Rhode Island Executor Fee: How Much Is It?

Q: Does the same standard apply in every Rhode Island city or town?

Yes - Section 33-14-8's just-compensation standard applies statewide, but each of the 39 municipal probate courts applies its own judgment to the specific estate before it.

Quick answer: R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-14-8 allows executors and administrators "such compensation for their services as the probate court shall consider just" — not "reasonable," the word most states use. No percentage, no schedule, no factor list anywhere in the statute. And compensation isn't decided through a separate fee petition — it's approved as a line item within the account filed with the probate court. Get an illustrative estimate with the Rhode Island executor fee calculator.

The statute's own word: "just"

R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-14-8: "Executors and administrators shall, also, be allowed in their accounts such compensation for their services as the probate court shall consider just." One sentence, dating back to Rhode Island's 1905 Court and Practice Act — the operative word has remained "just" through every subsequent recodification.

Compensation lives inside the account, not a standalone petition

§ 33-14-8: the phrase "in their accounts" is doing real work here — compensation is a line item the probate court reviews when it allows the executor's or administrator's periodic or final accounting, rather than something argued and decided upfront through a separate motion.

Thirty-nine probate courts, one standard

Rhode Island structure: probate is a municipal responsibility in Rhode Island, with 39 separate probate courts across the state's cities and towns. The § 33-14-8 standard is the same everywhere, but each municipal court applies its own judgment of what's just to the estate before it.

A hard no-fee rule, not just a common waiver

§ 33-24-1(e): a voluntary administrator handling a Rhode Island estate through the small-estate voluntary-administration track serves with no fee at all — this isn't a default that can be waived or kept, it's simply how that specific procedure works.

The will's compensation controls if provided

Standard practice: testators often set personal representative compensation directly in the will, sometimes as a percentage of probate assets or another method entirely. If the personal representative rejects those terms, if the will is silent, or if there's no will, § 33-14-8's just-compensation standard applies instead.

Facing probate in Rhode Island?

A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.

Talk to a Rhode Island attorney

Rhode Island executor fee — frequently asked questions

What does Rhode Island's "just" compensation standard actually mean?

It means the probate court decides what is just for the services performed, with no percentage, schedule, or listed factors in the statute itself — a distinctive word choice compared to the "reasonable compensation" language most states use.

Is the Rhode Island executor fee approved before or after the work is done?

After — it is reviewed and allowed as a line item within the account the executor files with the probate court, rather than argued and decided upfront through a separate petition.

Does the same standard apply in every Rhode Island city or town?

Yes — § 33-14-8's just-compensation standard applies statewide, but each of the 39 municipal probate courts applies its own judgment to the specific estate before it.

Is there ever a hard no-fee rule in Rhode Island?

Yes — a voluntary administrator on the small-estate track under § 33-24-1(e) serves with no fee at all under that specific procedure, not as a waivable default but as a built-in feature of the route.

Does a Rhode Island will's stated compensation override the statute?

Yes, if the will sets compensation directly, that generally controls. The just-compensation standard applies instead only if the personal representative rejects those terms, the will is silent, or there is no will.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-14-8 and § 33-24-1. Rhode Island sets no statutory percentage or fixed hourly rate. Verify with the probate court for the relevant city or town, or a licensed Rhode Island attorney.