Probate in Essex County

Probate Court Record

Essex County Probate and Family Court

Essex County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970

E-filing

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Essex County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Essex County? →Settling an estate in Essex County →

Conservatorship Firms Serving Essex County

Serves Norfolk, Suffolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, Barnstable and Essex counties from Braintree. Advises personal representatives through probate and successor trustees through trust administration, and litigates will contests, undue influence claims and fiduciary disputes, including in the Probate Fiduciary Litigation Session. Anthony H. Gemma tried over 35 jury trials as a prosecutor.

Solo PracticeServes 6 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+5

Serves Middlesex, Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk counties from an office on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. Attorney Frank V. Grimaldi probates estates, including complicated cases with lost heirs or lost property, and prosecutes and defends will contests, alongside guardianships, conservatorships and Medicaid planning. Offers a free consultation.

Solo PracticeServes 4 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder LawConservatorship+4

Serves clients in Somerville, Cambridge, Burlington and Andover from Somerville. Handles probate administration, trustee services once a trust takes effect, guardianship and conservatorship, and fiduciary litigation when a will or trust is contested, alongside special needs planning and MassHealth applications and appeals. The attorneys are Christina T. Vidoli and Michael R. Couture.

Serves 2 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+5

Serves Worcester, Suffolk and Plymouth counties from offices in Worcester, Boston, Plymouth and Southborough. Administers estates and trusts, from Probate Court filings, inventories and annual accounts to estate tax returns and audits, and litigates contested wills, trust disputes and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Established in 1914.

Since 1914Serves 3 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+6

Serves Bristol, Plymouth, Norfolk and Barnstable counties from Fall River and Quincy. Attorneys Wilfred C. Driscoll, Jr. and Laurie A. Sanford petition for guardianship of minors and incapacitated adults and offer limited assistance representation for discrete probate and estate tasks. Attorney Driscoll has served as a Probate Court master and guardian ad litem.

Since 2002Serves 4 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipMedicaid PlanningFamily Law

Serves Worcester, Norfolk and Barnstable counties from Worcester, Leominster, Braintree and Hyannis. Counsels executors, administrators and trustees from probate of the will through inventories, fiduciary accounts, estate tax returns and distributions, and handles contested guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. The firm also serves as executor or trustee when clients ask.

Serves 3 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+5

All 14 Massachusetts conservatorship firms serving Essex County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Massachusetts

Free Massachusetts forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Massachusetts.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Massachusetts requires 2M.G.L. c. 201D § 2Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredM.G.L. c. 201D § 2Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Massachusetts requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityM.G.L. c. 190B §§ 5-501 to 5-507; c. 183 §§ 29, 32Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementM.G.L. c. 190B §§ 5-501 to 5-507; c. 183 §§ 29, 32Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.

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$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Massachusetts

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Massachusetts: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Massachusetts runs $3,920Estimate: 10 hours at $392, Clio's Massachusetts Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,880Estimate: 15 hours at $392, Clio's Massachusetts Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,161Estimate: 3 hours at $387, Clio's Massachusetts Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,322Estimate: 6 hours at $387, Clio's Massachusetts Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Massachusetts: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysMGL c. 190B §§ 3-706, 3-707, 3-708Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 12 monthsMGL c. 190B §§ 3-306, 3-801, 3-803, 3-804, 3-805, 3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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