In professional services such as those provided by doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, and dentists, there may be a warranty or guarantee of the quality of the services made or implied by law even when there is no express warranty written or stated. And in some states implied warranties cannot be disclaimed by the service provider.

Laws vary from state to state and some state laws recognize implied warranties in professional services and some do not. In states that do not recognize implied warranties in professional services, claims regarding the quality of professional services are generally analyzed as malpractice claims based on the professional’s alleged negligence in failing to meet the standard of care—generally a reasonably prudent and capable professional for the particular profession under the same or similar circumstances.

Laws regarding implied warranties in the provision of professional services may be located in a state’s court opinions (common law or case law) or in its statutes.

In Rhode Island, the concept of implied warranties in professional services is not explicitly outlined in the statutes as it is for goods under the Uniform Commercial Code. Instead, the quality of professional services provided by doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, and dentists is typically governed by the professional's duty to meet the standard of care in their respective field. This means that professionals are expected to perform their services with the skill and care that is reasonably competent and customary for professionals in that specific area of practice. If a professional fails to meet this standard, it may result in a malpractice claim. Malpractice claims are based on the allegation that the professional was negligent in their service, causing harm to the client or patient. Rhode Island courts have established through case law that professionals are held to this standard of care, and any deviation from it could be grounds for a malpractice lawsuit. There is no statutory provision in Rhode Island that explicitly recognizes or disallows the disclaimer of implied warranties in professional services.