Access Essex County Probate Records
Essex County probate court records are held at two court locations in Salem and Lawrence. The Essex Probate and Family Court covers 34 cities and towns across northeastern Massachusetts, from the coast at Gloucester and Rockport to inland communities like Andover and North Andover. You can search these probate records online using MassCourts or go to either courthouse in person. Both offices handle estate filings, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and trust cases. The Register of Probate oversees all record keeping and can help you find and get copies of Essex County probate court records.
Essex County Overview
Essex County Probate Court Locations
The Essex Probate and Family Court operates from two sites. The main office is at 36 Federal Street in Salem. The satellite office sits at 2 Appleton Street on the second floor of the Fenton Judicial Center in Lawrence. Both locations are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The Lawrence registry closes from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM each day for lunch. Pamela A. Casey O'Brien serves as Register, and Hon. Frances Giordano is the First Justice.
The Essex Probate and Family Court page has full details on both offices. Under M.G.L. c. 215, this court has sole jurisdiction over probate matters in Essex County. That means all wills, estate filings, trust cases, guardianships, and conservatorships for residents of the county's 34 communities go through one of these two offices. The Salem office handles most of the county, while the Lawrence office serves the Merrimack Valley area including Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen, Andover, and North Andover.
| Court | Essex Probate and Family Court |
|---|---|
| Salem Address |
36 Federal Street Salem, MA 01970 |
| Salem Phone | (978) 744-1020 |
| Lawrence Address |
2 Appleton Street, 2nd Floor Fenton Judicial Center Lawrence, MA 01840 |
| Lawrence Phone | (978) 686-9692 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Essexcorrespondences@jud.state.ma.us |
Note: The Lawrence registry is closed from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM daily, so plan your visit around that break if you need the satellite office.
Search Essex County Probate Court Records
MassCourts is the free online tool for searching Essex County probate court records. Choose "Probate & Family Court" as the department and "Essex" as the division. You can search by name, case number, or case type. The results show party names, case status, filing dates, docket entries, and scheduled court dates. Cases from 2000 to the present are in the system. Document images are available for cases filed after 2009.
Essex County case numbers use the prefix ES. The full format is ES plus the two-digit year, case group code, sequence number, and type. For example, ES15A0064AD would be an Essex County adoption case from 2015. The docket search guide on mass.gov explains each part of the case number format so you can search more accurately.
In-person searches are available at both the Salem and Lawrence offices. Public terminals let you look up probate records on your own. Staff can also pull case files for you. Bring an ID when you visit.
The Lawrence Probate and Family Court page has directions and parking info for the Fenton Judicial Center. This is the closer option for residents of the Merrimack Valley who want to search Essex County probate court records without driving to Salem.
Essex County Probate Record Copies
Use the PFC 18 form to request copies of Essex County probate court records by mail. Fill in "Essex" as the court division, include the docket number and case name, and describe what document you need. Mail it to the Salem or Lawrence office with payment. Checks go to "Commonwealth of Massachusetts." Only attorney's checks, money orders, or bank certified checks are accepted by mail.
Copy fees match the statewide schedule. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Attested copies are $2.50 per page. Certified copies of key documents like letters of authority run $25.00 each. Certified copies of guardianship decrees cost $22.00. You need certified copies when banks, real estate firms, or other agencies require proof of your role as personal representative under M.G.L. c. 190B.
In person, you can pay with cash or credit card. Staff will usually pull the file and make copies while you wait. The copy request instructions on mass.gov cover the full process in detail.
Essex Probate Court Virtual Registry
The Essex Probate and Family Court Virtual Registry lets you connect with court staff by video. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Join by Zoom with Meeting ID 1613549831, or call 1 (646) 828-7666. You can ask about case status, get help with probate forms, and check on docket numbers for Essex County probate court records.
Essex County also runs a Lawyer for the Day program. Virtual sessions are on Mondays from 9 AM to 12 PM. In-person help at the Salem courthouse is on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 AM to 12 PM, and Wednesday from 1 PM to 4 PM. This free service gives you a short meeting with a volunteer attorney who can help with probate questions, forms, and court procedures.
Probate Filings in Essex County
Filing a probate case in Essex County follows M.G.L. c. 190B, the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code. You file at the Essex court if the person who died lived in Essex County. For guardianships, you file where the person currently lives. The standard fees apply. Informal probate costs $390 total ($375 plus $15 surcharge). Formal probate is $405. Voluntary administration runs $115. Guardianship of a minor costs nothing to file.
You can file on paper at the Salem or Lawrence office, or you can use eFileMA to submit your petition electronically. The eFiling system charges a one-time $22 fee per new case. It accepts informal probate petitions (MPC 150), formal probate petitions (MPC 160), voluntary administration statements (MPC 170), and guardianship filings. All official probate forms are free to download from mass.gov.
- Informal probate: $375 + $15 surcharge = $390
- Formal probate: $375 + $15 surcharge + $15 citation = $405
- Voluntary administration: $100 + $15 = $115
- Conservatorship: $240 + $15 = $255
- Guardianship of incapacitated person: $240 + $15 = $255
Each filing creates a probate court record that becomes part of the public case file. Anyone can search for or request copies of these records, though sealed or impounded cases have restrictions.
Note: Fee waivers are available through an Affidavit of Indigency if you have a low income and cannot afford the filing costs.
Historical Essex County Probate Records
Essex County holds some of the oldest probate court records in the entire country. The earliest files date to 1638, just a few years after the county was established. These records include wills, estate inventories, bonds, guardianship papers, and court orders from nearly four centuries of Essex County history.
The Massachusetts Trial Court historic records page outlines what is online. FamilySearch has Essex County probate file papers from 1638 to 1881. American Ancestors carries additional collections. George Francis Dow published "The Probate Records of Essex County, MA" in three volumes between 1916 and 1920, which is still a key reference for researchers. Records from the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, also published by Dow and Tapley in nine volumes, cover related court proceedings from the colonial era.
For probate court records between the end of the historical databases (around 1881) and the start of MassCourts (2000), contact the Essex court directly at the Salem office. M.G.L. c. 190B, Article III covers what probate records the court must maintain. The Massachusetts State Archives also holds microfilm copies of older Essex County records.
Essex County Probate Court Communities
The Essex Probate and Family Court serves 34 cities and towns. The ten cities are Amesbury, Beverly, Gloucester, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynn, Methuen, Newburyport, Peabody, and Salem. All probate court records for these communities are filed at either the Salem or Lawrence office.
The 24 towns include Andover, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, North Andover, Rockport, Rowley, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, and West Newbury. Towns in the southern and coastal parts of the county generally use the Salem office. Communities in the Merrimack Valley tend to use the Lawrence satellite. Both offices accept all Essex County probate filings regardless of which town the person lives in.
Cities in Essex County
Essex County has several cities with their own pages on this site. All probate court records for these cities go through the Essex Probate and Family Court in Salem or Lawrence.
Other cities in Essex County include Salem, Beverly, Gloucester, Methuen, Newburyport, and Amesbury. All probate cases in these communities are filed at the Essex Probate and Family Court.
Nearby Counties
These counties share a border with Essex County. Make sure you file probate in the county where the person lived. If you are unsure, the court staff can help you figure out the right location.