In any town where the town council regularly sits as the probate court, the town council may appoint annually a member of the bar of the state of Rhode Island to be available to sit as judge of the probate court and may fill any vacancy occurring in the office of that appointee. Whenever a party to any contested matter in the probate court of the town shall so request, the town council acting as the probate court of the town shall designate the appointee to sit as a judge of the probate court to hear and determine that particular contested probate matter and the request and designation shall be recorded in the records of the probate court, and thereupon the appointee shall have the power and be subjected to the duties of the probate court with respect to the matter; provided, however, that if the appointee is a party to or interested in the matter, or is unable to perform his or her duties, no such designation shall be made. The probate clerk shall attend all hearings and record all proceedings before the appointee. The appointee shall not be entitled to any fees of the probate court, and the probate court shall be entitled to the same fees as if the designation had not been made. The appointee shall be entitled to receive from the town such compensation as it may allow.
History of Section.
P.L. 1971, ch. 219, § 1.