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 →
Trust Litigation Firms Serving Essex County
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.
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.
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.
All 11 Massachusetts trust litigation 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.
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 Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Massachusetts happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeM.G.L. c. 203E § 101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 30 daysMGL c. 203E §§ 813, 1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
In Massachusetts, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent)Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 203E, § 708Verified Sep 18, 2026View source unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.
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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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