Rhode Island Family Court Forms: What You Need for Custody and Divorce

Walking into the Garrahy Judicial Complex without the right paperwork is the fastest way to have your hearing postponed. Rhode Island Family Court requires specific forms at specific stages, and missing even one can stall your case for weeks.

Here's every form you'll need — and when you'll need it.

The DR-6: Your Most Important (and Most Complicated) Form

The DR-6 — formally called the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, Income, and Expenses — is the backbone of every custody and divorce case that involves child support or temporary relief. You'll file this form multiple times: with your initial complaint, before any temporary hearing, and again before the final nominal hearing.

The DR-6 requires a line-by-line breakdown of every asset, debt, and living expense you have. Weekly expenses must be converted to monthly totals (and vice versa), and every figure must be accurate — judges compare both parents' DR-6 forms side by side to calculate child support and determine temporary allowances.

Common mistakes that trigger delays: leaving lines blank instead of entering zero, using outdated income figures, and forgetting to notarize the form before filing.

The Complaint and Summons

Every divorce or custody action starts with a Complaint for Divorce (or, for unmarried parents, a Miscellaneous Petition for custody). The plaintiff files the complaint with the Family Court clerk's office, along with a Summons that must be formally served on the other parent.

For divorcing parents, you'll also need to include your initial DR-6 at the time of filing. For unmarried parents filing a Miscellaneous ("M") case, the court automatically refers the matter to mediation once service is complete.

Child Support Guideline Worksheet (DR-10)

The DR-10 worksheet is where child support numbers get calculated. Rhode Island uses the Income Shares Model under Administrative Order 2023-02 — both parents' adjusted gross incomes are combined, and the basic support obligation comes from a state schedule keyed to that combined income and the number of children.

Key details the DR-10 requires: each parent's adjusted gross income, work-related childcare costs (net of the federal dependent care tax credit), and the cost of the child's health insurance premium.

If you have a shared physical placement arrangement (each parent with at least 179 overnights per year), the DR-10 uses an offset formula instead of the standard calculation. Getting this form wrong directly affects your weekly support order.

Parenting Plan

Rhode Island does not provide an official parenting plan template. You draft your own — and judges reject vague plans that rely on "reasonable visitation at reasonable times." Your plan must specify the weekly schedule with exact days and transition times, holiday and school break rotations, summer vacation procedures, transportation responsibilities, communication guidelines, and a dispute-resolution clause requiring mediation before filing court motions.

Motion for Temporary Allowances

If you need custody, support, or housing orders while the case is pending, you file a Motion for Temporary Allowances along with a current DR-6. The court typically schedules a hearing within 30 to 45 days. The opposing party must file their responsive DR-6 at least seven days before the hearing.

Temporary orders remain in effect until the final nominal hearing or trial, but can be reviewed at Case Management Conferences.

Emergency Motions (Ex Parte)

When a child faces immediate danger — abuse, abduction risk, or sudden relocation — you can file an Ex Parte Motion for Emergency Temporary Custody. This requires a verified complaint, a detailed affidavit describing the immediate harm, and a completed DR-6. A judge reviews the filing the same day and can issue an order without notifying the other parent.

The emergency order is temporary. The court must schedule a return hearing within 14 to 21 days so the other parent can respond.

Pretrial Statement

If your case goes contested, both parties must submit a comprehensive Pretrial Statement at least seven days before the pretrial conference. This includes your DR-6, DR-10, proposed findings of fact, and a complete witness list with summaries of expected testimony.

Where to Get the Forms

The Rhode Island Judiciary website (courts.ri.gov) provides downloadable blank forms. The Family Court clerk's office at the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence can also provide physical copies.

But blank forms are just the starting point — knowing how to complete them correctly, in the right sequence, with the right supporting documents is what determines whether your case moves forward or gets delayed. The Rhode Island Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide walks through every form step by step, from the initial DR-6 through the final nominal hearing paperwork.

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