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Probate and Family Court
Fiscal Year 2002 Statistics


Counties of Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester

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Annual Report Statistics Fiscal Year Ending 2002
Divisions:
Midd
Nant
Norf
Plym
Suff
Worc
Totals
All Counties
Part I:
   Total Original Entries

All Complaints, Petitions, and Accounts Filed 
28,502
285
14,075
12,985
13,840
21,302
154,974
Part II:
   Probate
1.Administrations & Probate of Will
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
5,193
59
2,666
1,643
1,802
2,597
22,918
      Decrees
3,405
50
1,803
1,173
1,734
1,581
16,155
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
421
5
421
251
400
1,083
3,812
2. Trusteeships
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
105
3
137
121
7
37
566
      Decrees
109
3
37
31
9
34
355
3. Gdnshps of Minor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
513
5
262
333
598
632
4,337
      Temp. Appointments
284
2
173
367
560
359
3,198
      Decrees
208
4
174
167
303
487
2,426
      Rogers Orders Entered
0
0
3
9
381
*
421
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
257
0
196
261
502
367
3,055
4. Gdnshps of Mentally Ill
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
511
1
237
202
357
356
2,654
      Temp. Appointments
249
1
114
123
241
98
1,472
      Decrees
684
0
201
155
223
598
2,529
      Rogers Orders Entered
388
0
161
139
907
*
2,436
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
15
0
23
32
18
2
155
5. Gdnshps of Mentally Retarded
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
188
0
109
76
95
150
972
      Temp. Appointments
19
0
9
21
24
12
176
      Decrees
578
0
128
56
71
236
1,371
      Rogers Orders Entered
248
0
76
21
161
*
930
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
8
0
11
6
3
27
85
6. Gdnshps of Incapacitated
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
85
0
44
32
70
86
505
      Temp. Appointments
43
0
27
15
45
0
239
      Decrees
38
0
29
15
26
71
290
      Rogers Orders Entered
0
0
7
0
63
*
77
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
4
0
8
10
10
21
95
      * All Rogers Orders Entered
636
0
247
169
1,512
705
4,582
7. Gdnshps of Minor Entertainer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
0
0
0
3
8
0
12
      Decrees
0
0
0
0
8
0
9
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
0
0
0
3
0
0
4
8. Proxy Guardianships
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
2
0
0
0
11
3
28
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
0
0
0
0
5
0
10
9. Conservatorships
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
24
0
15
16
7
12
114
      Decrees
23
0
13
11
10
12
115
10. Accounts and Distributions
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
7,780
27
1,971
847
1,106
1,460
18,508
      Decrees
5,476
18
866
441
651
574
11,083
11. Real Estate Sales
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
541
2
269
169
198
344
2,467
      Decrees
521
4
216
147
214
245
2,214
12. All Other Probate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed (Petitions)
315
4
188
221
130
462
2,426
      Decrees
201
4
188
84
64
297
1,508
PART III:
   Equity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Complaints
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Paternity Equity
0
0
5
3
37
0
104
      Other Equity Complaints
167
0
100
55
128
65
792
      T.R.O.'s and Preliminary Injunctions Entered
48
0
n/a
15
18
n/a
143
      Judgments
105
0
58
28
49
32
469
2. Petitions to Partition
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
49
0
22
27
34
37
262
      Decrees
19
2
0
3
22
2
90
PART IV:
Change of Name
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Petitions for Change of Name
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
816
11
306
247
496
463
3,533
      Decrees
733
11
277
242
468
436
3,307
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
707
11
284
222
449
352
2,967
PART V:
Adoption
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Adoption Petitions
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
612
2
225
167
150
336
2,235
      Decrees
585
4
181
113
108
333
1,975
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
88
0
51
30
29
64
467
2. Petitions to Dispense with Parental Consent (c. 210, s. 3)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
61
0
9
7
26
30
196
      Decrees
78
0
14
5
31
26
315
3. Care and Protection Petitions (c. 119, s. 23C)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
16
0
9
15
80
60
329
      Decrees
1
0
2
6
72
55
237
               
      Reviews Held c.210 and c.119
90
0
2
46
270
105
967
PART VI:
OUT OF WEDLOCK
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Paternity Complaints
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
1,737
14
626
1,215
2,319
1,816
14,602
      Judgments
1,481
6
597
856
943
1,004
8,977
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
683
0
335
335
584
645
4,872
2. Complaints for Contempt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
887
15
647
808
643
1,352
8,300
      Heard and Continued
830
41
311
923
87
4,509
      Judgments
1,205
20
455
289
942
511
4,508
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
204
0
411
562
596
651
4,547
3. Complaints for
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Modification
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
449
5
716
803
678
1,784
9,874
      Judgments
386
7
529
333
448
754
4,696
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
358
2
435
668
235
786
5,973
4. Income Assignments
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Entered:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      TAFDC - Immediate
262
0
**
856
704
**
4,250
      TAFDC - Suspended
31
0
**
0
4
**
291
      Non-TAFDC - Immediate
784
14
**
0
1,071
**
3,034
      Non-TAFDC -Suspended
197
26
**
0
68
**
677
PART VII:
DOMESTIC RELATIONS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Divorce
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Original Entries Filed (includes 1A and 1B)
4,219
55
1,873
1,915
2,209
3,127
22,138
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Judgments Nisi
3,848
48
1,592
1,545
1,192
2,936
19,032
      Dismissals
625
4
691
484
10
732
4,897
      Dismissals - 408
49
0
2
63
77
0
286
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
1,904
14
683
869
794
1,068
8,667
2. Separate Support/Civil Support
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
176
0
95
181
219
240
1,580
      Judgments
32
0
64
34
119
100
759
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
78
0
58
78
46
100
587
3. Complaints for Contempt
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
1,842
24
1,561
1,460
701
2,025
13,375
      Heard and Continued
1,219
11
2
0
795
206
5,439
      Judgments
2,073
8
765
507
812
784
6,328
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
453
0
948
728
445
864
5,744
4. Complaints for Modification
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
1,525
9
1,420
1,284
927
2,106
12,559
      Judgments
935
5
495
584
437
1,076
6,051
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
569
4
575
864
480
956
5,916
5. Complaint for Protection from Abuse
(c. 209A)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
330
0
440
886
467
1,354
6,677
      Ex Parte Orders
274
0
n/a
729
419
1,108
5,357
      Permanent Orders
529
0
n/a
1,067
57
381
3,836
      Number of filings where Plaintiff was pro se
305
0
283
824
407
1,196
6,065
6. Income Assignments Entered
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      TAFDC - Immediate
120
0
**
865
715
**
3,819
      TAFDC -Suspended
18
0
**
431
30
**
901
      Non-TAFDC - Immediate
1,451
3
**
7
1,285
**
3,566
      Non-TAFDC -Suspended
430
7
**
0
147
**
1,327
7. Petitions for Marriage of Minors, Marriage without Delay
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
24
47
31
47
112
30
446
      Decrees
24
47
22
27
112
2
369
      Number of filings where Petitioner was pro se
24
47
n/a
43
111
25
384
8. All other Domestic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Relations Complaints
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Filed
200
2
67
100
79
177
1,355
      Judgments
47
1
24
47
193
38
587
PART VIII:
CROSS-DOCKET MATTERS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Temporary Orders
19,014
500
10,105
3,728
1,371
12,020
89,963
2. U.I.F.S.A. - c. 209D Filed
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Mass. Initiated:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        Filed
116
0
19
11
13
161
378
        Disposed
0
0
0
2
12
62
93
      Mass. Responding:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        Filed
19
0
6
91
133
0
732
        Disposed
3
0
0
13
34
1
126
3. Income Assignments              
      Entered    Combined Paternity and Domestic Relations**              
      TAFDC - Immediate
382
0
882
1,721
1,419
851
11,451
      TAFDC -Suspended
49
0
8
431
34
46
1,498
      Non-TAFDC - Immediate
2,235
17
522
7
2,356
1,081
9,823
      Non-TAFDC -Suspended
627
33
39
0
215
25
3,208
PART IX:
PROBATION DEPARTMENT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Dispute Interventions:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Motions
3,752
21
2,571
1,433
1,383
394
17,684
      Pre-trials
764
4
550
565
255
1,383
5,477
      Contempts
1,745
2
1,813
1,388
865
1,334
11,651
2. Investigations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Formal
164
0
242
585
754
802
3,138
      Short Term
0
0
50
0
829
15
1,014
3. Case Interventions
      Completed
6,258
0
578
1,061
3,810
1,714
23,915
4. Job Search Activity:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Avg. # Persons Supervised
274
0
98
362
267
254
1,969
      New support orders entered after obligors found employment
150
0
98
114
258
263
1,419
      Average support order prior to program
68.65
n/a
112.79
63.82
59.67
67.77
55.34
      Average support order after program
98.77
n/a
136.65
101.52
88.20
95.02
91.64
      Contempts Filed
128
0
7
113
137
58
960
5. Interdepartmental
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
      Assignments of Abuse Prevention Orders (c. 209A) pursuant to Administrative Order 96-1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        Orders Modified
121
0
87
34
124
237
881
        Orders Vacated
96
0
28
17
9
977
1,168

 



 

 

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Last Updated on February 20, 2003 12:44 AM