State guide
Massachusetts
Massachusetts adult guardianship and conservatorship cases are handled in the Probate and Family Court, with county-based divisions such as Suffolk, Worcester, and Middlesex North/Lowell or South/Woburn. The court system publishes a statewide guardianship and conservatorship hub, official forms, filing-fee tables, and county virtual registry pages that function as practical self-help access points.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Court that handles adult guardianship
- Adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions are handled by the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court in the appropriate county division.
- What it's called
- guardian (person) and conservator (property/estate)
- Official forms and self-help
- Official page →
- Filing fee
- Guardian petition: No fee; conservator or single-transaction petition: $240 filing fee plus $15 surcharge.
- Less-restrictive alternatives
- The Massachusetts Court System lists supported decision-making, activated health care proxies, durable powers of attorney, protective arrangements, single transactions, and special conservators as less restrictive options.
- Law
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 190B, art. V
Official resources in Massachusetts
State court hub for adult guardianship and conservatorship information, forms, law, and court locations.
Official statewide forms list for guardianship and conservatorship filings and later reports.
Official fee table showing published filing fees for guardian and conservator petitions.
Court guidance on supported decision-making, health care proxies, powers of attorney, and protective arrangements.
Step-by-step filing page for an adult guardianship petition, including required medical paperwork.
Key facts for Massachusetts
- Adult petitions are filed in the Probate and Family Court.
- Massachusetts uses guardian for the person and conservator for the protected person's estate.
- A petition to appoint a guardian has no filing fee.
- A petition to appoint a conservator or for a single transaction has a $240 filing fee plus a $15 surcharge.
- Massachusetts courts list supported decision-making, health care proxies, durable powers of attorney, and protective arrangements as less restrictive alternatives.
County court guardianship pages in Massachusetts
| Court | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk Probate and Family Court Suffolk | Boston | Not published* | County Probate and Family Court location serving Suffolk County; its virtual registry is the court's official remote help entry point. |
| Suffolk Probate and Family Court virtual registry Suffolk | Boston | Not published* | Official virtual registry for Suffolk Probate and Family Court inquiries and registry assistance. |
| Worcester Probate and Family Court Worcester | Worcester | Not published* | County Probate and Family Court location serving Worcester County, with forms and filing-fee links on the location page. |
| Worcester Probate and Family Court virtual registry Worcester | Worcester | Not published* | Official virtual registry where residents can get remote registry help for Worcester Probate and Family Court matters. |
| Middlesex Probate and Family Court South - Woburn Middlesex | Woburn | Not published* | Middlesex South probate session; the Probate line is specifically labeled for estates and guardianships. |
| Middlesex Probate and Family Court virtual registry Middlesex | Woburn | Not published* | Official remote registry help page for Middlesex Probate and Family Court. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Start with the statewide forms list, then confirm your local Probate and Family Court division before filing.
- If seeking guardianship, get the Medical Certificate or Clinical Team Report completed within the court's required timeframe.
- Review the alternatives page first; a health care proxy, durable power of attorney, or supported decision-making agreement may avoid a full petition.
Not seeing your court or county?
Not every court publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Massachusetts's population center, for comparison only):
- Providence Probate Court, Rhode Island · about 31 miles
- 9th Circuit - Probate Division - Nashua, New Hampshire · about 33 miles
- Office of Healthy Aging Volunteer Guardianship Program, Rhode Island · about 35 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Massachusetts Guardianship & Conservatorship of Incapacitated Persons
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Massachusetts page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.