Rhode Island probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the probate court lets a fiduciary act, most must post a bond.
It guarantees you’ll administer the estate faithfully and according to law.
The court sets the amount to the size of the estate — and we underwrite it.
A surety specialist reviews your file and returns a quote, usually within one business day.

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Required of most fiduciaries under R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1 unless waived by the will or court

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Amount is set by the probate court — in such sum as it shall require, sized to the estate

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Underwritten on personal credit and financials; collateral may apply to a large estate

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How it works

Built for the appointment.

The probate court won’t let a fiduciary enter on the trust until the bond is filed and approved, so the bond is usually the last step before you can act. Here is the whole process:

TODAY · 10 MINUTES

Send us the file

Apply online with the order or petition setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The estate size and any restricted assets drive the penal sum.

WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY

A surety specialist underwrites it

A specialist reviews the file, a personal credit check, and any financials, then returns a quote. The amount is set by the court — underwriting decides approval and any collateral on a large estate.

ON APPROVAL

Execute & file

Once you bind, we issue the executed bond payable to the probate court, ready for the court to approve so you can enter on the trust.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When the probate court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as the executor or administrator of an estate, or a guardian for a ward — it usually requires a bond before you can enter on the trust.

The fiduciary bond guarantees you discharge the duties of the trust according to law: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or ward whole — and the surety looks to you to repay it.

Because the surety stands behind the estate, the bond is underwritten on your personal credit and finances, and a large estate can require collateral. A will can exempt the fiduciary from bond or from surety, but the court can still require one. We tell you what your file needs before you commit.

Rhode Island StatuteR.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1 requires every executor, administrator, and guardian, before entering upon the execution of the trust, to give bond to the probate court in such sum as it shall require, with sufficient surety or sureties. The bond is conditioned to make and return a true inventory of the property, to administer the estate according to law (and, for an executor, according to the will), and to render true accounts of the administration upon oath. Section 33-17-4 allows a testator to exempt the executor from giving bond or surety, though the court may still require one.

You need this bond if you’re

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An executor appointed to administer an estate under a Rhode Island will

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An administrator of an estate where there is no will or no named executor able to serve

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A guardian of the estate of a minor or an incapacitated adult

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Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the probate court can let the fiduciary enter on the trust

The application takes about ten minutes.

These are the actual underwriting fields — the estate, the bond amount the court set, the fiduciary, and your finances. Submit once and a surety specialist returns a quote, typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

Start the application →

FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

What is a Rhode Island probate or fiduciary bond? +

It is the bond a probate court requires before a fiduciary — an executor, administrator, or guardian — can enter on the trust. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1, it is given to the probate court in such sum as it requires, with sufficient surety, conditioned on faithful administration of the estate according to law, protecting the estate or ward from mismanagement or fraud.

How much does it cost? +

It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The court sets the penal sum to the size of the estate — in such sum as it shall require under § 33-17-1. A surety specialist then reviews the fiduciary’s personal credit and finances and returns a premium quote, usually within one business day.

Who decides the bond amount? +

The probate court does. Section 33-17-1 has the fiduciary give bond in such sum as the court shall require, which it sizes to the value of the estate the fiduciary will control. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount the court sets.

Can the bond be waived? +

Sometimes. Under § 33-17-4, a testator can exempt the executor named in the will from giving bond or from giving surety on the bond. Even then, the probate court retains discretion to require a bond or surety where it’s needed to protect the estate. Where it isn’t waived, the fiduciary must file a bond before entering on the trust.

How fast can the bond be issued? +

A specialist typically returns a quote within one business day of a complete application. Once you bind and any collateral is in place, the executed bond issues payable to the probate court, ready for the court to approve so you can enter on the trust.

Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the court can appoint you.

Send us the estate details and the amount the court set, and a surety specialist sizes, underwrites, and quotes the bond — typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

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