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.
Probate in Essex County
Probate Court Record
Essex County Probate and Family Court
Essex County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970
Website
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 →
Probate Firms Serving Essex County
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.
Handles probate in Middlesex and Essex counties from Woburn, with estate planning and elder law for residents of eastern Massachusetts. Attorney Matthew G. Karr guides personal representatives through probate administration and handles trust administration and MassHealth applications for long-term care. Estate planning documents are billed at a flat fee and include a no-charge 3-year review.
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 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.
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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