Rule 26.General Provisions Governing Discovery; Duty of Disclosure.

Current through February 2024 · Last verified September 12, 2026

In one sentenceRule 26 sets what discovery you can get in a Family Court case, how far it reaches, when the court must cut it back, the duty to update answers, and what a signature on a discovery paper certifies.

Full Text of Rule 26

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(a) Discovery Methods. Parties may obtain discovery by one (1) or more of the following methods: depositions upon oral examinations or written questions; written interrogatories; production of documents or things or permission to enter upon land or other property under Rule 34 or 45(a) for inspection and other purposes; physical and mental examinations; and requests for admission. In accordance with Rule 5(d), discovery requests and responses shall not be filed with the court until they are used in the proceeding or the court orders their filing.

(b) Discovery: Scope and Limits. Unless otherwise limited by order of the court in accordance with these rules, the scope of discovery is as follows:

(1) In General. Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any books, documents, or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of any discoverable matter. It is not ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.

The frequency or extent of use of the discovery methods set forth in these rules shall be limited by the court if it determines that:

(A) The discovery sought is unreasonably cumulative or duplicative, or is obtainable from some other source that is more convenient, less burdensome, or less expensive;

(B) The party seeking discovery has had ample opportunity by discovery in the action to obtain the information sought; or

(C) The discovery is unduly burdensome or expensive, taking into account the needs of the case, the amount in controversy, the parties' resources, and the importance of the issues at stake in the litigation. The court may act upon its own initiative after reasonable notice or pursuant to a motion under subdivision (c).

(2) [Reserved].

(3) Trial Preparation: Materials. A party shall not require the production or inspection of any writing obtained or prepared by the adverse party, the adverse party's attorney, surety, indemnitor, or agent in anticipation of litigation and in preparation for trial unless the court otherwise orders on the ground that a denial of production or inspection will result in an injustice or undue hardship; nor shall the deponent be required to produce or submit for inspection any part of a writing which reflects an attorney's mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or legal theories, or, except as provided hereinafter and in Rule 35, the conclusions of an expert engaged in anticipation of litigation and in preparation for trial.

(4) Trial Preparation: Experts. A party may require any other party to disclose the names and addresses of proposed expert witnesses; except as provided in Rule 35 such disclosure shall be solely for the purpose of enabling the party to investigate the qualifications of such witnesses in advance of trial, unless the court orders the taking of the deposition of such witnesses by any party on the ground that lack of such deposition will result in an injustice or undue hardship. Such order shall issue only on motion after hearing and shall be on such terms and conditions as the court may determine.

(5) Claims of Privilege or Protection of Trial Preparation Materials. When a party withholds information otherwise discoverable under these rules by claiming that it is privileged or subject to protection as trial preparation material, the party shall make the claim expressly and shall describe the nature of the documents, communications, or things not produced or disclosed in a manner that, without revealing information itself privileged or protected, will enable other parties to assess the applicability of the privilege or protection.

(c) Protective Orders. Upon motion by a party or by the person from whom discovery is sought, accompanied by a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with other affected parties in an effort to resolve the dispute without court action, and for good cause shown, the court in which the action is pending or alternatively, on matters relating to a deposition, the court in the county where the deposition is to be taken may make any order which justice requires to protect a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense, including one or more of the following:

(1) That the disclosure or discovery not be had;

(2) That the disclosure or discovery may be had only on specified terms and conditions, including a designation of the time or place;

(3) That the discovery may be had only by a method of discovery other than that selected by the party seeking discovery;

(4) That certain matters not be inquired into, or that the scope of the disclosure or discovery be limited to certain matters;

(5) That discovery be conducted with no one present except persons designated by the court;

(6) That a deposition after being sealed be opened only by order of the court;

(7) That a trade secret or other confidential research, development, or commercial information not be revealed or be revealed only in a designated way; and

(8) That the parties simultaneously file specified documents or information enclosed in sealed envelopes to be opened as directed by the court.

In ruling on a motion for a protective order the court may, on such terms and conditions as are just, order that any party or other person provide or permit discovery. The provisions of Rule 37(a)(4) apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the motion.

(d) Sequence and Timing of Discovery. Unless the court upon motion, for the convenience of parties and witnesses and in the interests of justice, orders otherwise, methods of discovery may be used in any sequence and the fact that a party is conducting discovery, whether by deposition or otherwise, shall not operate to delay any other party's discovery.

(e) Supplementation of Responses. A party who has responded to a request for discovery with a response that was complete when made is under a duty to supplement the response to include information thereafter acquired under the following circumstances:

(1) A party is under a duty seasonably to supplement his response with respect to any question directly addressed to:

(A) The identity and location of persons having knowledge of discoverable matters; and

(B) The identity of each person expected to be called as an expert witness at trial, the subject matter on which the person is expected to testify, and the substance of the person's testimony.

(2) A party is under a duty seasonably to amend a prior response if the party obtains information upon the basis of which:

(A) The party knows that the response was incorrect when made; or

(B) The party knows that the response though correct when made is no longer true or complete and the circumstances are such that a failure to amend the response is in substance a knowing concealment.

(3) A duty to supplement responses may be imposed by order of the court, agreement of the parties, or at any time prior to trial through new requests for supplementation of prior responses.

(4) A party is under a continuing duty to furnish answers to interrogatories as provided in Rule 33(c).

(f) Signing of Discovery Requests, Responses, and Objections. Every discovery request, response, or objection made by a party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one (1) attorney of record, other than responses that must be signed by the party, in the attorney's individual name and shall state the attorney's address, email address, bar number, and telephone number. A self-represented litigant shall sign the request, response, or objection and state the self-represented litigant's address, email address (if electing to utilize the EFS), and telephone number. The signature of the attorney, party, or self-represented litigant constitutes a certification that to the best of the signer's knowledge, information, and belief, formed after a reasonable inquiry, the request, response, or objection is:

(1) Consistent with these rules and warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law;

(2) Not interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation; and

(3) Not unreasonable or unduly burdensome or expensive, given the needs of the case, the discovery already had in the case, the amount in controversy, and the importance of the issues at stake in the litigation.

If a request, response, or objection is not signed, it shall be stricken unless it is signed promptly after the omission is called to the attention of the party making the request, response, or objection, and a party shall not be obligated to take any action with respect to it until it is signed.

If without substantial justification a certification is made in violation of the rule, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative, may impose upon the person who made the certification, the party on whose behalf the disclosure, request, response, or objection is made, or both, an appropriate sanction, which may include an order to pay the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred because of the violation, including a reasonable attorney's fee.

End

Amendment History

Rhode Island does not publish a per-rule amendment history inside the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own February 2024 printing; for the underlying adopting orders and any later amendments, see the Rhode Island Judiciary’s compiled rules page.

Plain-English Summary

Subdivision (a) lists the tools: depositions on oral examination or written questions, written interrogatories, requests to produce documents or things or to enter land, physical and mental examinations, and requests for admission. It also keeps the paper out of the court file. Under Rule 5(d), discovery requests and responses are not filed with the court until they are used in the proceeding or the court orders them filed.

Subdivision (b)(1) sets the reach: any matter, not privileged, relevant to the subject matter of the pending action, including the existence, custody, condition and location of documents and things and the identity and location of people who know something. An objection that the answer would be inadmissible at trial does not defeat the request if it appears reasonably calculated to lead to admissible evidence. Subdivision (b) then requires the court to limit the frequency or extent of discovery on any of these grounds: it is unreasonably cumulative or duplicative; it can be had from a source that is more convenient, less burdensome or less expensive; the party seeking it has already had ample opportunity in the case to obtain it; or it is unduly burdensome or expensive, weighed against the needs of the case, the amount in controversy, the parties' resources and the importance of the issues at stake. The court may act on its own initiative after reasonable notice, or on a motion under subdivision (c).

Two subdivisions narrow what trial preparation yields. Subdivision (b)(3) blocks production of a writing the adverse party, that party's attorney, surety, indemnitor or agent prepared in anticipation of litigation and in preparation for trial, unless the court orders otherwise because a denial would result in injustice or undue hardship. It also shields any part of a writing that reflects an attorney's mental impressions, conclusions, opinions or legal theories, and the conclusions of an expert engaged in anticipation of litigation, except as subdivision (b)(4) and Rule 35 allow. Subdivision (b)(4) lets a party require the names and addresses of proposed expert witnesses, and except as Rule 35 provides, that disclosure is solely for investigating their qualifications before trial; deposing such an expert takes a court order, issued on motion after hearing, on the ground that going without the deposition would cause injustice or undue hardship. When a party withholds something as privileged or as trial preparation material, subdivision (b)(5) requires an express claim and a description good enough to let the other side test it.

Subdivision (c) covers protective orders, on a motion that carries a certification that the movant conferred or tried in good faith to confer with the other affected parties, and on good cause shown. The court may then bar the discovery, set terms and conditions, switch the method, limit the subjects, allow no one present but designated people, seal a deposition, protect confidential commercial information, or order sealed filings, and Rule 37(a)(4) governs who pays for the fight. Subdivision (d) settles a question about order: unless the court on motion orders otherwise, the methods may be used in any sequence, and one party's discovery does not delay another party's. Subdivision (e) makes supplementation a duty for the identity of people with knowledge and for expert witnesses, and requires a party to amend an answer it learns was wrong when made, or that has stopped being true where silence would amount to a knowing concealment. Subdivision (f) requires a signature on every discovery request, response and objection: an attorney of record signs in the attorney's own name and gives an address, email address, bar number and telephone number, and a self-represented litigant signs and gives an address, a telephone number and, if electing to use the EFS, an email address. An unsigned paper is stricken unless it is signed promptly after the omission is pointed out, and nobody has to act on it until it is signed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to file my discovery requests with the Rhode Island Family Court?

No. Rule 26(a) points to Rule 5(d) and keeps discovery requests and responses out of the court file until they are used in the proceeding or the court orders them filed. They are served on the other party instead.

What can I ask for in discovery in a Rhode Island divorce?

Subdivision (b)(1) allows any unprivileged matter relevant to the subject matter of the case, including the existence, description, condition and location of documents and things, and the identity and location of people who know something about it. A request is good even if the answer would not be admitted at trial, so long as it appears reasonably calculated to lead to admissible evidence.

Can I depose the other side's expert witness?

Not without a court order. Subdivision (b)(4) gives you the names and addresses of proposed experts so you can investigate their qualifications, and a deposition of one requires an order issued on motion after a hearing, on the ground that lack of the deposition would result in injustice or undue hardship.

How do I stop discovery that is being used to harass me?

Subdivision (c) provides for a motion for a protective order, brought by a party or by the person from whom discovery is sought and accompanied by a certification that the movant conferred or tried in good faith to confer with the other affected parties. On good cause shown the court may forbid the discovery, set terms and conditions, limit the subjects, allow no one present except people it designates, or order that a sealed deposition be opened only by court order.

Do I have to correct a discovery answer if I learn something new?

Yes, in the situations subdivision (e) names. A party must seasonably supplement answers about who has knowledge of discoverable matters and about expert witnesses, and must amend any answer it learns was incorrect when made, or that is no longer true where leaving it alone would amount to a knowing concealment.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Rhode Island Family Court Rules of Domestic Relations Procedure (R.Dom.Rel.P. 26). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-6-2). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 12, 2026. · Official source

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