Rule 52.Findings by the Court.

Current through February 2024 · Last verified September 12, 2026

In one sentenceRule 52 requires the judge to find the facts specially and state conclusions of law separately, and gives a party ten days after entry of judgment to move to amend or add findings.

Full Text of Rule 52

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b)

(a) Requirement. The court shall find the facts specially and state separately its conclusions of law thereon, and judgment shall be entered pursuant to Rule 58; and in granting or refusing interlocutory injunctions the court shall similarly set forth the findings of fact and conclusions of law which constitute the grounds of its action. The findings of a master, to the extent that the court adopts them, shall be considered as the findings of the court. If an opinion or memorandum of decision is filed, it will be sufficient if the findings of fact and conclusions of law appear therein. Findings of fact and conclusions of law are unnecessary on decisions of motions under Rules 12 or 56 or any other motion except as provided in Rule 41(b) and on motions under Rule 59.

(b) Amendment. Upon motion of a party made not later than ten (10) days after entry of judgment the court may amend its findings or make additional findings and may amend the judgment accordingly. The motion may be made with a motion for a new trial pursuant to Rule 59.

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) sets what a decision has to contain. The court finds the facts specially, states its conclusions of law separately, and judgment is entered under Rule 58. The same treatment applies to granting or refusing interlocutory injunctions, where the court sets out the findings of fact and conclusions of law that are the grounds for its action. A filed opinion or memorandum of decision is enough, so long as the findings and conclusions appear in it, and findings made by a master become the court's findings to the extent the court adopts them.

Motions are handled differently. Subdivision (a) states that findings of fact and conclusions of law are unnecessary on decisions of motions under Rule 12 or Rule 56 or any other motion, and it names two rules in the same breath: the exception provided in Rule 41(b), and motions under Rule 59. Rule 41(b)(2) is the live piece of that cross-reference, because when the court renders judgment on the merits against a plaintiff after the plaintiff rests, it makes findings as provided in Rule 52(a).

Subdivision (b) is the deadline to watch. A motion to amend the findings, or to make additional ones, must be made not later than ten days after entry of judgment, and the court may amend the judgment to match. That motion may be filed together with a motion for a new trial under Rule 59, which is how a party raises a factual gap and a request for a new trial at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the judge have to explain the decision after a family court trial?

Subdivision (a) requires the court to find the facts specially and state its conclusions of law separately. If an opinion or memorandum of decision is filed, that is sufficient as long as the findings of fact and conclusions of law appear in it.

How long do I have to ask the judge to change the findings?

A motion to amend the findings or to make additional findings must be made not later than ten days after entry of judgment. The court may then amend its findings and amend the judgment accordingly.

Does the court make findings when it decides a motion?

Usually not. Subdivision (a) says findings of fact and conclusions of law are unnecessary on decisions of motions under Rules 12 or 56 or any other motion, naming the exception provided in Rule 41(b) and motions under Rule 59.

Are findings required for a temporary injunction?

Yes. Subdivision (a) states that in granting or refusing interlocutory injunctions the court shall set forth the findings of fact and conclusions of law that constitute the grounds of its action.

What weight do a master's findings carry?

Subdivision (a) provides that the findings of a master, to the extent the court adopts them, are considered the findings of the court. What the court does not adopt does not become part of its decision under this rule.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Rhode Island Family Court Rules of Domestic Relations Procedure (R.Dom.Rel.P. 52). 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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