Rhode Island Legal Guides
25 guides covering Rhode Island topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Rhode Island lawFree caselaw search for Rhode Island — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Rhode Island
Rhode Island adverse possession: 10 years under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-7-1. Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Rhode Island opinions.
- Can a Person Subject to a Guardianship Make a New Will?
No, if the guardianship court takes away the right to make a new will. If the guardianship court has not taken away the right to make a new will, the new will might be valid. The recent Rhode Island Supreme Court case of Duffy v. Scire , 22…
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Rhode Island? Does Fault Matter?
Rhode Island car accident lawsuits and fault: pure comparative fault (recovery reduced by your share of fault, with no percentage bar) under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (Three years for personal injury actions under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14(b).).
- Castle Doctrine in Rhode Island: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Rhode Island castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-8-8), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Rhode Island
How Rhode Island courts decide custody and parenting time under R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 15-5-16 to 15-5-16.2, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- DUI Penalties in Rhode Island
Rhode Island DUI penalties under R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- How Does Bond Work in Rhode Island? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Rhode Island bail and bond explained: Bail with recognizance and surety options. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Rhode Island opinions under R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 12-13-1 to 12-13-22.
- How Does Eviction Work in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island eviction / Eviction / trespass and ejectment (residential landlord-tenant) under R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-1 et seq. (Residential Landlord and Tenant Act): notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Rhode Island?
To make a valid will under Rhode Island law, the will must be: In writing Signed by the testator Attested and subscribed by two witnesses The execution requirements for a valid will are found at Rhode Island General Laws § 33-5-5 . W…
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Rhode Island: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Rhode Island guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a complaint; how service and Odyssey File & Serve (Rhode Island) registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Rhode Island
Rhode Island divorce filing guide: At least one party must have been a domiciled inhabitant of Rhode Island for 1 year before filing. equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Rhode Island
Paths to shorten or correct a Rhode Island prison sentence under R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 10-9.1-1 to 10-9.1-8: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Rhode Island opinions.
- How to Modify Alimony in Rhode Island
Step-by-step guide to modifying alimony in Rhode Island under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16(c)(2): changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Child Support in Rhode Island
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Rhode Island child support order under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(2): what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Is Abortion Legal in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island abortion law after Dobbs: protected access. No near-total ban; Reproductive Privacy Act protects access consistent with pre-Dobbs federal viability principles as a matter of state law.. Linked statutes and Rhode Island opinions.
- Rhode Island Alimony: Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Rhode Island courts award alimony under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Rhode Island Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Rhode Island calculates child support under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2; Rhode Island Child Support Guidelines, including the income shares, deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Rhode Island Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Rhode Island evidence law under the Rhode Island Rules of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Rhode Island Expungement and sealing, Section by Section
Rhode Island expungement and sealing begins with R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-8-12, expunging certain criminal records. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- Rhode Island Supreme Court: Notary Signature Counts As Subscribing Witness to Will
In In Re Estate of Barbara Cardiff , a January 21, 2022 opinion from the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the Court affirmed the validity of a will and determined that an individual who signs a will as a notary may also count as a subscribing wi…
- Security Deposit Return in Rhode Island
How Rhode Island landlords must handle residential security deposits under R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Rhode Island
Rhode Island stand-your-ground overview (duty-to-retreat (outside the home)): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Rhode Island
Surviving spouses in Rhode Island have many rights and entitlements, including: Intestate Share Support Allowance Elective Share Life Estate Widow's rights in Rhode Island are a little different than in other states, because the surviving s…
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2.1, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next of Kin In Rhode Island?
Next of kin in Rhode Island for purposes of intestate succession are: Surviving spouse Descendants Parents Siblings Nieces and nephews Grandparents Aunts and uncles Cousins What Next Of Kin Inherit Under Rhode Island Law? When a decedent di…