Thirty-nine courts, not one per county
What makes Rhode Island different: Rhode Island has no county probate court to compare. Its five counties are geographic only and run no court; probate is heard by a court in each of the 39 cities and towns — the most localized probate structure of any state.
A surviving spouse doesn't automatically own the house outright
Under intestacy, a surviving spouse receives only a life estate in real property by default, not outright ownership, and must petition the court to inherit up to $150,000 of real estate outright if there are surviving descendants, or $75,000 if there are none.
No statutory fee percentage
Executors are entitled to "just" compensation, reviewed by the court for reasonableness — there's no percentage schedule to fall back on.
A state estate tax with a notably low threshold
Rhode Island has its own state estate tax with a 2026 exemption of roughly $1.84 million, adjusted annually for inflation, and rates up to 16% — a much lower threshold than the federal exemption. See Capital Gains Tax on the Sale for the separate tax on the gain itself.