Find Springfield Probate Records

Springfield probate court records are filed at the Hampden County Probate and Family Court on State Street. Springfield is the largest city in western Massachusetts and serves as the county seat of Hampden County. The court handles will probates, estate administration, guardianship petitions, conservatorships, and trust matters for Springfield and 22 other towns in the county. You can look up case information online through MassCourts or go to the courthouse in person to search records and get copies. The court keeps records dating back to 1812 when Hampden County was created from Hampshire County.

Springfield Probate Court Location

The Hampden County Probate and Family Court is at 50 State Street in downtown Springfield. The court is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This is where Springfield residents file all probate cases, request copies of records, and attend hearings. The Register of Probate, Rosemary Saccomani, oversees the office and manages all case files.

Hampden County previously operated a satellite registry office in Chicopee at 17 Springfield Street. That location closed for renovations as of November 1, 2024. While the Chicopee office is shut down, all filings must go through the main Springfield courthouse. Check with the court for updates on when the satellite may reopen. The image below shows the Chicopee satellite office page on mass.gov.

PVTA bus routes serve the downtown Springfield area near the courthouse. Blue lines 6 and 7 and Green lines 1, 2, 5, and 8 all stop within walking distance. Several paid parking garages are also nearby, along with metered street parking. The court has security screening at the entrance, so bring a photo ID when you visit.

Note: The Hampden court has separate phone lines for different departments, including (413) 748-7745 for probate and equity matters and (413) 748-7766 for vault and records requests.

Searching Springfield Probate Court Records

Use MassCourts to search Springfield probate court records online. Pick "Probate & Family Court" from the department menu, then select Hampden County. You can search by party name or case number. Results show the filing date, case type, status, and docket entries. For cases filed after 2009, document images may be attached to the docket as well.

Hampden County docket numbers use the format HA followed by the year, case group code, sequence number, and type. A probate case from 2020 might look like HA20P0789EA. Knowing the docket number gives you the fastest results. Name searches work too, but they can pull up a lot of entries for common last names. Try adding the first name or narrowing by date range when possible. The mass.gov search guide explains the format codes and search tips.

For in-person searches, the Register's Office at the Springfield courthouse can pull files and check case numbers for you. Staff can also make copies on the spot. Call ahead at (413) 748-7760 to ask what info you should bring. Having the deceased person's full name, approximate death date, or docket number will speed things up.

Springfield Probate Record Fees

Filing fees at the Springfield courthouse match the statewide Probate and Family Court fee schedule. Informal probate costs $390 total. Formal probate runs $405 with the citation fee. Voluntary administration is $115. Guardianship of a minor has no filing fee. Guardianship of an incapacitated person costs $255, and conservatorship petitions also cost $255.

Copies have set rates too. Certified copies of decrees and court orders cost $20 each. Letters of authority are $25 for subsequent copies. Attested copies run $2.50 per page and plain copies cost $1 per page. To get copies by mail, fill out the PFC 18 form and send it to the Hampden Probate Court at 50 State Street, P.O. Box 559, Springfield, MA 01102. Include a money order or certified check made out to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Personal checks are not accepted by mail.

Account filing fees vary based on the total estate value. Estates under $25,000 pay nothing. Estates between $100,001 and $500,000 pay $300. The fee goes up from there in tiers, topping out at $3,500 for estates worth more than $10 million. Check the full fee schedule for the complete breakdown.

Springfield Probate Records and the Split Records Issue

There is an important detail about historical probate records for Springfield. When Hampden County was carved out of Hampshire County in 1812, the probate records were split in an unusual way. Pre-1812 deeds for Springfield and other Hampden County towns stayed in Springfield. But pre-1812 probate records for those same towns remained in Northampton at the Hampshire County courthouse. This means if you need a probate record from before 1812 for a Springfield family, you have to look in Hampshire County, not Hampden.

This split affects all 23 towns in present-day Hampden County including Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, West Springfield, Agawam, Westfield, and others. It is a common point of confusion for genealogy researchers and attorneys working with very old estate files. The historic records guide on mass.gov can help you figure out where specific records are held.

Hampden County's own records from 1812 forward include index books from 1812 to 1986, record books from 1814 to 1929, and file papers from 1809 to 1881. FamilySearch and AmericanAncestors both have digitized portions of these collections available for free online.

Filing Probate Cases Online in Springfield

Springfield residents can use eFileMA to submit probate petitions without going to the courthouse. The system handles informal and formal probate petitions, voluntary administration statements, and guardianship filings. Create an account, set up your payment method, and follow the prompts to file. There is a $22 provider fee for each new case. Credit card payments add a 2.89% processing fee on top of the filing cost. eCheck payments are just $0.25 per transaction.

The Hampden County Virtual Registry is another remote option. It runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can call in at 1 (646) 828-7666 with Meeting ID 1600424858. Staff can answer questions about your case, help with form issues, and check on pending matters. This saves you a trip to the Springfield courthouse when all you need is a quick answer or status update.

Under M.G.L. c. 190B, the Hampden Probate Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all probate matters in the county. Whether you file online or in person, the case goes through the same court and follows the same legal process.

Note: All official probate forms are free to download from mass.gov before you start the filing process.

Hampden County Probate Court Records

Springfield is the county seat of Hampden County. The Probate and Family Court here serves all 23 cities and towns in the county, from Agawam to Wilbraham. For a complete look at Hampden County probate court records, fees, office contacts, and procedures, visit the county page.

View Hampden County Probate Court Records

Nearby Cities

Chicopee is the closest qualifying city to Springfield. Both cities are served by the Hampden County Probate and Family Court at the same Springfield courthouse.

• Chicopee