Probate in Kent County, Rhode Island
When someone who lived in Kent County dies, probate is handled by the county probate court. This page points you to that court and summarizes the Rhode Island rules that apply — the small-estate threshold, the key deadlines, and the instruments Rhode Island uses. For your own dates and numbers, use the free calculators linked below.
Where to file
Probate is filed in the county where the person who died last lived. If that was Kent County, this is the court — local forms, e-filing rules, and scheduling vary by county, so confirm with the county probate court. If they last lived in a different county of the same state, the case belongs in that county’s court instead, and one appointment there covers property across the state. If they last lived in another state, the main case belongs there, and property in Kent County generally needs a second, smaller case of its own here (commonly called ancillary probate) — an attorney can confirm which applies.
Rhode Island has no county-level probate court. Probate is municipal: each city and town runs its own probate court, and records are held by that city or town clerk. File in the city or town where the person who died last lived.
Find your court — Rhode Island Department of State — Probate Courts & FormsDoes this estate need full probate?
Rhode Island lets smaller estates skip full probate using the Voluntary informal administration of small estates (R.I. Gen. Laws §33-24-1) for estates up to $15,000.
Check your estate Source — R.I. Gen. Laws §33-24-1 ($15k personalty; funeral/last-sickness off the top)Key probate deadlines in Rhode Island
- Lodge the will with the court
- 30 days after the date of death
- File the estate inventory
- 90 days after appointment as personal representative
- Creditor-claim period closes
- 6 months after first publication of the notice to creditors
Good to know in Rhode Island
- The court empowers the personal representative with Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration.
- The estate closes with the Order of Distribution.
- Rhode Island estate tax return due 9 months after death; threshold ~$1.77M (2024).
Other counties in Rhode Island
If the person who died last lived in a different county in Rhode Island, start with that county instead — see all Rhode Island counties. A few others:
Listed alphabetically, not by distance. A check marks a county with a verified court link.
Talk it through, or find a local pro
Ask the guide a question about probate in Kent County, or browse vetted probate attorneys and real-estate advisors who work in Rhode Island.
Selling an inherited home? Estimate the tax with the capital-gains calculator. Just getting started? Print the Rhode Island after-a-death checklist. Want the background? Read about how probate actually works or the small-estate route.