Probate in Barnstable County

Probate Court Record

Barnstable County Probate and Family Court

Barnstable County

Hours

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

Office

3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630

E-filing

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Barnstable County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Tax Planning Firms Serving Barnstable County

Serves Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties and Rhode Island from New Bedford. Probates estates, establishes guardianships and conservatorships, and petitions for the approval of minor's, special needs and settlement trusts; Attorney Heather M. Bonnet-Hebert also provides professional trustee services. Formed in 1994 as Robert B. Feingold & Associates, P.C.

Since 1994Serves 3 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+5

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 Plymouth County, the Upper Cape portion of Barnstable County and southeastern Norfolk County from Plymouth. Guides personal representatives and trustees through probate and trust administration, including estate taxes, and handles will and trust contests and challenges to fiduciary accountings. Initial consultations carry a fee; Zoom meetings are available.

Solo PracticeSince 1996Serves 3 countiesVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+8

Serves Bristol and Barnstable counties, the SouthCoast and Cape Cod from Fall River, where Attorney Jane E. Sullivan opened her practice in 1996. After a death she represents the fiduciary through probate of the will, administration of intestate estates and trusts, sale of real estate and the related tax matters. She also handles guardianships, conservatorships and Medicaid appeals.

Solo PracticeSince 1996Serves 2 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+4

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 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

All 17 Massachusetts tax planning firms serving Barnstable 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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Pour-Over Will

In Massachusetts, a pour-over will is signed before 2M.G.L. c. 190B § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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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 Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Massachusetts levies an estate taxM.G.L. c. 65C § 2A; St. 2023, c. 50; St. 2024, c. 206, § 13; St. 2025, c. 9, § 35Verified Sep 15, 2026View source above $2,000,000M.G.L. c. 65C § 2A; St. 2023, c. 50; St. 2024, c. 206, § 13; St. 2025, c. 9, § 35Verified Sep 15, 2026View source (top rate 16%M.G.L. c. 65C § 2A; St. 2023, c. 50; St. 2024, c. 206, § 13; St. 2025, c. 9, § 35Verified Sep 15, 2026View source) and no inheritance tax; the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

In Massachusetts, beneficiaries owe no inheritance tax and the estate pays any estate taxM.G.L. c. 65C § 2A; St. 2023, c. 50; St. 2024, c. 206, § 13; St. 2025, c. 9, § 35Verified Sep 15, 2026View source above $2,000,000M.G.L. c. 65C § 2A; St. 2023, c. 50; St. 2024, c. 206, § 13; St. 2025, c. 9, § 35Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Massachusetts take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death26 USC § 1014Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular ratesM.G.L. c. 62 § 2(b)(3) (Part C gross income = gain from capital assets held > 1 year); § 4(c) (Part C taxed at the Part B rate; 3% on qualifying MA small-business stock held ≥ 3 years); § 4(a)(1) (Part A: 12% on capital gains, 8.5% on assets held ≤ 1 year); § 4(b) (Part B rate, floor 5%); § 4(d) (4% surtax above the indexed $1M threshold)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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When Do I Have to Withdraw an Inherited IRA?

See which federal withdrawal rules apply to an inherited IRA, Roth IRA, or employer plan, the deadline year, and the missed-withdrawal tax.

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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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