Find Norfolk County Probate Records

Norfolk County probate court records are maintained at the Probate and Family Court in Canton. This court serves 28 communities south and west of Boston, from Quincy and Brookline to Foxborough and Wrentham. You can search Norfolk County probate filings through the MassCourts portal or visit the courthouse on Shawmut Road. The court handles estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, trusts, and name changes. Records here go back to 1793 when Norfolk County was first established. Staff at the Register of Probate office can help with file lookups and copy requests.

Norfolk County Probate and Family Court

The Norfolk County Probate and Family Court is at 35 Shawmut Road in Canton. This is not in Dedham, the county seat. The probate court moved to Canton as part of a Trial Court consolidation effort in the late 1990s. Superior Court and the Registry of Deeds still sit at the old Dedham courthouse on High Street. So if you need probate court records in Norfolk County, head to Canton, not Dedham. Register William R. Cushing manages the clerk office and all filed documents. First Justice Hon. Jennifer S. D. Roberts presides over hearings.

The building has a simple layout. The Register's Office is on the first floor. That is where you go for filing, lookups, and copies of probate records. Five courtrooms are on the second floor. The Probation Department handles family law matters on the third floor. Free parking is available in front of and behind the building, which is a nice perk compared to some other courts in the area.

The Norfolk Probate and Family Court page on mass.gov has the full list of services, hours, and directions for the Canton courthouse.

This page shows the court location, hours, and contact details for all probate filings in Norfolk County.

Note: The courthouse is about 1.5 miles from the Route 128 commuter rail station, so driving is the most practical way to get there.

Search Norfolk County Probate Court Records

You can search Norfolk County probate records for free at MassCourts. Select "Probate & Family Court" as the department and "Norfolk" as the division. Then search by name, case number, or case type. Results include party names, docket entries, case status, and scheduled hearing dates. For cases filed since 2009, you may be able to view actual document images online. Older Norfolk County probate records are docket-only in the system.

Case numbers for Norfolk County probate use the "NO" prefix. A typical format looks like NO23P0789EA for a 2023 estate case. If you know the case number, that gives you the most precise results. Name searches work too. Use at least the last name and one letter of the first name. The search can return a lot of results for common names, so adding a year range helps narrow things down.

The Norfolk County virtual registry runs Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM. You call in or join by video. Staff can look up probate records, answer questions, and help with basic requests. This is a good option if you cannot get to Canton during business hours. Under M.G.L. c. 215, § 1, the Probate Court has exclusive jurisdiction over wills and estate matters, and most of these records are open to the public.

The virtual registry page explains how to connect by phone or video for help with Norfolk County probate court records.

Norfolk County Probate Records and Copies

Norfolk County probate court records include estate filings, guardianship petitions, conservatorship cases, trust matters, name changes, and adoption decrees. Estate files are the most common. When someone who lived in one of Norfolk County's 28 towns passes away, the will gets filed here. Under M.G.L. c. 190B, § 3-102, the Register can admit a will to informal probate if no one contests it. Formal probate requires a hearing before a judge. Both paths create a detailed file of court records.

Getting copies is straightforward. Walk into the Register's Office on the first floor in Canton. Staff can pull the file and make copies on the spot. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. Attested copies run $2.50 per page. Certified copies of specific documents have set fees. A certified guardian decree costs $22.00. A conservator decree costs $21.00. Exemplified copies (for use in other states) cost $50 plus $1 per page after the first.

For mail requests, fill out the PFC 18 form and send it to the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court at 35 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021. Include payment by money order, attorney's check, or bank check made out to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Personal checks are not accepted by mail. The mass.gov copy request guide has full details on the process.

Note: You do not need to be a party to the case to request most Norfolk County probate records, though adoption files and some guardianship details are restricted.

Filing Probate Cases in Norfolk County

You file probate cases at the Norfolk County court if the deceased person lived in any of the 28 towns this court serves. That list includes Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth, Braintree, Milton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Canton, Norwood, Franklin, and many more. M.G.L. c. 190B, § 1-304 sets the venue rules for where to file. For estates, you file in the county where the person was domiciled at death. For guardianships, you file where the person currently lives.

Filing fees follow the statewide schedule. Informal probate costs $390 total ($375 fee plus $15 surcharge). Formal probate runs about $405 with the citation. Voluntary administration for small estates is $115. Guardianship of a minor has no fee. Guardianship of an incapacitated adult costs $255. You can file many case types through eFileMA, which adds a one-time $22 case fee for new filings. All probate forms are free to download from mass.gov.

Account filing fees depend on estate value. Estates under $25,000 owe nothing. Estates between $100,001 and $500,000 pay $300. The largest estates, over $10 million, pay $3,500. Fee waivers are available if you qualify based on income.

Historical Probate Court Records for Norfolk County

Norfolk County was established in 1793. Probate records from the very start of the county are available through online databases. American Ancestors has digitized Norfolk County probate file papers in partnership with the Massachusetts Judicial Archives. The collection includes over 30,793 cases with 796,527 pages. FamilySearch also has free indexes and images of Norfolk County probate records from the late 1700s through 1900.

One notable record is the will of President John Adams, which was probated at the Norfolk County court on August 1, 1826. Historical researchers and genealogists use these old probate records to trace family lines, find property descriptions, and learn about inheritance patterns in early Massachusetts. For records that are not online, contact the Supreme Judicial Court Archives at (617) 557-1087.

For current Norfolk County probate cases, use MassCourts. For older records not in the online system, contact the clerk's office in Canton at (781) 830-1200 or check with the Supreme Judicial Court Archives. FamilySearch and American Ancestors also carry historical Norfolk County probate records.

Cities in Norfolk County

Norfolk County includes 28 cities and towns. All of them file probate cases at the court in Canton. Some of the larger communities are listed below with links to their own pages where available.

Other communities in Norfolk County include Braintree, Milton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Canton, Norwood, Franklin, Randolph, Stoughton, and more. All probate court records for these towns are at the Norfolk County Probate and Family Court.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Norfolk County. Probate cases must be filed in the right county based on where the person lived. If the deceased had property in more than one county, the primary estate case goes where they were domiciled.