Suffolk County Probate Court Records

Suffolk County probate court records are filed and stored at the Probate and Family Court in Boston. This court serves Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Probate records here date back to 1636, making Suffolk one of the oldest probate courts in the state. You can search Suffolk County probate filings online through MassCourts or visit the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse in person. The court handles wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and name changes. Staff at the Register of Probate office can help you find the records you need and request copies of court documents.

Suffolk County Probate and Family Court

The Probate and Family Court in Suffolk County keeps all probate records for Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. This is one of the busiest probate courts in Massachusetts, with more than 12,000 cases filed each year. The court sits in the Edward W. Brooke Courthouse at 24 New Chardon Street in downtown Boston. Register Felix D. Arroyo runs the clerk side of the court and manages all probate court records, while First Justice Hon. Joan V. MacLennan oversees hearings. You can file new cases, look up old ones, and get copies of probate documents at this location.

Suffolk County also runs a satellite office at 120 Broadway in Chelsea. That office opened in May 2024. It handles filings, fee payments, and administrative reviews, but no hearings take place there. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. If you live in Chelsea or Revere, this can save you a trip to Boston for basic probate tasks.

The Suffolk Probate and Family Court page on mass.gov has details on court hours, contact numbers, and filing procedures for probate matters in Suffolk County.

The court website lists all forms, filing instructions, and fee schedules for Suffolk County probate cases. You can also find directions, parking tips, and security screening rules on this page.

Note: There is no public parking at the courthouse, so plan to use the Government Center Garage or take the MBTA to Haymarket station.

Search Suffolk County Probate Records Online

The fastest way to find probate court records in Suffolk County is through the MassCourts online portal. This free tool lets you search by name, case number, or case type. Pick "Probate & Family Court" as the department and "Suffolk" as the division. Results show party names, docket entries, case status, and filing dates. Cases filed from 2009 on may have document images you can view right on screen. Older Suffolk County probate records show docket info only.

Name searches work best when you use the last name with at least one letter of the first name. Case numbers for Suffolk County probate matters start with "SU" followed by the year and case type code. For example, SU24P0456EA would be a 2024 estate case. Keep in mind that some probate records are sealed or impounded under Massachusetts law, so they will not show up in public searches. Adoptions and certain guardianship matters fall into this group.

The Suffolk County virtual registry is another option for remote access. This Zoom-based service runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Staff can look up records, answer questions about filings, and help with basic requests. Under M.G.L. c. 215, the Probate Court has broad jurisdiction over wills, trusts, and estate matters, and most of these records are public.

The virtual registry page shows how to connect by video or phone for help with Suffolk County probate court records without going to the courthouse.

Types of Suffolk County Probate Records

Suffolk County probate court records cover a wide range of legal matters. The most common filings involve wills and estates. When someone dies, the probate court handles the legal process of distributing their property. Under M.G.L. c. 190B (the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code), there are two main paths: informal probate through the Register and formal probate through a judge. Both create detailed court records that become part of the public file at the Suffolk County courthouse.

Beyond wills and estates, Suffolk County probate records include guardianship petitions for minors and incapacitated adults, conservatorship filings for people who cannot manage their own finances, trust matters, and name change petitions. Each case type generates its own set of documents. Estate files may contain the original will, death certificate, inventory of assets, accountings, and final distribution orders. Guardianship files include medical certificates, investigation reports from the court, and annual status reports that the guardian must file under M.G.L. c. 190B, § 5-201.

Suffolk County probate records also hold adoption decrees, though these are typically sealed. Paternity cases and child support matters that start at the Boston Municipal Court sometimes cross over to probate court as well. The Boston Court Service Center on the third floor of the Brooke Courthouse can help you figure out which court holds the records you need.

Staff at the service center can point you to the right office and explain which forms to use when requesting copies of probate documents in Suffolk County.

Note: Some probate records involving minors or incapacitated persons may have restricted access under state privacy laws.

Get Copies of Probate Records in Suffolk County

You can get copies of Suffolk County probate court records in person, by mail, or through the virtual registry. In-person requests are the fastest. Go to the Register of Probate office on the first floor of the Brooke Courthouse. Staff will pull the file and make copies while you wait. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost $2.50 per page. Specific documents like a certified copy of a will or estate decree have set fees. A certified copy of a guardian decree costs $22.00, and a certified conservator decree costs $21.00.

For mail requests, use the PFC 18 form. This is the official request form for all Probate and Family Court copy orders. Fill in the court division (Suffolk), docket number, case name, and the documents you want. Make your check payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Personal checks are not accepted by mail. Use a money order, attorney's check, or bank check instead. Mail it to P.O. Box 9667, Boston, MA 02114.

The mass.gov copy request page walks through the full process step by step. It also explains how to get exemplified copies, which cost $50 plus $1 per extra page. These are needed when you have to use a Massachusetts court order in another state.

Filing Fees for Suffolk County Probate Cases

Suffolk County uses the same fee schedule as all other Probate and Family Courts in Massachusetts. The filing fee for informal probate of a will is $375 plus a $15 surcharge, for a total of $390. Formal probate costs the same base fee but adds a citation charge, bringing it to about $405. Voluntary administration (for small estates) costs $100 plus the surcharge.

Guardianship of a minor has no filing fee. Guardianship of an incapacitated person costs $240 plus $15. Conservatorship filings are the same. Account filing fees vary based on the estate value, from nothing for estates under $25,000 up to $3,500 for estates over $10 million. You can file many Suffolk County probate cases online through eFileMA. The platform charges a one-time $22 case fee for new filings, plus a small processing charge if you pay by credit card.

Fee waivers are available for people with low income. File an Affidavit of Indigency with the court. The full fee schedule is posted on the mass.gov website.

Note: Filing fees and copy fees are set by state law, so they are the same at every Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts.

Historical Probate Records in Suffolk County

Suffolk County has some of the oldest probate court records in the country. Records here go back to 1636. The Massachusetts Judicial Archives holds more than 21,387 cases from 1630 to 1800, along with over 191,600 individual file papers from early periods. These records cover the colonial era and the first decades of the Commonwealth. Researchers use them for genealogy, property tracing, and historical study.

Several online databases offer access to these old Suffolk County probate records. American Ancestors (americanancestors.org) has digitized collections in partnership with the Massachusetts Judicial Archives. FamilySearch provides free indexes and images of Suffolk County probate records from the 1600s through the 1890s. Ancestry.com has Massachusetts wills and probate records from 1635 to 1991 as part of its paid subscription service. For records not available online, contact the Supreme Judicial Court Archives at (617) 557-1087 or email archives@jud.state.ma.us.

For older probate cases that do not appear in MassCourts, check with the courthouse clerk or the Supreme Judicial Court Archives. FamilySearch and American Ancestors also carry digitized Suffolk County probate records from the 1600s through the late 1800s.

Cities in Suffolk County

Suffolk County has four cities and towns. All of them file probate cases at the Suffolk County Probate and Family Court in Boston. Whether you live in Boston, Chelsea, Revere, or Winthrop, your probate matters go through this same court.

Other communities in Suffolk County include Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. All probate court records for these towns are filed at the Suffolk County Probate and Family Court in Boston.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Suffolk County. If you are not sure which county handles your probate case, check where the person lived. Probate cases are filed in the county where the deceased person was domiciled at the time of death, or where real property is located.