In Rhode Island, a complete Advance Directive consists of two forms: a Living Will titled "Declaration of Desire for a Natural Death" and a "Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare."
You and two (2) witnesses must sign your RI Living Will in order for it to be recognized legal. The witnesses CANNOT be your blood or marriage relatives.
Information Required for Naming a Health Care Proxy: To be valid, your signature must be notarized OR two (2) witnesses must sign your RI Health Care Proxy form.
Witnesses MUST be:
You and two (2) witnesses must sign your RI Living Will in order for it to be recognized legal. The witnesses CANNOT be your blood or marriage relatives.
Information Required for Naming a Health Care Proxy: To be valid, your signature must be notarized OR two (2) witnesses must sign your RI Health Care Proxy form.
Witnesses MUST be:
- Minimum age of eighteen (18) years
- A Rhode Island local
- A person you designate as your agent or substitute agent
- A healthcare professional
- A member of a health care provider's staff
- Community care facility operators
- An employee of a community care facility operator.
Rhode Island Advance Directive Form
Other resources for Rhode Island:
Death Certificates
Digital Estate Planning Laws:
Law: HB 5778
Description: Regulates fiduciary and designated recipient access to digital assets relating to probate practice and procedure by creating the "Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act" to promote uniformity of the law among states that enact it. Additional insight: "The revised act gives fiduciaries some authority to manage digital assets, but it also provides privacy protections for the owners of the digital assets and legal protections for the companies who create and store digital assets." [Source: CLA]
Status: Effective July 15, 2019
Death With Dignity Legislation (a.k.a. Aid-In-Dying or Physician-Assisted Death)
Organ Donation Registries
Rhode Island Organ Donation registry official link.
POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) Form
Rhode Island doesn’t currently have a POLST program (check the status here).
Probate Laws
Title 33: Probate Practice and Procedure
Estate And Inheritance Tax Rate
Death Certificates
Digital Estate Planning Laws:
Law: HB 5778
Description: Regulates fiduciary and designated recipient access to digital assets relating to probate practice and procedure by creating the "Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act" to promote uniformity of the law among states that enact it. Additional insight: "The revised act gives fiduciaries some authority to manage digital assets, but it also provides privacy protections for the owners of the digital assets and legal protections for the companies who create and store digital assets." [Source: CLA]
Status: Effective July 15, 2019
Death With Dignity Legislation (a.k.a. Aid-In-Dying or Physician-Assisted Death)
- Rhode Island has no legislation
Organ Donation Registries
Rhode Island Organ Donation registry official link.
POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) Form
Rhode Island doesn’t currently have a POLST program (check the status here).
Probate Laws
Title 33: Probate Practice and Procedure
Estate And Inheritance Tax Rate
- The top estate tax rate is 16 percent (exemption threshold: $1,561,719)