Highlight In Legal Massachusetts Probate Forms For Free

Letters and probate fees Type of pleadingFiling feeFormal Probate of Will, Adjudication of Intestacy and Appointment of Personal Representative, Petition$375Formal Appointment of Successor Personal Representative, Petition$375Formal Removal of Personal Representative, Petition$100General Petition, Probate$15027 more rows

In Massachusetts, if the total assets of the deceased are less than $25,000 and there is no real estate owned by the deceased, then a faster form of probate, called simplified probate, can be requested.

You'll need to file: Petition for Informal Probate of Will and/or Appointment of Personal Representative (MPC 150) Surviving Spouse, Children, Heirs at Law (MPC 162) Devisees (MPC 163) The original will. A certified copy of the death certificate. Notice of Informal Probate and Return of Service (MPC 550)

A revocable living trust can be used to avoid probate. A trust holds legal title to property for the benefit of another person (?beneficiary?). The person who creates the trust (?the grantor?) chooses a manager (sometimes themselves), known as the trustee, to manage the assets in order to protect them.

For records of estate cases from 2009 through 2021 from any county, you can search for the record on masscourts.org. If you can't find the record you're looking for there, please contact your local Probate & Family Court.

The general rule is that an estate has to be probated within 3 years of when the decedent died. However, this deadline doesn't apply to: A voluntary administration. Determining heirs.