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Warren Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Warren Probate Court |
| Filing office | Town clerk of Warren, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6 |
| Address for filing | 514 Main Street, Warren, RI 02885 |
| Mailing | No separate mailing address is published on Warren's probate pages. Call the probate clerk at the number below before mailing an original will or petition. |
| Phone | 401-245-7340, extension 4 |
| Fax | 401-245-7421 |
| Hours | Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
| Filing fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | 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 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, figures unchanged since at least 1996). Warren also publishes local records and advertising charges under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11: as posted by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, an administration or will petition is $142.00 with advertisement and $88.00 on waiver. The one percent is recalculated against the inventory and the difference is billed or refunded. |
| Local forms | Rhode Island probate forms are statewide and free under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Warren links the Secretary of State catalogue. |
| E-filing status | Paper filing. Warren's probate pages do not offer electronic probate filing, and Rhode Island statutes assume paper filing, including a written petition and a fee receipt (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1 and 33-22-21). |
| Case search | Warren's website does not publish an online probate case-search index. Probate papers are kept by the probate clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7, so contact the town clerk's office. |
| Remote appearance | Warren's own probate page states that regular sessions are held via Zoom at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, unless that day is a legal holiday. The court reserves the right to meet on a different day or at a different place for contested matters. |
| Website | https://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/departments/probate_court.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Warren, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts and likely heirs or beneficiaries. Rhode Island's opening fee under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 is based on your estimate of personal property, then adjusted after the inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1, so a careful asset list prevents surprises.
Sunset can help with estate settlement before the first Warren filing by searching across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, organizing what is known and preparing the information your attorney or the probate clerk will expect to see.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File where the decedent lived. If the decedent's home was in Warren, the Warren Probate Court is the court for the estate, and no other Rhode Island probate court has jurisdiction over that estate (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). The town clerk of Warren serves as clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The Warren Probate Court is the court for the town of Warren and for no other municipality (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). Warren 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 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1), and the Superior Court's Providence/Bristol County division covers Warren because Providence and Bristol counties are served together.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the assets, debts and people involved before choosing forms. Your personal-property estimate affects the fee due at filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Download the statewide PC forms from the Rhode Island Secretary of State. Probate forms are prescribed statewide and furnished without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Warren links that catalogue from its own probate page.
- File the petition with the town clerk of Warren, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6, at 514 Main Street, Warren, RI 02885.
- Pay before filing. Warren's fee list, as posted by the town and retrieved September 1, 2026, lists an administration or will petition at $142.00 with advertisement and $88.00 on waiver. The statewide one percent fee, with a $30 minimum and $1,500 maximum, is provisional and later adjusted against the inventory (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1).
- Handle notice. If every required person signs a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, Warren's posted opening-petition amount drops by $54.00. If notice by advertisement is needed, newspaper advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and paid through the clerk.
- Use the hearing information on the receipt or later notice from the clerk. Warren's page states that sessions convene at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, unless that day is a legal holiday, and that regular sessions are held via Zoom. The court also reserves the right to meet at a different day or place for contested matters.
- After appointment, ask the probate clerk for certificates of appointment. Warren's schedule, retrieved September 1, 2026, lists each certificate of appointment at $5.00, and Rhode Island sets that charge in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Administer the estate. File the inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1), manage creditor claims under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5 and keep the estate settlement organized.
- Resolve the Rhode Island estate tax position before closing. Before the Warren Probate Court will allow the final account, it must see that the Rhode Island estate tax has been paid, extended, or determined not to apply, and the Division of Taxation's certification settles the point (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36). In practice, that can mean filing Form RI-706 with the Division of Taxation and obtaining its Notice of No Tax Due for probate court purposes, even if no tax is owed.
- Close the estate. Warren's fee list, retrieved September 1, 2026, prices an account at $54.00 and an affidavit of complete administration at $34.00; the affidavit of complete administration is a $30 statutory filing category under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, with local charges added.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Warren 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 downloadable at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
The Warren Probate Court uses the same statewide forms as every other Rhode Island probate court. Warren's own probate page links the Secretary of State catalogue. A few forms may be issued by the court rather than published online, so ask the Warren probate clerk, whose duties come from R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6 and 8-9-7, if you cannot find a needed form.
Warren links local rules documents, but those download links were not available from the town's file host when checked. Because local administrative rules are required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, ask the clerk for a copy before filing if you need the court's full filing procedures.
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 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, figures unchanged since at least 1996). Two things about that fee surprise people. First, it is due before the petition is filed and is calculated from an estimate you supply, so the amount paid at the counter is provisional. Second, the statutory fee is not the whole cost: Warren adds local charges, and notice by advertisement is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
| Filing or service | Amount posted by Warren, retrieved September 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Administration with advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 | $142.00 |
| Administration on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 | $88.00 |
| Will petition with advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 | $142.00 |
| Will petition on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 | $88.00 |
| Accounts | $54.00 |
| Sale of real estate | $54.00 |
| Voluntary informal filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 | $39.00 |
| Affidavit of complete administration, a filing category under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | $34.00 |
| Certificate of appointment under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | $5.00 |
| Copies under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | $1.50 per page |
| Certification under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 | $3.00, plus $1.50 per page |
The waiver is the practical cost lever in Warren. On the town's posted fee list, retrieved September 1, 2026, an opening administration or will petition is $142.00 with advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and $88.00 on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, a $54.00 difference.
Local nuance
Warren-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Warren |
|---|---|
| Regular session format | Warren's probate page states that regular sessions convene via Zoom at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, unless that day is a legal holiday. The court reserves the right to meet on a different day or at a different place for contested matters. |
| Hours differ from older directory information | The clerk's office is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Call before visiting on a Friday afternoon. |
| Local administrative rules under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29 | Warren links local rules documents, but the download links were not available from the town's file host when checked. Ask the probate clerk for a copy because local administrative rules must be available from the clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. |
| Case search | Warren's site does not publish an online probate case-search index. The Curia Systems link in the town navigation is for ticket payments, not a probate search. |
Recent updates
| Local update | What changed for Warren filers |
|---|---|
| Probate page path | The working Warren Probate Court page is https://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/departments/probate_court.php. Older town-government paths return only the town website shell from this access point. |
| Office hours | Warren's own Town Clerk and Probate Court pages publish Tuesday evening hours until 6:00 p.m. and a Friday noon closing, rather than a uniform weekday schedule. |
| Regular sessions via Zoom | Warren's own probate pages state that regular sessions are held via Zoom, with the court reserving a different day or place for contested matters. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with title and account review. If a Warren filing is needed, use the town clerk's probate office at 514 Main Street. A waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 may reduce Warren's opening-petition charge from $142.00 with advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 to $88.00 on waiver, as posted by Warren and retrieved September 1, 2026. | Sunset helps collect account information, identify which assets need probate authority and prepare a clean estate settlement packet for the Warren filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the Warren decedent died without a will, an out-of-state child cannot serve as voluntary administrator under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 because that section requires a Rhode Island resident affiant. If the child is named executor in a will, R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 may allow a voluntary executor filing with a resident agent using PC-3.5. Warren's posted voluntary informal charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 was $39.00 when retrieved September 1, 2026, and the town states that regular sessions are held via Zoom. | Sunset helps the family decide whether the chapter 33-24 route fits, gather account details and connect an out-of-state child with local counsel when a Rhode Island resident agent or filing strategy is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Warren real estate requires court authority and tax clearance planning. Warren's posted fee list, retrieved September 1, 2026, lists a sale of real estate at $54.00. Before the final account is allowed, the estate tax position must be resolved under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36, and Rhode Island real property may require Form RI-706 and Form T-77 for real property lien discharge under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize the house-sale documents, track the estate tax and lien steps and prepare the family for attorney review before closing. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | How to access |
|---|---|---|
| Warren Probate Court | Address, phone, fax, jurisdiction list, session timing and Zoom information for regular sessions | https://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/departments/probate_court.php |
| Warren Probate Court fee page | Town-posted probate charges, including the $142.00 advertised opening petition and $88.00 opening petition on waiver, as retrieved September 1, 2026 | https://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/government/boards_commissions/probate_court.php |
| Warren Town Clerk | Clerk's office hours and contact information; the town clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6 | https://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/departments/town_clerk/index.php |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms | Free statewide probate forms under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 | https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | Information for the Superior Court division that hears an appeal from Warren Probate Court 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, Notice of No Tax Due and lien-discharge information needed before a final account can be allowed under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36 | https://tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/estate-tax |
When to hire an attorney
Consider speaking with a Rhode Island probate attorney if the estate includes real estate, disputed heirs, creditor problems under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5, an appeal deadline under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, a sale of property, a nonresident fiduciary or a Rhode Island estate tax filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23. Warren's regular sessions may be listed as Zoom sessions, but contested matters can be handled differently by the court. Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for bank, brokerage, retirement, insurance and other accounts so the family can start estate settlement with a fuller asset picture before filing in Warren.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for the statewide Rhode Island PC forms and helps turn scattered account details into a cleaner packet for the Warren Probate Court.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate has real property, tax filings, a contested issue or an out-of-state fiduciary problem, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and they stay in control of whether they want attorney help.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Warren?
File with the Warren Probate Court through the town clerk of Warren at 514 Main Street, Warren, RI 02885. The town clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6, and Warren is the proper court if the decedent lived in Warren (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9).
Does Warren Probate Court use e-filing?
Plan on paper filing. Warren's probate pages do not offer electronic probate filing, and Rhode Island statutes require written, signed petitions and payment before filing with a clerk receipt (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1 and 33-22-21).
When does Warren Probate Court meet?
Warren's page states that sessions convene at 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month unless that day is a legal holiday. Rhode Island requires each probate court's local administrative rules to include session dates and times (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29).
Are Warren Probate Court sessions on Zoom?
Warren's own probate page states that regular sessions are held via Zoom. The same page says the court reserves the right to meet on a different day or at a different place for contested matters, and contested matters may also involve special sessions under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Warren?
Rhode Island's statutory charge is one percent of personal property, with a $30 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, payable before filing and later adjusted to the inventory (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, figures unchanged since at least 1996). Warren's posted schedule, retrieved September 1, 2026, lists an administration or will petition at $142.00 with advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and $88.00 on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22.
Does Warren have its own probate forms?
Use the statewide Rhode Island probate forms published free by the Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Warren links that catalogue from its probate page.
Can I look up a Warren probate case online?
Warren's website does not publish an online probate case-search index. Probate papers are kept by the Warren probate clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7, so contact the town clerk's office at 401-245-7340, extension 4.
Do I have to travel to Warren for probate?
Start by calling the clerk, because Warren's page states that regular sessions are held via Zoom and because waiver filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 can reduce notice and advertising issues under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. Do not assume that a contested matter will follow the same format, because Warren states that the court may meet at a different day or place for contested matters.
What happens if I disagree with a Warren Probate Court decree?
An appeal has two jurisdictional steps: a claim of appeal must be filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the decree, and the certified claim and reasons of appeal must be filed in the Superior Court within 30 days after entry of the decree (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1). 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.