Probate in Berkshire County

Probate Court Record

Berkshire County Probate and Family Court

Berkshire County

Hours

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

Office

44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201

E-filing

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Berkshire County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Probate Firms Serving Berkshire County

Serves Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties from Springfield. Attorney Marie T. Jablonski files probate for estates of deceased persons with or without a will, handles guardianships and conservatorships, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney and MassHealth applications. She makes house calls and hospital and nursing home visits across Western Massachusetts.

Solo PracticeServes 4 countiesFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipMedicaid PlanningFamily Law

Serves Massachusetts from Waltham, concentrating on Greater Boston, with offices in New Hampshire and Florida. Guides executors, administrators and trustees through probate court proceedings, trust administration and distribution, and estate and fiduciary tax returns, and handles guardianship and conservatorship petitions. Founder David M. Beliveau is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+6

Serves Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Barnstable counties and families throughout Massachusetts from Fall River. Handles probate of wills, administration of estates, voluntary administration of small estates, guardianship and conservatorship petitions, and MassHealth long-term care planning with irrevocable trusts. Most planning is handled by phone and video, with in-person signings.

Since 2005Serves the whole stateFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipSpecial Needs Planning+2

Serves Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk counties from Wakefield, meeting clients in person or by telephone or Zoom. Handles probate and estate administration, trust administration, conservatorships and guardianships, and MassHealth applications and fair hearing appeals. Attorneys Patrick Curley and Lucy Budman are both Certified Elder Law Attorneys.

Serves the whole stateVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+6

Serves Massachusetts clients from Waltham and offices in Braintree, Hyannis, Westborough, Woburn and Longmeadow. Represents executors, trustees, conservators and beneficiaries in probate and estate administration, trust administration, estate tax returns, will contests and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Leo J. Cushing, Esq., CPA, founded the firm in Boston in 1984.

Since 1984Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+10

Serves Bristol and Plymouth counties from a County Street office in New Bedford, and provides will and probate court services throughout Massachusetts. Guides executors through probate, from filing the will with the Probate and Family Court and assembling assets to paying creditors and estate taxes, locating beneficiaries and liquidating the estate. Also licensed in Rhode Island.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawReal Estate

All 23 Massachusetts probate firms serving Berkshire 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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Revocable Living Trust

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

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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.

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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.

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.

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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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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.

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Do I Need Probate?

In Massachusetts, estates with personal property of $25,000M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Voluntary AdministrationM.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysM.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death, a court filing short of full probate.

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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.

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Can I Self-File Probate?

Massachusetts has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableM.G.L. c. 190B §§ 3-301, 3-307 (magistrate appoints without formal hearing)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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