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S 2725Civil Procedure

Courts and Civil Procedure - Procedure Generally - Fees

This bill raises filing fees in District, Superior, and Family courts to increase funding for Rhode Island Legal Services.

Signed into law63 Yea0 Nay12 Not voting
Population
Affected
25
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee Senate Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation increases court filing fees for civil actions in the Rhode Island District, Superior, and Family Courts. Specifically, the cost to enter small claims, civil complaints, petitions, and writs of execution will rise by amounts ranging from $10 to $20 depending on the court and action type. A significant portion of these fees is mandated to be directed to Rhode Island Legal Services, raising the contribution to this organization to $20 per eligible filing. This change aims to provide additional funding for legal aid services while adjusting the costs associated with utilizing the court system.

For younger readers

When people have a serious argument that they cannot solve on their own, they often go to court to have a judge decide. To start a case in court, people have to pay a fee. This bill raises the price of those fees. For example, starting a small case used to cost $55, but now it will cost $75. The extra money collected from these fees will be given to a group called Rhode Island Legal Services. This group helps people who do not have enough money to hire their own lawyers.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Civil LitigantsRhode Island Legal ServicesLandlordsAttorneysSmall Business Owners
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Civil Litigants: $10-$20 per filing
Estimated revenue
Court Filers: $10-$20 increase per filing

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Significantly increases funding for Rhode Island Legal Services, directly expanding access to legal representation and justice for low-income residents who cannot afford private attorneys.
  • Strengthens the social safety net by ensuring that vulnerable populations attempting to navigate the legal system for housing, family, or employment issues have better support resources.
  • Redistributes financial resources within the legal system by utilizing fees paid by all litigants, including corporations and wealthier entities, to subsidize legal aid for the poor.
  • Increases the financial barrier to entry for the court system, potentially making it harder for low-to-moderate income individuals who do not qualify for fee waivers to seek justice.
  • Relies on user fees rather than progressive taxation to fund essential public services like legal aid, which can be viewed as an unstable and inequitable funding model.
  • The increased fees for writs of execution and small claims could disproportionately impact working-class individuals attempting to recover stolen wages or security deposits.
For Conservatives
  • Utilizes a user-fee model to fund legal services, ensuring that the costs are borne by those actively using the court system rather than through general taxpayer increases.
  • Limits the burden on the state's general budget by mandating that specific judicial services and related aid be supported by the administrative revenue they generate.
  • Increases the cost of litigation, which may help discourage frivolous lawsuits or unnecessary legal actions by forcing plaintiffs to consider the financial commitment before filing.
  • Increases the cost of doing business for landlords, small business owners, and creditors who frequently need to utilize the court system to enforce contracts or evict non-paying tenants.
  • Mandates a redistribution of private wealth by forcing citizens filing standard legal paperwork to directly subsidize a specific non-profit organization (Rhode Island Legal Services).
  • Acts as a "hidden tax" on the judicial process, effectively penalizing citizens for exercising their legal rights and expanding the government's revenue collection through administrative fees.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 14 additions · 11 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 9-29-1, 9-29-18 and 9-29-19 of the General Laws in Chapter 9-29 entitled "Fees" are hereby amended to read as follows: 9-29-1. District court fees.

(a) Every district court shall be allowed the following fees, in full, to be taxed in the bill of costs in every civil action:

(1) For the entry of every small claim $55.00 75.00.

(2) For the entry of every other action $80.00 100.00.

(3) For every writ of execution $20.00 40.00.

(b) In addition to the fees set forth herein, the district court shall apply a technology surcharge assessed in accordance with § 8-15-11.

(c) Provided, that five dollars ($5.00) twenty dollars ($20.00) of the fee for the entry of every action in subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) or writ in subdivision (a)(3) shall be forwarded to Rhode Island Legal Services. 9-29-18. Superior court fees.

(a) The superior court shall be allowed the following fees in full to be taxed in the bill of costs in every civil action:

(1) For entry of every civil action or petition $160.00 180.00.

(2) For every writ of execution $50.00 70.00.

(3) For the issuance of every citation $25.00 40.00.

(b) In addition to the fees set forth in subsection (a) of this section, the superior court shall apply a technology surcharge on all filing fees assessed in accordance with § 8-15-11.

(c) Provided, that ten dollars ($10.00) twenty dollars ($20.00) of the fee for the entry of every civil action or petition shall be forwarded to Rhode Island Legal Services. 9-29-19. Family court fees.

(a) The family court shall be allowed the following fees in full to be taxed in the bill of costs in every domestic relations or other civil proceeding:

(1) For the entry of every petition, complaint, or action $120.00 130.00.

(2) For every writ of execution $40.00 50.00.

(b) In addition to the fees as set forth herein, the family court shall apply a technology surcharge fee assessed in accordance with § 8-15-11.

(c) Provided, ten dollars ($10.00) twenty dollars ($20.00) of the fee for the entry of every petition, complaint or action shall be forwarded to Rhode Island Legal Services.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.