General Laws

[ Text of section effective until July 8, 2012. For text effective July 8, 2012, see below.]

  Section 40. The fees of registers of the probate and family court department of the trial court shall be as follows:

  for the entry of a complaint for divorce or for affirming or annulling marriage, except as provided hereinafter for an action in equity, $200;

  for the entry of an action for separate support, $100;

  for the issuance of a contempt summons, $5;

  for the entry of a petition for the probate of a will, for administration of the estate of a person deceased intestate, for administration of goods not already administered, with the will annexed or otherwise, of a petition under section 35 or 36 of chapter 209 by a husband or wife for authority to convey land as if sole, for change of name, for leave to carry on the business of the deceased and for the appointment of a special administrator, trustee, receiver of the estate of an absentee, or conservator except when the conservator petition is filed concurrently with a petition for removal, resignation, or termination of a conservator, $150;

  for the entry of a petition to partition, $255;

  for filing a representation of insolvency, $150;

  for the entry of a petition: for leave to lease real estate; for specific performance; for leave to mortgage real estate; for release of dower or courtesy; for letters to a foreign guardian; for leave to compromise and for leave to pay debts, except when the petitioner or accountant certifies that the estate does not exceed $1,000 in value, $75;

  for filing of a complaint in equity, except such as relates to separate support, adoption or the custody or support of minors, $240;

  for filing of a complaint in equity related to separate support or the custody or support of minors, $100;

  for the entry of a general petition except such as relates to adoption or custody or support of minors, $150;

  for the entry of a petition for removal of a fiduciary, $100;

  for the amendment of record except such as relates to separate support, adoption or the custody or support of minors, for discharge of surety, for care of burial lot and for erection of a monument, $60 each;

  for new bond and for new inventory, $75 each;

  for filing a statement of voluntary administration, $100;

  for the petition or application for allowance of an account where the gross value accounted for in Schedule A of the account is $1,000 or less, no fee; where the gross value is more than $1,000 but not more than $10,000, $75 a year; provided, however, that the fees shall not exceed $170 regardless of the time covered by the account; where the gross value is $10,000 or more but not more than $100,000, $100 for each year or major fraction thereof covered by the account; where the gross value is more than $100,000 but not more than $500,000, $150 for each year or major fraction thereof covered by the account; where the gross value is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000, $200 for each year or major fraction thereof covered by the account; where the gross value is more than $1,000,000, $400 for each year or major fraction thereof covered by the account;

  for the petition or application for sale of real or personal estate where the gross value accounted for is $100,000 or less, $100; where the gross value is more than $100,000 but not more than $250,000, $250; where the gross value is more than $250,000 but not more than $500,000, $500; where the gross value is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000, $750; where said gross value is over $1,000,000, $1000;

  for filing a motion for change of name, $100;

  for filing a motion for the framing of jury issues, $140;

  for filing a will for safekeeping, $75; provided, however, that no additional fee shall be charged for filing a will in substitution for a will previously filed and withdrawn;

  for filing a bond, $50;

  for issuance of an injunction, $150;

  for issuance of a temporary restraining order, $100;

  for entry of an action for the modification of a judgment relative to all non-child related issues, $150;

  for entry of an action for modification relative to child support, custody, and visitation, except for those actions filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee, $50;

  for filing a complaint to modify a foreign custody or support decree pursuant to section 29 of chapter 208, except for those complaints filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee, $100;

  for application of leave to deposit certain funds pursuant to section 27 of chapter 206, $200; and

  for filing a complaint to establish paternity or for custody-support-visitation, except for those actions filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee, $100;

  Notwithstanding this section, no fee shall be charged for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against a spouse related to a complaint for divorce or separate support.

Chapter 262: Section 40. Registers of probate and family court; enumeration of fees

[ Text of section as amended by 2012, 140, Sec. 60 effective July 8, 2012 applicable as provided by 2012, 140, Sec. 66. For text effective until July 8, 2012, see above.]

  Section 40. The fees of the registers of the probate and family court, shall be as follows:

  for the filing of an amended or substituted account, for a petition for the allowance of an account, $75;

  for the filing of an account, including a common trust fund account, if the gross value accounted for in Schedule A of the account is $1,000 or less, no fee; if the gross value is more than $1,000 but not more than $10,000, $75; provided, however, that the fees shall not exceed $170 regardless of the time covered by the account; if the gross value is $10,000 or more but not more than $100,000, $100 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $100,000 but not more than $500,000, $150 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000, $200 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $1,000,000 but not more than $2,000,000, $400 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $2,000,000 but not more than $5,000,000, $750 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $5,000,000 but not more than $7,500,000, $1500 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $7,500,000 but not more than $10,000,000, $2500 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account; if the gross value is more than $10,000,000, $3500 for each year or fraction thereof covered by the account;

  for the filing of a subsequent bond, demand for sureties, for the filing of a petition for new bond, discharge of surety, modification of bond, reduction of bond, $75;

  for the filing of a motion for change of name, in divorce actions during nisi period, $100;

  for the filing of a petition for change of name, $150;

  for the filing of a foreign conservator sworn statement, $75;

  for the removal of a fiduciary, $100;

  for the filing of a petition to expand, modify or limit the powers of a conservator, $150;

  for the filing of a petition for the appointment of a conservator or for single transaction, $240;

  for the issuance of a contempt summons, $5;

  for the entry of an action seeking the post-judgment removal of a child from the commonwealth, $50;

  for the filing of a complaint for alimony, enforcement of foreign alimony decree, separate support, $100;

  for the filing of an action to convey land as if sole, $150;

  for marriage of a minor and marriage without delay, $180;

  for the filing of a complaint for affirmation of marriage, annulment, divorce, $200;

  for the filing of an action for modification relative to child support, custody and visitation, except for those actions filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee, $50;

  for the filing of a complaint to establish paternity or for custody-support-visitation, except for those actions filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee, $100;

  for the filing of a complaint to modify a foreign custody or support decree pursuant to section 29 of chapter 208, except for those complaints filed by the IV-D agency for which there is no filing fee, $100;

  for the filing of an action for the modification of a judgment relative to all non-child related issues, $150;

  for the issuance of an injunction or temporary restraining order, $100;

  for the filing of a complaint in equity related to separate support or the custody or support of minors, $100;

  for the filing of a complaint in equity, except such as relates to separate support or the custody or support of minors, $240;

  for the filing of a petition to partition, to terminate a trust, for specific performance, for filing a complaint to correct birth record, to restrain a personal representative, to terminate a trust, $240;

  for the issuance of a subsequent letter, $25;

  for care of a burial lot, erection of monument, $60;

  for the filing of a petition to render an inventory or account, petition for approval of a compromise, determination of value, order of complete settlement, for the filing of a closing statement, foreign personal representative sworn statement, small estate closing statement, $75;

  for the filing of a will for safekeeping, $75; provided, however, that no additional fee shall be charged for filing a will in substitution of a will previously filed and withdrawn;

  for the filing of a petition for public administration, for formal removal of personal representative, for statement of voluntary administration, $100;

  for the filing of a petition for counsel fees, to vacate a formal order, for a general probate petition, for a general petition, except such as relates to custody or support of minors, for a representation of insolvency, $150;

  for the filing of a petition to appoint a receiver of the estate of an absentee, for leave to deposit certain funds, $200;

  for the filing of a declaration of common trust fund, $400;

  for the filing of a petition to appoint a special personal representative, to appoint a trustee, for a general trust petition, for a formal probate of will, adjudication of intestacy and appointment of personal representative, for formal appointment of successor personal representative, for supervised administration, for an informal probate of will and/or appointment of personal representative, for informal appointment of successor personal representative, $375;

  for the filing of a petition for leave to lease real estate, for leave to mortgage real estate, $75;

  for the filing of a petition or application for sale of real or personal estate by any fiduciary if the gross value accounted for is $100,000 or less, $100; if the gross value is more than $100,000 but not more than $250,000, $250; if the gross value is more than $250,000 but not more than $500,000, $500; if the gross value is more than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000, $750; if the gross value is more than $1,000,000, $1000; and

  for the amendment of record except such as relates to separate support, adoption or the custody or support of minors, $60;

  Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, no fee shall be charged for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against a spouse related to a complaint for divorce or separate support, for the filing of a complaint for support of spouse or child pursuant to section 32F of chapter 209, for the filing of a complaint for abuse protection, for the filing of a petition for disabled abuse, elderly abuse, dispense with consent to adoption, the appointment of a guardian, the resignation or termination of a guardian or conservator, the resignation of any fiduciary, to expand, modify or limit the powers of a guardian, grandparent visitation, payment of deposits, for leave to bring suit on a bond or for registration of foreign custody decree.