How probate works in Nantucket County: the Probate and Family Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Nantucket County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
E-filing
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
Accepted payment
Fax
About the court
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Nantucket, probate runs through the Probate and Family Court at 16 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Nantucket.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Massachusetts intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Massachusetts estates take 9 months to 14 months to move through this process. Creditors have 12 monthsMGL c. 190B §§ 3-306, 3-801, 3-803, 3-804, 3-805, 3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the date of death.
What probate costs in Nantucket County, Massachusetts comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Probate and Family Court at 16 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Nantucket.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Additional Letters cost $25 each.
Massachusetts charges $390M.G.L. c. 262, § 40; M.G.L. c. 262, § 4CVerified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Massachusetts are negotiated, typically 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Massachusetts allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payM.G.L. c. 190B § 3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-603Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Massachusetts typically runs 9 months to 14 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate documents in Nantucket County can be filed in person at the Probate and Family Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available.
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Nantucket County Self-Filing Assessment.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Original will within five days of eFiling
When a petition to probate a will is filed online, a copy of the will is uploaded and the original is mailed or delivered to the court within five calendar days. Letters do not issue until the original arrives, and the filing may be denied.
SourcePublication 7 days before the return date
Every formal testacy proceeding is published once in a newspaper the register designates, at least 7 days before the return date, and a formal petition is not allowed without it. The petitioner pays the publication cost.
SourceeFiled papers for a hearing are due three business days before it
Papers filed online for an upcoming hearing are submitted 72 hours, or three business days, before it, and a filing outside that window may not be reviewed before the hearing. An emergency filing is made in person.
SourceCitation served 14 days before the return date
In a formal proceeding each interested person receives a copy of the citation at least 14 days before the return date, by mail or in hand. The return date is the deadline to file an appearance to object, not a hearing date.
SourceFiled with the opening petition at the Probate and Family Court: Certified copy of the death certificate — the petitioner must redact the first five digits of the decedent's Social Security number before filing; if the cause of death reads "pending," a Cause of Death Affidavit (MPC 475) must be filed with it; Original will and any codicils (must reach the court within 5 days of eFiling, or be filed with a paper petition); Surviving Spouse, Children, Heirs at Law form (MPC 162); Devisees (MPC 163) — testate track only; Notice of Informal Probate & Return of Service (MPC 550) on the informal track; Citation - Return of Service (MPC 560) on the formal trackMass. Gen. Laws ch. 190B (MUPC), §§ 3-103, 3-301, 3-307, 3-401-3-414 (formal), 3-601-3-603 (qualification & bond)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
In Nantucket County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Local Clerk of the town or city where the death occurred, or from Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Nantucket County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Certified copies
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $32 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Nantucket County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Serves this county
Release of remains
Cremation authorization
Mail and offices
Fax
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Registry of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Nantucket County are recorded with the Registry of Deeds at 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. Phone: 1-508-228-7250. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The Registry of Deeds charges $155 flat, regardless of page count.
Nantucket County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
Nantucket County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-recording
Fax
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $155 |
M.G.L. c. 262, s. 38; M.G.L. c. 44B, s. 8; M.G.L. c. 64D, s. 1
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Massachusetts allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Nantucket County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Massachusetts are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Nantucket County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate and Family Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
FirmNantucket, MA
Nantucket Island firm run by partners Jennifer and Steven Cohen, serving year-round and seasonal property owners. Estate planning practice covers drafting of wills, trusts, and health care documents, plus formation of trusts, corporations, and LLCs for island residents and small businesses.
PracticesEstate Planning
FirmNantucket, MA
Nantucket law firm handling estate planning, estate administration and probate matters. Attorneys registered with the Board of Bar Overseers at the firm include Richard J. Glidden and Jessie McCann Brescher.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbate
FirmNantucket, MA
Serves Nantucket, Barnstable, Middlesex, Norfolk and Worcester counties from five Massachusetts offices, including Main Street in Nantucket. Guides personal representatives through probate, from gathering and appraising assets to paying creditors, estate tax returns and distribution, and handles trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships. Also practices family law.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Solo PracticeCenterville, MA
Serves Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket and Plymouth counties from Centerville. Handles probate of wills and estates, from the petition to appoint an executor or administrator through inventory, creditor payment and final distribution, and helps successor trustees administer living trusts; it does not accept will contests. Initial consultations are complimentary.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
FirmWaltham, MA
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 7 more
FirmFall River, MA
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipand 3 more
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from Massachusetts statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in Massachusetts: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
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.
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.
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.
Browse vetted Massachusetts attorneys handling probate matters.
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see Massachusetts attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
Enter the estate value to see whether Massachusetts lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
