Make Legal Massachusetts Small Estates Forms For Free

If the decedent died without a will 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) A certified copy of the death certificate.

Even if an estate contains probate assets, you might be surprised to learn you may not need to go through a full formal probate. If the value of the decedent's estate is less than $25,000 and does not contain any real property, than a limited version of probate called Voluntary Administration may qualify.

Whether an estate has to be probated depends on how the decedent's (the person who has died) property is titled (owned) when they die. Some property may not be part of the probate estate because it passes directly to another person by law.

The petitioner, or affiant, must provide detailed information about the estate, the property in question, the decedent, and any other potential heirs. This process can be used to avoid probate court in Massachusetts when the value of the estate is no greater than $25,000.

A Massachusetts small estate affidavit is a legal document used to present a claim on the estate or part of the estate of a deceased loved one.

The estate must meet these requirements to qualify for voluntary administration: The deceased person must have been a Massachusetts resident at the time of death. The estate can't contain any real estate. The assets left by the deceased must be valued at $25,000 or less (one vehicle can be excluded from this).