Hiring a Business Lawyer in Rhode Island
How to form an LLC in Rhode Island, the state fees and yearly filings, how to check a lawyer's license, and the state bar's fee rules. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Rhode Island: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Rhode Island Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) (Supreme Court Rules, Article V), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It must clearly notify the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails, and at the end the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Rhode Island Bar Association's Fee Arbitration program hears fee disputes between clients and attorneys (and between attorneys). It does not handle disputes over fees under $1,000; disputes of $1,000 to $1,500 are decided by one arbitrator on written submissions only. Both parties must agree in advance to be bound by the arbitration panel's decision; if the other side will not agree, no panel is appointed. Submit the signed, dated Arbitration of Fee Disputes Agreement & Petition in triplicate with original signatures to the Executive Director, 41 Sharpe Dr., Cranston, RI 02920; phone 401-421-5740. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | If a complaint involves alleged misappropriation of funds by a lawyer, you may file a statement of claim with the Rhode Island Bar Association's Client Reimbursement Fund; the Disciplinary Board itself cannot recover money. |
Rhode Island rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | File Articles of Organization (Form 400) with the Rhode Island Department of State, either online through the Corporate Online Filing System or on the paper PDF form. The Department says a filing may take between one to three business days to process; confirm that it was accepted before moving on. The Department provides an LLC Articles of Organization online filing guide and an LLC Welcome Packet. |
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| LLC filing fee | The Department of State lists the fee for registering an LLC (Articles of Organization) at $150. By statute, the fee for filing the original articles of organization is one hundred fifty dollars ($150). |
| Registered agent | Every LLC must have both a registered agent and a registered office on file. The agent must be a Rhode Island resident or an entity qualified to do business in Rhode Island, and must have a Rhode Island street address and be available there during normal business hours; P.O. boxes, shipping/postal company addresses and virtual business addresses are not allowed. Changes are filed on Form 642 (agent) or Form 642A (office). By statute, a statement of change of resident agent costs twenty dollars ($20.00), and a change of address only for a resident agent has no fee. |
| Annual report | LLCs file an annual report (Form 632) with the Department of State during the filing period February 1 – May 1. The Department's chart lists a $50 filing fee, a $2.50 enhanced access online fee, and a $25 late filing penalty applied June 1. The Department's LLC Welcome Packet says the report is due each year you are in business, and that failing to file an annual report does not dissolve the business. Businesses that do not meet annual obligations lose good standing status. |
| Operating agreement | The Department of State's LLC Welcome Packet says an LLC should create and agree to an operating agreement as an internal document that determines how the LLC governs itself, and that the operating agreement is held in the private records of the business (it is not filed with the state). The packet does not say an operating agreement is legally required. |
| Closing an LLC | A domestic LLC files Articles of Dissolution (Form 404) with the Department of State; the fee is $50. Once accepted, the entity legally ceases to exist. When filing, the business must certify that it has confirmed its tax status with the RI Division of Taxation and has no outstanding tax debts. A foreign LLC files a certificate of cancellation; by statute the fee is seventy-five dollars ($75.00). Most filings are processed within 3 business days. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Rhode Island Supreme Court's Disciplinary Board and Office of Disciplinary Counsel handle complaints about attorney misconduct, and filing costs nothing. Call (401) 823-5710 to request a complaint form, or write a letter with your name, address and phone, the attorney's name, address and phone, and a description of the complaint, and send it to the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, Philip W. Noel Judicial Complex, 222 Quaker Lane, Room 1083, Warwick, RI 02886. Disciplinary Counsel checks whether the complaint is within the Board's authority, asks the attorney for a written response (you get a copy), investigates if warranted, and the Board authorizes formal charges or dismisses; for serious misconduct the Supreme Court may impose censure, suspension or disbarment. The Board cannot recover fees or damages. |
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All legal help in Rhode Island · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.