Serves Norfolk and Middlesex county communities such as Wellesley, Newton, Needham and Westwood from Wellesley. Administers and settles testate and intestate estates, litigates will contests and handles the removal of fiduciaries, plus guardianships and Medicaid qualification for nursing-home residents. Founding partner Sheryl Dennis pairs estate work with family law and special needs planning.
Probate in Middlesex County
Probate Court Record
Middlesex County Probate and Family Court
Middlesex County
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How to file probate in Middlesex County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Middlesex County? →Settling an estate in Middlesex County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Middlesex 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.
Serves Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties from Danvers. Attorney Jonathan M. White helps executors with probate filings, estate inventories, creditor notices, tax returns and will disputes, and guides trustees from acceptance through final accounting and distribution. Estate administration is billed at a flat fee, with deferred payment available when the estate includes real estate.
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.
Serves Hampden, Hampshire and Berkshire counties from Springfield, Hadley, Pittsfield and Great Barrington, with an office in Boston. Its Trusts and Estates attorneys handle probate and estate administration, trust administration and trustee support services, and trust and estate litigation. Merged with the Berkshire firm Cain Hibbard & Myers on December 1, 2025.
Serves Worcester and Suffolk counties from offices in Worcester, Westborough, and Boston. Settles estates through the probate court, prepares estate and fiduciary income tax returns, and serves as trustee; its litigators handle will contests and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Established in 1916.
All 17 Massachusetts probate litigation firms serving Middlesex 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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
In Massachusetts, a will is signed before 2M.G.L. c. 190B § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyM.G.L. c. 190B § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Massachusetts costs an estimated $27,714No specific statute for general probate attorney fees; reasonable compensation subject to court review. M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-720 covers litigation expense reimbursement only.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.2%Modeled estimate under No specific statute for general probate attorney fees; reasonable compensation subject to court review. M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-720 covers litigation expense reimbursement only.: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under No specific statute for general probate attorney fees; reasonable compensation subject to court review. M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-720 covers litigation expense reimbursement only.: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Massachusetts, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateM.G.L. c. 190B § 2-102Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationM.G.L. c. 190B § 2-106Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Massachusetts, creditors have 12 monthsM.G.L. c. 190B § 3-803Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from the date of death to present claims; late claims are barred.
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.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Massachusetts pays executors reasonable compensationM.G.L. c. 190B § 3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
