Probate of Wills and Estates | Mass.gov

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Legal & Justice
Civil & Family Issues
Probate of Wills and Estates

This page, Probate of Wills and Estates, is offered by
Probate and Family Court
Massachusetts Court System

Find information on probate, the process of transferring property and ownership after someone has died. This is different from a will, which is the document in which someone states their final requests and wishes.

Top tasks

Get a copy of a will File a formal probate for an estate File an informal probate for an estate

All other tasks

File a late and limited formal probate for an estate File a voluntary administration for an estate Get access to historic probate records Check the status of your probate case

Find out when it’s necessary to probate an estate Learn about the types of probate for an estate Court forms for probate of wills and estates Find out who you must give notice to in a probate matter Massachusetts law about wills and estates Find out which historic probate records are available online

Contact Information

Online

Probate and Family Court locations

More Information

Mass. Law G. L. c. 190B

Massachusetts law about estate taxation

List of newspapers for informal publication

MUPC Estate Administration Procedural Guide (PDF 2.48 MB)