Overview
The fees listed don’t include citation or summons fees. Each citation is an additional $15 and each summons is an additional $5. If there are publication costs, the petitioner/plaintiff must pay them. Even if there is no initial filing fee, you still have to pay other fees and costs for the action, such as citation, summons, or copy fees.
If you’re entering a complaint, petition or other civil action that has an initial filing fee and a separate docket number, you must also pay the Register a $15 surcharge. You don’t need to pay a surcharge for adding a suffix.
Please make checks payable to: Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
See the Uniform Schedule of Fees for information on other court procedure charges.
Abuse and prevention fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Abuse Prevention/Abuse Protection | No fee | No fee |
| Disabled Abuse Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Elderly Abuse Petition | No fee | No fee |
Accounts fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Allowance of Account, Petition | $75 | $15 |
| Amended/Substituted Account | $75 | No fee |
| Render an Inventory or Account, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for in Schedule A of the Account is $1,000 or less | No fee | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $1,000 but not more than $10,000, provided, however, that the fees shall not exceed $170 regardless of the time covered by such account | $75 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is $10,000 or more than $10,000 but not more than $100,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $100 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $100,000 but not more than $500,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $150 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $200 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $1,000,000 but not more than $2,000,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $400 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $2,000,000 but not more than $5,000,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $750 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $5,000,000 but not more than $7,500,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $1500 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $7,500,000 but not more than $10,000,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $2500 | No fee |
| Where the gross value accounted for is more than $10,000,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) | $3500 | No fee |
Adoption fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Dispense with consent to adoption, Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Complaint/Petition | No fee | No fee |
Bonds/surety fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Filing of a Subsequent Bond | $75 | No fee |
| Leave to Bring suit on a bond | No fee | No fee |
| New Bond, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Demand for Sureties | $75 | No fee |
| Discharge of Surety, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Modification of Bond, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Reduction of Bond, Petition | $75 | No fee |
Change of name fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Motion – in divorce actions only, during Nisi period | $100 | No fee |
| Petition | $150 | $15 |
Domestic relations and parentage fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmation of Marriage, Complaint | $200 | $15 |
| Alimony, Complaint | $100 | $15 |
| Annulment, Complaint | $200 | $15 |
| Complaint for Custody-Support-Parenting Time | $100 | $15 |
| Complaint for Parentage | $100 | $15 |
| Complaints to establish parentage or for custody-support-parenting time and modifications filed by the IV-D agency | No fee | No fee |
| Convey land as if sole | $150 | No fee |
| Divorce, Complaint | $200 | $15 |
| Enforcement of Foreign Decree – Alimony only | $100 | $15 |
| Grandparent visitation, Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Marriage without delay | $180 | $15 |
| Modification of all non-child related issues | $150 | No fee |
| Modification of Foreign Custody or Support Decree, G. L. c. 208, s. 29 – except for those actions filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee | $100 | No fee |
| Modification relative to child support, custody and parenting time – except for those actions filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee | $50 | No fee |
| Registration of Foreign Custody Decree | No fee | No fee |
| Removal, Post-Judgment | $50 | No fee |
| Separate Support | $100 | $15 |
| Support of spouse or child pursuant to G. L. c. 209, § 32F, Complaint | No fee | No fee |
| Temporary restraining order against a spouse related to a complaint for divorce or separate support | No fee | No fee |
Equity fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint | $240 | $15 |
| Complaint related to separate support or the custody or support of minors | $100 | $15 |
| Complaint to Correct Birth Record | $240 | $15 |
| Partition, Petition | $240 | $15 |
| Restrain a Personal Representative, Complaint | $240 | No fee |
| Specific Performance, Petition | $240 | $15 |
| Temporary Restraining Order/Injunction | $100 | No fee |
Guardian/conservator fees
Note: There is no separate fee for the initial appointment bond of a fiduciary or the initial Letters of appointment.
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment of Conservator or for Single Transaction, Petition | $240 | $15 |
| Appointment of a Guardian, Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Expand, Modify, Limit Powers of a Conservator, Petition | $150 | No fee |
| Expand, Modify, Limit Powers of a Guardian, Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Foreign Conservator Sworn Statement | $75 | $15 |
| Removal of a Fiduciary | $100 | No fee |
| Resignation of Conservator or Guardian, Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Termination of Conservator or Guardian, Petition | No fee | No fee |
Letters and probate fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Subsequent Letter | $25 | No fee |
Note: There is no separate fee for the initial appointment bond of a fiduciary or the initial Letters of appointment.
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment of a Receiver of the Estate of an Absentee, Petition | $200 | $15 |
| Appointment of Special Personal Representative, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Appointment of a Trustee, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Approval of Compromise, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Care of Burial Lot | $60 | No fee |
| Closing Statement | $75 | No fee |
| Counsel Fees, Petition | $150 | No fee |
| Determination of Value, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Erection of Monument | $60 | No fee |
| Filing a will for Safekeeping – except that no additional fee shall be charged for filing a will in substitution for a will previously filed and withdrawn | $75 | No fee |
| Filing of a Declaration of Common Trust Fund | $400 | $15 |
| Foreign Personal Representative Sworn Statement | $75 | $15 |
| Formal Probate of Will, Adjudication of Intestacy and Appointment of Personal Representative, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Formal Appointment of Successor Personal Representative, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Formal Removal of Personal Representative, Petition | $100 | No fee |
| General Petition, Probate | $150 | $15 |
| General Petition, Trust | $375 | $15 |
| Informal Probate of Will and/or Appointment of Personal Representative, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Informal Appointment of Successor Personal Representative, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Leave to Deposit Certain Funds | $200 | No fee |
| Order of Complete Settlement, Petition | $75 | No fee |
| Payment of Deposits, Petition | No fee | No fee |
| Public Administration, Petition | $100 | $15 |
| Removal of a Fiduciary | $100 | No fee |
| Resignation of a Fiduciary | No fee | No fee |
| Representation of Insolvency | $150 | No fee |
| Small Estate Closing Statement | $75 | No fee |
| Supervised Administration, Petition | $375 | $15 |
| Termination of Trust, Petition | $240 | $15 |
| Vacate a Formal Order, Petition | $150 | No fee |
| Voluntary Administration, Statement | $100 | $15 |
Fees for sale, lease or mortgage of real or personal estate by any fiduciary
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Leave to Lease real estate | $75 | No fee |
| Leave to Mortgage real estate | $75 | No fee |
| Sale where the gross value accounted for is $100,000 or less | $100 | No fee |
| Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $100,000 but not more than $250,000 | $250 | No fee |
| Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $250,000 but not more than $500,000 | $500 | No fee |
| Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000 | $750 | No fee |
| Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $1,000,000 | $1,000 | No fee |
Miscellaneous fees
| Type of pleading | Filing fee | Surcharge (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment of record – except as relates to separate support, adoption or the custody or support of minors | $60 | No fee |
| Certificate of Orders, Decrees, Rulings, Judgments or Other Proceedings | $20 + $1 per page for each page except the first | No fee |
| Citation, order of notice or precept | $15 | No fee |
| Commission to take Depositions | $20 | No fee |
| Copy, Attested – of court documents and records, including docket sheets or other papers in possession and under the control of the Register | $2.50 per page | No fee |
| Copy Unattested – of court documents, records or other papers in possession and under the control of the Register | $.05 per page | No fee |
| Exemplified copies | $50 + $1 per page for each page except the first | No fee |
| General Petition – except as relates to custody or support of minors | $150 | $15 |
| Summons | $5 | No fee |
| Summons for Contempt | $5 | No fee |
| Tape Cassette or CD recordings of proceedings | $50.50 + postage per 90 minutes of recording or part thereof | No fee |
| Transcript of a Judgment | $50 + $1 per page for each page except the first | No fee |