rules do not provide an electronic filing option, and Rhode Island statutes require written, signed petitions and payment before filing (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1 and 33-22-21).
How much should I bring when I file in South Kingstown?
Rhode Island's probate filing fee is set by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21: one percent of the decedent's personal property, with a $30 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, figures unchanged since at least 1996, due before filing on your estimate and revised later. South Kingstown's schedule, published by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists a $34.00 minimum and $1,504.00 maximum, plus $25.00 advertising and $25.00 qualification advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 unless the petition is on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22.
Does South Kingstown have its own probate forms?
South Kingstown uses Rhode Island's statewide probate forms, which are furnished without charge through the Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. The town's rules point to the Secretary of State for probate forms; use the live catalogue at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
Can I look up a South Kingstown probate case online?
South Kingstown publishes an upcoming-session probate docket under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30, but it does not publish an online searchable probate index. Call the probate clerk at (401) 789-9331 extension 1235 for record questions. Probate records are kept by the probate clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7.
What is the Friday deadline before a South Kingstown probate hearing?
For advertised matters, South Kingstown's rules require filing and payment by the Friday before the week of publication, and publication runs in the Narragansett Times under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. For waiver matters under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, the town's probate page says petitions should be submitted by noon on the Friday before the court session.
Do I have to travel to South Kingstown for every step?
Not every step is a hearing. South Kingstown's rules say affidavits of completed administration are handled administratively in the clerk's office rather than on the docket under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30. For any step that could require appearance, call the probate clerk before making travel plans, because South Kingstown does not publish a probate video or phone hearing rule.
What happens if someone appeals a South Kingstown probate decree?
An aggrieved person files a claim of appeal with the South Kingstown probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the decree, then files the certified claim and reasons in the Superior Court within 30 days after entry. Both deadlines are jurisdictional, and the appeal is heard de novo under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1.
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.