Rhode Island Executor & Trustee Checklist
You've been named executor or trustee in Rhode Island — and probably handed no instructions. This is the ordered list of what to do, in the sequence Rhode Island expects it, with the deadlines and terminology that are specific to this state. Work down it, check things off, and nothing important slips.
- Who administers the estate
- Executor (named in a will) or Administrator (intestate)
- Court
- Municipal Probate Court — one in each of RI's 39 cities/towns (file where the decedent resided)
- Appointment document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Creditor claim window
- 6 months from first publication
- Inventory deadline
- Filed with the probate court within three months of appointment
- Trustee notice deadline
- RI has NOT adopted the UTC
- State death tax
- Rhode Island estate tax
If you're the Executor / Personal Representative
The probate track — administering the estate through the Municipal Probate Court — one in each of RI's 39 cities/towns (file where the decedent resided).
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This is the document that proves you have authority to act as Executor (named in a will) or Administrator (intestate).
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Publish in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks (R.I. Gen. Laws §33-11-5). Known creditors should receive actual notice.
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Filed with the probate court within three months of appointment (R.I. Gen. Laws §33-9-1).
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Notice of the petition/first-publication goes to interested parties/heirs; specifics are set by each town court's administrative rules. Not a UPC 30-day information-notice regime.
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Get an EIN for the estate from the IRS (free at irs.gov, ~10 minutes) — the estate is its own taxpayer and you'll need it before a bank will open an account.
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Open a dedicated estate bank account — every dollar in or out flows through it; commingling estate money with your own is the fastest way to get into trouble.
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Keep receipts and records of every transaction and decision — not just what you did, but why; your final accounting is built from this and it's your protection if a choice is ever questioned.
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Pay valid claims and taxes before distributing anything, in the statutory order — paying family first can leave you personally liable. Rhode Island estate tax — credit/threshold indexed annually: ~$1,802,431 for 2025, rising to ~$1,838,056 for 2026. No inheritance tax. An automatic estate-tax lien attaches to RI real estate at death (released via Form RI-706).
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Collect a signed receipt or release from every beneficiary when you distribute.
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Closes on allowance of the final account by the probate court after the creditor period; simple estates typically 6–9 months.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
If you're the Trustee
The trust track — administering a trust outside of probate.
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Locate and read the entire trust document, including any amendments and restatements — your powers, limits, and timelines live there.
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RI has NOT adopted the UTC — no statutory 60-day post-death rule. Trustee duties are governed by common law and Title 18 (duty to keep beneficiaries reasonably informed).
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Publish in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks (R.I. Gen. Laws §33-11-5). Known creditors should receive actual notice.
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Get an EIN for the trust from the IRS — the trust becomes irrevocable at death and files its own returns from that point.
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Retitle and gather the trust assets; hunt down anything never moved into the trust — it may need probate.
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Keep trust assets separate from your own, always — separate accounts, separate records, no exceptions.
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Document every decision, valuation, and distribution as you go.
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Account to the beneficiaries at least annually and at termination.
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Distribute according to the terms of the trust and collect signed receipts and releases.
Good to know in Rhode Island
Small-estate affidavit where personal property ≤ $15,000 and no real estate; file ≥ 30 days after death (R.I. Gen. Laws §33-24-1).
Closes on allowance of the final account by the probate court after the creditor period; simple estates typically 6–9 months.
Probate is handled by 39 separate municipal/town probate courts, not a statewide judiciary. An automatic estate-tax lien attaches to RI real estate at death. Non-UTC state.
Sources — investigate further
The steps above are drawn from Rhode Island's own statutes and courts. To dig deeper:
We'll email you a copy so it's always one click away. No spam — just the checklist and the occasional estate-settlement tip.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and county practice varies. When in doubt, talk to a probate attorney licensed in the relevant state.