Boston Probate Court Records
Boston probate court records are held at the Suffolk County Probate and Family Court on New Chardon Street. As the state capital and the most populated city in Massachusetts, Boston generates a large share of probate filings each year. The court processes wills, estate cases, guardianships, conservatorships, and trust matters for all Boston residents. You can search these records online through the MassCourts portal or visit the courthouse to get copies in person. Suffolk County has probate records going back to 1636, so older case files are also available through the court archives and genealogy databases.
Boston Overview
Boston Probate Court Location
All Boston probate court records go through one court. The Suffolk County Probate and Family Court sits in the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse at 24 New Chardon Street. This is where you file new cases, check on pending matters, and get copies of court records. The Register of Probate manages the case files. Staff can help you look up docket numbers and pull records from the vault.
| Court | Suffolk County Probate and Family Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 24 New Chardon Street Boston, MA 02114 |
| Phone | (617) 788-8301 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | mass.gov - Suffolk Probate Court |
Suffolk County also runs a satellite office at the Chelsea District Court, located at 120 Broadway in Chelsea. That office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. You can file papers and pay fees there, but no hearings take place at that site. It opened in May 2024 and serves residents of Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop who want a closer option than downtown Boston.
Getting to the main courthouse is easiest by public transit. Haymarket Station on the Orange and Green lines is about a five-minute walk. Government Center on the Green and Blue lines is a bit farther. The Blue Line's Bowdoin stop is close too. There is no public parking at the courthouse itself. The Government Center Garage is the nearest option, and Haymarket lots tend to be more affordable. Security screens all visitors at the door, so bring a valid photo ID and plan for a brief wait at the entrance.
Note: The court runs a Virtual Registry on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM for remote help with filings and case questions.
Searching Probate Records in Boston
The fastest way to search Boston probate court records is through MassCourts, the state's free online case lookup tool. You can search by name or case number. The system covers all Suffolk County Probate and Family Court filings. It shows party names, docket entries, case status, and scheduled hearing dates. Cases filed from 2000 onward appear in the system. For filings made after 2009, you may also find document images attached to the docket.
Suffolk County uses the case number format SU followed by the two-digit year, case group code, sequence number, and case type. A typical probate docket might look like SU15P0456EA. Knowing the docket number makes your search much faster. If you only have a name, try searching with the last name and first initial. MassCourts can return a lot of results for common names in a county as large as Suffolk.
The Boston Court Service Center on the first floor of the Brooke Courthouse can help you search for probate records in person. Staff there will look up case numbers, show you how to use the public terminals, and point you to the right office for copies. The center is free to use and does not need an appointment.
You can also call the Register's Office at (617) 788-8301 to ask about a case. Staff can check if a file is active, tell you the docket number, and let you know what forms to bring when you visit. For estate cases, the copy request guide on mass.gov explains what to include with your request.
Boston Probate Filing Fees
Filing fees for probate cases in Boston are the same as every other Probate and Family Court in the state. The Massachusetts Trial Court fee schedule sets all costs. An informal probate petition costs $375 plus a $15 surcharge for a total of $390. Formal probate is the same base fee but adds a $15 citation fee, bringing it to $405. Voluntary administration is $115 total. Guardianship of a minor has no filing fee. Guardianship of an incapacitated person costs $255, and conservatorship filings also cost $255.
Certified copies have their own cost structure. A certified copy of a will costs $20. The same goes for most court orders and decrees. Plain copies run $1 per page and attested copies are $2.50 per page. If you need exemplified copies for use in another state, those start at $50 plus $1 for each page after the first. Use the PFC 18 form to request copies by mail. Make checks payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If you cannot afford the fees, you can file an Affidavit of Indigency. The judge reviews your income and decides if you qualify for a waiver. This applies to filing fees, copy fees, and service costs.
Note: Account filing fees depend on the estate value and range from $0 for estates under $25,000 to $3,500 for estates over $10 million.
Probate vs. Municipal Court in Boston
Boston is one of few cities where two courts share the same building. The Boston Municipal Court sits on the 6th floor of the Brooke Courthouse. It handles some family-related matters like paternity and child support. But it does not handle wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, or conservatorships. Those fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Probate and Family Court as set out in M.G.L. c. 215, § 3.
If you need probate court records for an estate case, a will filing, or a trust matter, you must go to the Probate and Family Court. The Municipal Court cannot pull those files. This catches some people off guard since both courts share one address. When you arrive at the building, check the lobby directory or ask the security desk which floor you need. The Register of Probate is where all estate and guardianship records are kept.
Under M.G.L. c. 190B, § 1-302, the Probate and Family Court has subject matter jurisdiction over all probate proceedings including formal and informal estate administration. This is the court you deal with for any will contest, appointment of a personal representative, or petition for guardianship in Boston.
Filing Probate Cases in Boston Online
Boston residents can file certain probate cases online through the eFileMA system. The platform is run by Tyler Technologies and works with all Probate and Family Courts in the state. You can submit formal probate petitions, informal probate petitions, voluntary administration statements, and guardianship petitions through the site. There is a one-time $22 provider fee for each new case filed electronically. After that, additional filings in the same case have no extra e-filing cost.
To use eFileMA, you create an account and set up a payment method. The system accepts credit cards, debit cards, and eCheck payments. Credit card transactions carry a 2.89% processing fee on top of the filing cost. eCheck payments cost just $0.25 per transaction, so that option saves you money on larger filings. All official probate forms are available free on mass.gov if you need to review them before filing.
Historical Probate Records in Boston
Suffolk County has some of the oldest probate records in the United States. The collection dates back to 1636 and includes more than 21,000 cases from 1630 to 1800 alone. Over 191,000 individual file papers from that early period are preserved. These records cover wills, estate inventories, bonds, and guardianship appointments from colonial Boston through the modern era.
You can find many of these older files online. The Massachusetts Trial Court historic records guide shows what is available by county and time period. FamilySearch has free access to Suffolk County probate records from 1636 through the 1890s. AmericanAncestors, run by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, also hosts digitized Suffolk probate file papers. For records not yet online, you can contact the Supreme Judicial Court Archives at (617) 557-1087 or email archives@jud.state.ma.us to ask about access.
Note: Pre-digital probate records stored off-site may take 7 to 10 business days to retrieve from the archives facility.
Boston Probate Legal Resources
Several groups offer help with probate matters in Boston. Greater Boston Legal Services provides free legal aid to low-income residents in Suffolk County. They handle guardianship cases, estate disputes, and other probate issues. Call (617) 371-1234 to ask about services. The Massachusetts Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service at (617) 654-0400. The first meeting costs $25 for 30 minutes with a family law or probate attorney.
The Suffolk Probate Court Clinics offer free legal help right at the courthouse. Volunteer attorneys assist people who are handling their own cases. They can help you fill out forms, understand court procedures, and prepare for hearings. The Suffolk County Law Library in the building is another resource. Staff cannot give legal advice but can help you find the right forms and legal references. The virtual court services page lists all remote help options across the state.
For people filing on their own, all court forms are free at mass.gov. The MUPC procedural guide walks you through estate administration step by step, from opening the case to filing the final account. If you get stuck on any form, the court service center staff on the first floor can help point you in the right direction.
Suffolk County Probate Court Records
Boston is in Suffolk County. All probate filings for Boston residents go through the Suffolk County Probate and Family Court. The county court also serves Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. For more details on fees, court procedures, and access to Suffolk County probate court records, see the full county page.
Nearby Cities
Several cities near Boston also have probate court records pages. Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford residents file at the Middlesex Probate Court in Woburn. Quincy and Brookline file through Norfolk County in Canton. Revere, Everett, and Malden each have their own pages with local court details.