Court and money
Debt, eviction, work, family and records. The side of the system with no officer in it.
54 sections
Renting
- Sealing an Eviction CaseR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-60 — a motion thirty days after the appeal period, granted when the case was dismissed or the judgment paidalso here
- Housing DiscriminationR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-2 — including source of income and being a victim of domestic abuse, and a charge within one yearalso here
Work and pay
- Discrimination at WorkR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-7 — an employer of four or more, a charge within one year, and the right to sue after one hundred twenty days
- Getting PaidR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-2.2 — weekly pay for most hourly workers, and twice the unpaid wages in court
- The Last PaycheckR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-4 — due the next regular payday, with accrued vacation after a year, and within twenty-four hours if the business closes
- Minimum WageR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-12-3 — $16.00 an hour in 2026 and $17.00 from January 1, 2027
- Equal PayR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-18 — no lower rate for comparable work because of sex, race, age or other protected characteristic
- Hurt at WorkR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-30 — notice to the employer within thirty days, and a claim within two years
- The Job After an InjuryR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-47 — reinstatement on written demand, even if a replacement was hired
- Unemployment After a Job EndsR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-17 — a waiting week, and eight times the weekly benefit in new earnings after a quit or a firing for misconduct
- Working Under SixteenR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-11 — forty hours a week and eight a day under sixteen, forty-eight a week under eighteen
- Paid Sick and Safe LeaveR.I. Gen. Laws § 28-57-5 — an hour for every thirty-five worked, up to forty hours a year, at an employer of eighteen or more
- Jury Duty and Your JobR.I. Gen. Laws § 9-9-28 — no loss of the job, raises or benefits for serving, though the employer need not pay
Family, children and school
- Getting DivorcedR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-3.1 — irreconcilable differences without fault, after a year of living in the state
- Custody After a SplitR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16 — the child's best interests, visitation for the other parent, and domestic violence weighed
- Grandparent VisitationR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-24.1 — a grandparent whose own child has died may petition for reasonable visitation
- A Protective OrderR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-3 — family court orders for up to three years, guns surrendered within twenty-four hours
- A Protective Order Outside the FamilyR.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8.1-3 — district court orders against abuse by someone outside the family court's reach
- Reporting Child AbuseR.I. Gen. Laws § 40-11-3 — everyone reports, within twenty-four hours, and a good faith report is immune
- Changing a NameR.I. Gen. Laws § 8-9-9 — a name change is a probate court matter, and a divorce decree can authorize one too
- Getting MarriedR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-2-14 — eighteen to marry, a license from the town clerk, good for three months
- Turning EighteenR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-12-1 — full legal age, with every right once reserved for twenty-one, unless a statute says otherwise
- School AttendanceR.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-1 — every child from six until eighteen, and $50 a day for a parent's neglect
- Breaking a Protective OrderR.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-3 — a misdemeanor once the order is known, up to a year or $1,000, and contempt besidesalso here
Debt, buying and money
- Unfair and Deceptive PracticesR.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-5.2 — actual damages or $500, whichever is greater, and up to three times the damages
- A Sale at Your DoorR.I. Gen. Laws § 6-28-3 — three days to cancel by registered or certified mail, not counting Sundays and holidays
- The Lemon LawR.I. Gen. Laws § 31-5.2-3 — a refund or a replacement, the buyer's choice, within one year or fifteen thousand miles
- What Creditors Cannot TakeR.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4 — clothing, $9,600 of household goods, tools, retirement accounts, and vehicles up to $12,000
- When Your Data Is BreachedR.I. Gen. Laws § 11-49.3-4 — notice to every affected resident, within thirty days from an agency and forty-five from a business
- Debt CollectorsR.I. Gen. Laws § 19-14.9-6 — no threats, no abuse, no repeated calls, and up to $1,000 in extra damages
Owning a home, land and animals
- The Homestead ExemptionR.I. Gen. Laws § 9-26-4.1 — $500,000 in a principal residence, automatic, with no paper to file
- A Vicious DogR.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13.1-4 — a locked enclosure, and a muzzle and a short leash whenever the dog is out
- A ForeclosureR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-27-9 — a mediation conference before a home foreclosure, within sixty days of the notice
Health, aging and estates
- Dying Without a WillR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-1-10 — a spouse's share of personal property, a life estate in the land, and the rest to children, parents or siblings
- Signing a WillR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-5 — in writing, signed, and witnessed by two people present at the same time
- Changing or Revoking a WillR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-5-10 — a new will, a signed writing, or destroying it on purpose, and marriage and divorce change it too
- The Will After a DeathR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-7-5 — the will into probate court within thirty days, and creditors' claims within six months
- A Small EstateR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1 — personal property up to $15,000, after thirty days, by a sworn statement in probate court
- The Spouse's ShareR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-28-1 — the same share as without a will, claimed within six months of the executor's first publication
- Signing Over AuthorityR.I. Gen. Laws § 34-22-6.1 — a power of attorney that survives incompetency only if it says so
- A Living WillR.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.11-3 — two unrelated witnesses, effective only in a terminal condition, and revoked any way at all
- Who Decides When You CannotR.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4.10-2 — a durable power of attorney for health care, on the statute's own form
- When a Court Appoints a GuardianR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-15-5 — a hearing first, the right to be there, and clear and convincing evidence
- Abuse of an Older AdultR.I. Gen. Laws § 42-66-8 — abuse, neglect, exploitation or self neglect of anyone sixty or older, reported immediately
- Helping at the SceneR.I. Gen. Laws § 11-56-1 — a duty to give reasonable help when it is safe, and no liability for ordinary negligence
Courts and records
- How Long to SueR.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-14 — three years for an injury, one year for words spoken, and ten years for most other claims
- A Small ClaimR.I. Gen. Laws § 10-16-1 — claims up to $5,000 under the small claims procedure, if the plaintiff gives up an appeal
- Voting After a FelonyR.I. Gen. Laws § 17-9.2-3 — the vote is lost only while incarcerated and comes back on discharge
- Clearing a RecordR.I. Gen. Laws § 12-1.3-3 — five clean years after a misdemeanor, ten after a felony, and no crime of violence
Public records, meetings and voting
- Getting Public RecordsR.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-7 — ten business days, a written denial with reasons, and silence counts as a denial
- Open MeetingsR.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-6 — a schedule each January, and forty-eight hours' notice with the business to be discussed
- Photo ID to VoteR.I. Gen. Laws § 17-19-24.2 — a license, passport, school or military ID, or the free voter card, current or expired under six months
- Registering to VoteR.I. Gen. Laws § 17-9.1-3 — registration closes on the thirtieth day before an election
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