Probate and Family Court filing fees

Learn about Probate & Family Court fees for various procedures. To find out where to make filing fee payments and what forms of payment are accepted, please contact the court you're filing at.

Table of Contents

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  
Disabled Abuse Petition No Fee  
Elderly Abuse Petition No Fee  

Accounts fees

Type of pleading Filing fee Surcharge (if applicable)
Allowance of Account, Petition $75 $15
Amended/Substituted Account $75  
Render an Inventory or Account, Petition $75  
Where the gross value accounted for in Schedule A of the Account is $1,000 or less 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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
Where the gross value accounted for is more than $10,000,000 (per year or fraction thereof covered by such account) $3500

Adoption fees

Type of pleading Filing fee Surcharge (if applicable)
Dispense with consent to adoption, Petition No Fee  
Complaint/Petition No Fee  

Bonds/surety fees

Type of pleading Filing fee Surcharge (if applicable)
Filing of a Subsequent Bond   $75  
Leave to Bring suit on a bond No Fee  
New Bond, Petition $75  
Demand for Sureties $75  
Discharge of Surety, Petition $75  
Modification of Bond, Petition $75  
Reduction of Bond, Petition $75  

Change of name fees

Type of pleading Filing fee Surcharge (if applicable)
Motion – in divorce actions only, during Nisi period $100  
Petition $150 $15

Domestic relations and paternity 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 Paternity $100 $15
Complaints to establish paternity or for custody-support-parenting time and modifications filed by the IV-D agency No Fee  
Convey land as if sole $150  
Divorce, Complaint $200 $15
Enforcement of Foreign Decree – Alimony only $100 $15
Grandparent visitation, Petition No Fee  
Marriage without delay $180 $15
Modification of all non-child related issues $150  
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  
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  
Registration of Foreign Custody Decree No Fee  
Removal, Post-Judgment $50  
Separate Support $100 $15
Support of spouse or child pursuant to G. L. c. 209, § 32F, Complaint No Fee  
Temporary restraining order against a spouse related to a complaint for divorce or separate support 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  
Specific Performance, Petition $240 $15
Temporary Restraining Order/Injunction $100  

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  
Expand, Modify, Limit Powers of a Conservator, Petition $150  
Expand, Modify, Limit Powers of a Guardian, Petition No Fee  
Foreign Conservator Sworn Statement $75 $15
Removal of a Fiduciary $100  
Resignation of Conservator or Guardian, Petition No Fee  
Termination of Conservator or Guardian, Petition No Fee  

Letters and probate fees

Type of pleading Filing fee Surcharge (if applicable)
Subsequent Letter $25  


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  
Care of Burial Lot $60  
Closing Statement $75  
Counsel Fees, Petition $150  
Determination of Value, Petition $75  
Erection of Monument $60  
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  
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   
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   
Order of Complete Settlement, Petition $75   
Payment of Deposits, Petition No Fee   
Public Administration, Petition $100  $15 
Removal of a Fiduciary $100   
Resignation of a Fiduciary No Fee   
Representation of Insolvency $150   
Small Estate Closing Statement $75   
Supervised Administration, Petition $375  $15 
Termination of Trust, Petition $240 $15
Vacate a Formal Order, Petition $150  
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  
Leave to Mortgage real estate $75  
Sale where the gross value accounted for is $100,000 or less $100  
Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $100,000 but not more than $250,000 $250  
Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $250,000 but not more than $500,000 $500  
Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000 $750  
Sale where the gross value accounted for is more than $1,000,000 $1,000  

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  
Certificate of Orders, Decrees, Rulings, Judgments or Other Proceedings $20 + $1 per page for each page except the first  
Citation, order of notice or precept $15  
Commission to take Depositions $20  
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  
Copy Unattested – of court documents, records or other papers in possession and under the control of the Register $.05 per page  
Exemplified copies $50 + $1 per page for each page except the first  
General Petition – except as relates to custody or support of minors $150 $15
Summons $5  
Summons for Contempt $5  
Tape Cassette or CD recordings of proceedings $50.50 + postage per 90 minutes of recording or part thereof  
Transcript of a Judgment $50 + $1 per page  for each page except the first

Contact   for Probate and Family Court filing fees

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