Rhode Island Superior Court Civil Cover Sheet

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS

SUPERIOR COURT — CIVIL CASE COVER SHEET

Form SC-223 / Superior-3 Intake Worksheet

IMPORTANT FILING INSTRUCTIONS:
This civil cover sheet must be filed with each original document that commences a civil proceeding in the Clerk's Office pursuant to R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 3. If the case is a District Court appeal, this form must be filed with the appeal in the District Court and will be transferred with other documents to the Superior Court. Complete all applicable sections before filing.

SECTION 1: COURT IDENTIFICATION

Filing Division:

☐ Providence/Bristol County Superior Court
☐ Kent County Superior Court
☐ Newport County Superior Court
☐ Washington County Superior Court

Court Address: [________________________________]

Date of Filing: [__/__/____]

Case Number (Clerk Use Only): [________________________________]

SECTION 2: CASE CAPTION

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS
SUPERIOR COURT

__________________________________________ DIVISION

[________________________________],
                    Plaintiff(s),

        v.                                          C.A. No. _______________
                                                    (Assigned by Clerk)
[________________________________],
                    Defendant(s).

SECTION 3: PARTY INFORMATION

Plaintiff(s)

Additional Plaintiff(s): ☐ See attached list

Defendant(s)

Additional Defendant(s): ☐ See attached list

SECTION 4: ATTORNEY OR SELF-REPRESENTED PARTY INFORMATION

☐ Attorney Representation
☐ Self-Represented (Pro Se)

SECTION 5: NATURE OF PROCEEDING

Select ONE primary category. The nature of proceeding classification determines case assignment and statistical tracking. Check only the single most applicable category.

A. Personal Injury / Wrongful Death

☐ Motor Vehicle Tort (auto, truck, motorcycle)
☐ Premises Liability (slip and fall, dangerous conditions)
☐ Medical Malpractice (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-19-32 et seq.)
☐ Other Professional Malpractice (legal, accounting, engineering)
☐ Product Liability (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-32)
☐ Wrongful Death (R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-7-1 et seq.)
☐ Lead Paint Personal Injury (R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-128.1-1 et seq.)
☐ Asbestos / Toxic Tort
☐ Other Personal Injury: [________________________________]

B. Property Damage

☐ Motor Vehicle Property Damage
☐ Other Property Damage / Destruction
☐ Environmental Damage (R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-20-1 et seq.)

C. Contract / Commercial

☐ Breach of Contract — UCC / Commercial (R.I. Gen. Laws § 6A)
☐ Insurance Coverage Dispute
☐ Debt Collection / Money Owed
☐ Construction Dispute / Mechanic's Lien (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-28-1 et seq.)
☐ Employment Contract / Non-Compete
☐ Other Contract: [________________________________]

D. Real Property

☐ Quiet Title / Adverse Possession
☐ Ejectment / Trespass
☐ Foreclosure (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-27-1 et seq.)
☐ Land Use / Zoning Appeal
☐ Condominium / HOA Dispute
☐ Other Real Property: [________________________________]

E. Civil Rights / Statutory

☐ Civil Rights (42 U.S.C. § 1983 / R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-1-2)
☐ Employment Discrimination (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-1 et seq.)
☐ Fair Housing (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-1 et seq.)
☐ Consumer Protection (R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-1 et seq.)
☐ Other Statutory: [________________________________]

F. Administrative / Appeals

☐ District Court Appeal (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-3.1)
☐ Administrative Agency Appeal (R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-35-15)
☐ Zoning Board Appeal (R.I. Gen. Laws § 45-24-69)
☐ Tax Appeal
☐ Workers' Compensation Appeal
☐ Other Administrative Appeal: [________________________________]

G. Equitable / Declaratory

☐ Declaratory Judgment (R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-30-1 et seq.)
☐ Injunctive Relief
☐ Receivership / Dissolution
☐ Mandamus / Certiorari / Quo Warranto

H. Other Civil Proceedings

☐ Eminent Domain / Condemnation (R.I. Gen. Laws § 37-6-1 et seq.)
☐ Habeas Corpus (State)
☐ Arbitration Confirmation / Vacatur
☐ Foreign Judgment Domestication
☐ Other: [________________________________]

SECTION 6: DISTRICT COURT APPEAL (IF APPLICABLE)

☐ This matter is an appeal from the Rhode Island District Court

Note: Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-3.1, an appeal from the District Court to the Superior Court shall be taken within two (2) days by filing a claim of appeal in the District Court.

SECTION 7: AMOUNT IN CONTROVERSY

A. Monetary Relief Sought

☐ $0 — No monetary damages claimed
☐ $1 to $10,000
☐ $10,001 to $50,000
☐ $50,001 to $100,000
☐ $100,001 to $500,000
☐ Over $500,000
☐ Unspecified / Unliquidated

Estimated Amount (exclusive of interest, costs, and attorney fees): $[________________________________]

B. Non-Monetary Relief Sought

☐ Injunctive Relief
☐ Declaratory Judgment
☐ Specific Performance
☐ Other Equitable Relief: [________________________________]
☐ None

SECTION 8: JURY DEMAND

Pursuant to R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 38(b), any party may demand a trial by jury by serving a written demand therefor not later than ten (10) days after the service of the last pleading directed to the issue:

☐ Jury Trial Demanded
☐ Non-Jury (Bench Trial)
☐ Jury Demand Reserved — To be filed separately

SECTION 9: RELATED CASES

Are there any related or companion cases currently pending in or previously adjudicated by any Rhode Island court?

☐ No related cases
☐ Yes — Provide details below:

SECTION 10: FILING FEES

Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-29-18, the following filing fees apply to Superior Court civil actions:

☐ Filing fee enclosed / paid electronically
☐ Fee waiver requested (Affidavit of Indigency attached — Form SC-1)
☐ Government entity exempt from filing fee

Note: Filing fees are subject to change. Verify current fee schedule at courts.ri.gov or with the Clerk's Office before filing.

SECTION 11: SERVICE OF PROCESS

Method of Service on Defendant(s):

☐ Rhode Island Sheriff's Service
☐ Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested (R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 4(d))
☐ Private Process Server
☐ Service by Publication (R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 4(g)) — Court order required
☐ Secretary of State (Long-Arm Statute — R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-5-33)
☐ Waiver of Service (R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 4(l))
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Service Address for Defendant(s): [________________________________]

SECTION 12: ACCOMMODATIONS AND INTERPRETER NEEDS

☐ No accommodations needed
☐ Interpreter needed — Language: [________________________________]
☐ ADA accommodation needed — Describe: [________________________________]
☐ Hearing impairment accommodation needed

SECTION 13: E-FILING CERTIFICATION

Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 2021-06 and the Rhode Island E-Filing Rules, the filer certifies:

☐ This document is being filed through the Rhode Island E-Filing system (File & Serve)
☐ This document is being filed in paper format (with leave of court or exemption)

SECTION 14: ATTORNEY / PARTY CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURE

I certify that the information provided on this Civil Cover Sheet is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief. I understand that this cover sheet is filed for case administration purposes and does not constitute a pleading or other paper as defined by the Rules of Civil Procedure.

Date: [__/__/____]


____________________________________________________
Signature

[________________________________]
Printed Name

[________________________________]
Rhode Island Bar Number (if applicable)

[________________________________]
Attorney for ☐ Plaintiff(s)  ☐ Defendant(s)  ☐ Self-Represented

RHODE ISLAND PROCEDURAL NOTES

Commencement of Action

• A civil action is commenced by filing a complaint with the court together with a summons, civil cover sheet, and the prescribed filing fee. R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 3.

Jurisdictional Thresholds

• The Superior Court has original jurisdiction over civil actions where the amount in controversy exceeds $5,000, or where equitable relief is sought. R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-2-14.
• The District Court has jurisdiction over civil actions where the amount in controversy does not exceed $10,000 (with some exceptions). R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8-3.

Venue

• Venue in civil actions is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-4-3 et seq. Actions must generally be brought in the county where one of the parties resides or where the cause of action arose.

Service Requirements

• Service of the summons and complaint must be made within 120 days of filing. R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 4(l).

Response Deadline

• A defendant must serve an answer within 20 days after being served with the summons and complaint. R.I. Super. R. Civ. P. Rule 12(a).

Lead Paint Cases

• Cases involving lead paint exposure have special procedural requirements under R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-128.1-1 et seq., including mandatory mediation provisions.

Sources and References

• Rhode Island Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure (February 2024): https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/superiorcourt/Documents/SuperiorCourtRulesOfCivilProcedure.pdf
• Rhode Island General Laws, Title 8 (Courts): https://law.justia.com/codes/rhode-island/title-8/
• Rhode Island General Laws, Title 9 (Courts and Civil Procedure): https://law.justia.com/codes/rhode-island/title-9/
• Rhode Island Superior Court Filing Fees: https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/superiorcourt/Pages/Superior-Court-Filing-Fees.aspx
• Rhode Island E-Filing Information: https://www.courts.ri.gov/efiling/
• Rhode Island Superior Court Forms: https://forms.justia.com/rhode-island/statewide/superior-court/
• SC-223 Civil Case Cover Sheet Form: https://rhode-island-civil-case-cover-sheet.pdffiller.com/