Rule 84.Forms.
Current through February 2024 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 84
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
The appendix of forms is not printed at the back of a book. Rule 84 puts the listed forms on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov, under the heading Public Resources, then Forms. That is where the rule sends you, and where the current versions sit.
Then the rule does the useful part. The listed forms are sufficient under these rules. A paper that follows one of them meets what the rules ask of it, so it cannot be faulted for saying too little.
The closing words explain why the forms look so bare. They are intended to indicate the simplicity and brevity of statement the rules contemplate. Pleading here calls for a plain statement, not a recital, and the forms are the court's own demonstration of that. A paper you draft yourself is measured against the pleading rules on content and form rather than against the form book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find Rhode Island Family Court forms?
Rule 84 places the forms listed in the appendix on the Judiciary's website at www.courts.ri.gov, under the heading Public Resources and then Forms. The rule points there rather than reproducing them.
Is a court form by itself enough?
Rule 84 states that the listed forms are sufficient under the rules. A paper that follows one of them satisfies what the rules require of it.
Why are the court forms so short?
The rule says the forms are intended to indicate the simplicity and brevity of statement the rules contemplate. They serve as a model, showing how little a proper paper needs to say.
Can I file a document I wrote myself instead of a listed form?
Rule 84 speaks to the listed forms and declares them sufficient, without making them the only papers allowed. A document you draft is judged against the pleading rules that govern its content and form.
How do I know I have the current version of a form?
Rule 84 ties the appendix to the Judiciary's website, so the version posted there is the one the rule refers to. Pull the form from the site rather than from an older printed copy.