Find Middlesex County Probate Records
Middlesex County probate court records are filed and stored at two court locations in Woburn and Lowell. This is the most populous county in Massachusetts, with over 1.6 million people spread across 54 cities and towns. The Middlesex Probate and Family Court handles wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships for all of these communities. You can search probate records online through MassCourts or visit either court office in person. Both locations keep full case files and can help you get certified copies of probate court records filed in Middlesex County.
Middlesex County Overview
Middlesex County Probate Court Locations
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court runs two offices. The south office sits in Woburn at 10-U Commerce Way. It serves towns like Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Malden, Newton, Waltham, and others south of the Merrimack River. The north office is in Lowell at 370 Jackson Street on the fifth floor of the Lowell Justice Center. It covers Lowell, Framingham, and dozens of towns in the western and northern parts of the county. Both locations accept all probate filings and give out copies of court records.
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court main page has details on both locations and what each one handles. Middlesex County processes more probate cases than any other county in the state each year. Under M.G.L. c. 215, the Probate and Family Court has sole power over wills, estates, and trust matters in each county. That means every probate filing for a Middlesex County resident goes through one of these two offices.
Free parking is open at the Woburn Trade Center lot. The Lowell office has paid parking at the 350 E. Merrimack Street garage. Public search terminals are set up at both sites so you can look up probate court records on your own.
| Court | Middlesex Probate and Family Court |
|---|---|
| Woburn Address |
10-U Commerce Way Woburn, MA 01801 |
| Woburn Phone | (781) 865-4000 |
| Lowell Address |
370 Jackson Street, 5th Floor Lowell, MA 01852 |
| Lowell Phone | (978) 656-7700 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
Note: The Woburn location is near the Anderson Regional Transportation Center for those using the MBTA commuter rail.
Search Middlesex Probate Court Records Online
The best way to search Middlesex County probate court records from home is through MassCourts. This free tool is run by the Massachusetts Trial Court. You pick "Probate & Family Court" and then choose "Middlesex" as the court division. From there you can search by name, case number, or case type. Results show party names, docket entries, case status, and scheduled dates. Cases filed from 2000 on are in the system. Full document images are there for cases filed after 2009, though some probate records have limits on what you can view.
Middlesex County probate case numbers use a set format. They start with MI for Middlesex, then the two-digit year, a letter for case group (P for probate, D for domestic, C for name change), a sequence number, and a type code. For example, MI15P0123EA means it was a Middlesex probate case from 2015. Knowing this format helps when you search the MassCourts docket system by case number.
You can also visit either courthouse and use the public terminals there. Staff at the Register's office can pull up case files and help you find what you need. Bring a form of ID with you.
The Woburn court location page lists what services are open at that office, including walk-in records access.
If you know someone filed a will or estate case in Middlesex County but can't find it online, the case may be older than the MassCourts database. Records before 2000 are not in the online system. For those, you need to contact the court or check historical archive sources.
Middlesex County Probate Record Copies
You can get copies of Middlesex County probate court records by mail or in person. The official form is the PFC 18 Request for Copies. Fill it out with the court division (Middlesex), the docket number, case name, and what document you want. Mail it to the Woburn or Lowell office depending on where the case was filed. Make checks out to "Commonwealth of Massachusetts." Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies of most probate documents run $20.00 to $25.00 each.
In person, you can pay with cash or a credit card at either Middlesex court location. The staff will pull the file and make copies while you wait in most cases. Certified copies carry the court seal and the Register's signature. You need certified copies for things like real estate transfers, bank account access, and proving your authority as a personal representative under M.G.L. c. 190B.
Note: Mail requests must use attorney's checks, money orders, or bank certified checks only, as the court does not accept personal checks by mail.
Middlesex Probate Virtual Registry
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court Virtual Registry lets you talk to court staff by video from home. It runs on Zoom. You join the virtual waiting room, and staff brings you in when it is your turn. The service is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. You can call in at 1 (646) 828-7666 using Meeting ID 16137270176 if you don't have video.
Staff can help with general probate questions, form help, case status checks, and docket number lookups. This is useful if you want to ask about a Middlesex County probate court record but can't make the trip to Woburn or Lowell. They can also transfer you to breakout rooms for more involved matters that need extra time.
Probate Filing Fees in Middlesex County
Middlesex County uses the same fee schedule as all Probate and Family Courts in Massachusetts. The Trial Court sets these fees, and they apply at every court location statewide. An informal probate filing costs $375 plus a $15 surcharge, totaling $390. Formal probate is the same base fee but adds a citation charge. Voluntary administration is $100 plus the surcharge. Guardianship of a minor has no filing fee at all. Filing fees for account settlements depend on the size of the estate, with amounts ranging from $0 for small estates to $3,500 for those over $10 million.
You can also file probate cases electronically through eFileMA. The platform charges a one-time $22 provider fee for each new case. Credit card payments add 2.89% on top. Using eCheck costs just $0.25 per transaction. The eFiling system accepts petitions for informal probate (MPC 150), formal probate (MPC 160), voluntary administration, guardianship, and other common probate filings in Middlesex County.
- Informal probate: $375 + $15 surcharge = $390
- Formal probate: $375 + $15 surcharge + $15 citation = $405
- Voluntary administration: $100 + $15 surcharge = $115
- Guardianship of minor: No fee
- Guardianship of incapacitated person: $240 + $15 = $255
- Conservatorship: $240 + $15 = $255
Check the full probate forms list for the forms you need before filing. Fee waivers are open to people with low income through an Affidavit of Indigency filed with the court.
Historical Probate Records in Middlesex County
Middlesex County has some of the oldest probate court records in the country. The earliest ones date back to 1648. These old files hold wills, inventories, bonds, and estate accounts from nearly four centuries of Middlesex County residents. Researchers and genealogists use them to trace family lines and property transfers going back to colonial times.
Several online databases carry historical Middlesex County probate records. FamilySearch has Middlesex County probate records from 1648 to 1924 and requires only a free account. American Ancestors, run by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, has Middlesex County probate file papers from the same era. Records before 1900 are largely available through these digital collections. For anything after 1900 that is not in MassCourts, you may need to contact the Middlesex court directly or reach out to the Massachusetts State Archives at 220 Morrissey Blvd in Boston.
The Lowell courthouse and the Woburn office both maintain indexes that can help you track down older Middlesex County probate court records that fall between the historical databases and the modern online system.
Note: Pre-1900 probate records are mostly digitized, but post-1900 records through 1999 may only be available at the courthouse or the state archives.
Middlesex County Probate Court Towns
The Middlesex Probate and Family Court serves 54 cities and towns split between its two offices. The Woburn office (Middlesex South) handles probate court records for Arlington, Belmont, Burlington, Cambridge, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Weston, Winchester, and Woburn. If you live in one of these towns, your probate filings go to the Woburn court.
The Lowell office (Middlesex North) covers Acton, Ashby, Ashland, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Framingham, Groton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Lowell, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, North Reading, Pepperell, Reading, Sherborn, Shirley, Stow, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Wayland, Westford, and Wilmington. M.G.L. c. 190B, Section 1-304 sets venue rules. You generally file probate in the county where the person lived at the time of death or at the time of the petition.
Cities in Middlesex County
Middlesex County includes several major cities in Massachusetts. All probate court records for these cities are filed at the Middlesex Probate and Family Court in either Woburn or Lowell.
Other communities in Middlesex County file probate court records at the same court locations in Woburn and Lowell.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Middlesex County. If you are not sure which county handles your probate case, check where the person lived. Probate filings must go to the right county court.