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Hampshire County, MA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Hampshire Probate and Family Court, a division of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Department; there is no separate surrogate or register of wills court |
| Filing office | Registry of Probate, Hampshire County, run by the elected Register of Probate (Mark Ames) |
| Courthouse | 15 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060 |
| Mailing address | Hampshire Probate and Family Court, 15 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060 (no separate post office box; mail goes to the street address) |
| Satellite session | Eastern Hampshire District Court, 205 State St., Belchertown, MA 01007, held the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
| Phone | (413) 586-8500 (Register's Office; the Registry's public line) |
| Fax | (413) 584-1132 (Register's Office) |
| [email protected] | |
| Office hours | Monday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed weekends and court holidays |
| Filing fee | Uniform statewide: informal or formal probate $390 ($375 plus a $15 surcharge); voluntary administration $115 ($100 plus a $15 surcharge). Probate and Family Court filing-fee schedule on mass.gov, verified July 2026 |
| Probate forms | Statewide Massachusetts Probate and Family Court (MPC) forms, used in every division; MPC 150 (informal), MPC 160 (formal), MPC 170 (voluntary administration) |
| E-filing | Available through eFileMA (Odyssey File and Serve), 24/7, not required; filers may still file by mail or at the Registry counter |
| Case search | MassCourts public portal (masscourts.org) covers Probate and Family Court dockets; some records are restricted |
| Remote appearance | Remote hearing access is available, and the Hampshire Virtual Registry offers registry help by Zoom or phone; confirm arrangements with the Registry for a given case |
| Website | https://www.mass.gov/locations/hampshire-probate-and-family-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Hampshire County, know exactly what is in the estate. The path you take depends on whether there is a will and on the value and type of the assets. Massachusetts offers voluntary administration for a small estate of personal property, informal probate for the ordinary uncontested case, and formal probate when there is a dispute or a defective will. These paths and their dollar thresholds are statewide and are explained on the Massachusetts state page; identify the estate first so you file the right petition once.
Identify every bank and credit-union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life-insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of real property, along with every debt, before you go to the Registry. In Hampshire County this matters for real estate in particular, because conveying a decedent's home can require a license to sell if the will grants no power of sale, and it requires clearing the Massachusetts estate tax lien at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Hampshire Probate and Family Court serves all of Hampshire County: Northampton, the county seat, together with Amherst, Easthampton, South Hadley, Belchertown, Hadley, Ware, Granby, Southampton, Williamsburg, Hatfield, Pelham, Westhampton, Huntington, Goshen, Chesterfield, Cummington, Worthington, Middlefield, and Plainfield. There is one courthouse, at 15 Atwood Drive in Northampton, and estates from every one of these communities are filed there with the Registry of Probate. The division also holds a limited satellite session at the Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown, and offers a virtual registry for remote help.
Venue for a decedent's estate is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (MGL c. 190B, § 3-201). If the decedent lived in any Hampshire County community, file in Hampshire County. If the decedent was not domiciled in Massachusetts but owned property in the county, venue is also proper here. A proceeding may be transferred to another county for cause or convenience (MGL c. 190B, § 1-303). Uncontested informal probate is decided by a MUPC Magistrate with no hearing; formal and contested matters go before a judge of the division.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the documents. Collect the original signed will (if any), a certified copy of the death certificate, the proposed personal representative's contact information and photo ID, the names and addresses of the heirs and devisees, and a list of the assets and debts with values. A personal representative named in a will was historically called an executor and one appointed without a will an administrator; Massachusetts now uses personal representative for both.
- Choose the path and the form. Massachusetts uses one statewide set of MPC forms in every division. File the Petition for Informal Probate (MPC 150) for the ordinary uncontested case, the Petition for Formal Adjudication (MPC 160) when there is a dispute or a defective will, or the Voluntary Administration Statement (MPC 170) for a qualifying small estate of personal property. The governing thresholds are statewide and are on the Massachusetts state page.
- File with the Registry of Probate in Northampton. File at the counter at 15 Atwood Dr., by mail to 15 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060, or through eFileMA (Odyssey File and Serve), which is available 24/7. The Hampshire Virtual Registry can also help with registry business by Zoom or phone. eFiling is available but not required.
- Pay the filing fee. The fee is uniform statewide: $390 for informal or formal probate ($375 plus a $15 surcharge) and $115 for voluntary administration ($100 plus a $15 surcharge), per the Probate and Family Court filing-fee schedule on mass.gov, verified July 2026. Newspaper publication and deputy-sheriff service, where required, are separate costs paid outside the court. Tyler charges its own convenience fee for eFileMA filings.
- Give notice. Informal probate requires notice to interested persons and, where applicable, publication; formal probate proceeds by citation and order of notice issued by the court. The MPC forms include the notice and surviving-spouse and heirs companion forms.
- Attend the hearing only if one is set. Informal probate and informal appointment are allowed administratively by a MUPC Magistrate with no hearing; the Magistrate may act as early as seven days after death. Formal probate is heard by a judge. Remote hearing access is available; confirm arrangements with the Registry.
- Receive the Letters of Authority. On appointment the court issues Letters of Authority, the proof of the personal representative's authority to act. A certified copy from the Registry of Probate is what banks, transfer agents, and the Registry of Deeds rely on. Request enough certified copies for the institutions involved; additional Letters cost $25 each (mass.gov fee schedule, verified July 2026).
- Administer and close. Inventory and appraise the assets, pay valid claims in statutory priority, and account to the estate. A creditor's claim against the estate must generally be brought within one year after the date of death (MGL c. 190B, § 3-803). If the estate includes Hampshire County real estate that must be sold, obtain a license to sell (MGL c. 202) where the will grants no power of sale, and clear the Massachusetts estate tax lien at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds before conveying.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Hampshire County
Massachusetts has a statewide mandatory set of Massachusetts Probate and Family Court (MPC) forms, and the Hampshire Probate and Family Court uses the same forms as every other division; there is no separate Hampshire County form set. The load-bearing forms are the Petition for Informal Probate of a Will and/or Appointment of a Personal Representative (MPC 150), the Petition for Formal Probate of a Will and/or Appointment of a Personal Representative (MPC 160), and the Voluntary Administration Statement (MPC 170), with common companions including the bond (MPC 801), the surviving-spouse, children, and heirs-at-law form (MPC 162), and the devisees form (MPC 163). The forms are published statewide on mass.gov and on the Trial Court forms portal.
In Hampshire County these forms are filed with the Registry of Probate at the Northampton courthouse, by mail, or through eFileMA. For questions about local intake or what the Registry needs, call the Registry of Probate at (413) 586-8500 or use the Hampshire Virtual Registry.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Probate and Family Court forms for wills, estates, and trusts (mass.gov) | The statewide MPC form set, including MPC 150, MPC 160, and MPC 170 with instructions |
| eFiling in the Probate and Family Court (mass.gov) | How to file MPC 150, 160, and 170 online through eFileMA, available but not required |
| Hampshire Probate and Family Court | Local intake questions, hours, directions, and Registry contact information |
Local nuance
Hampshire County-specific considerations
One courthouse in Northampton, plus a limited Belchertown session. Every Hampshire County estate is filed with the Registry of Probate at 15 Atwood Drive in Northampton. The division also holds a satellite session at the Eastern Hampshire District Court, 205 State St. in Belchertown, but only the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Do not plan a Belchertown filing around the main counter's schedule; for anything time-sensitive, use Northampton, eFileMA, or the virtual registry.
A split weekly schedule at the Northampton counter. The Registry opens at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, closing at 4:30 p.m. each day. If you are coming in person early in the week, note the later Monday opening.
Registry help by Zoom or phone. The Hampshire Virtual Registry lets you handle registry business remotely, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., by Zoom or by phone at (646) 828-7666. It is a practical alternative to a trip to Northampton for questions about a filing or the status of a case.
A MUPC Magistrate handles informal probate. Uncontested informal probate and informal appointment are administrative proceedings decided by a MUPC Magistrate with no hearing, and the Magistrate may act as early as seven days after death. Formal probate, supervised administration, and any contested matter go before a judge of the division. Do not expect a hearing date for a clean informal filing.
eFileMA is available, not required. Hampshire accepts probate filings through eFileMA (Odyssey File and Serve at www.efilema.com) around the clock, but eFiling is not mandatory, including for attorneys. You may still file by mail or in person at the Northampton Registry of Probate counter. Tyler charges its own convenience fee on top of the statutory filing fee.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Hampshire County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Northampton, Amherst, or other Hampshire County home was held in joint tenancy or as tenants by the entirety, it passes to the surviving spouse outside probate by recording a death certificate and affidavit at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. If the home was in the decedent's sole name and there is a will, the spouse files the Petition for Informal Probate (MPC 150) with the Registry of Probate in Northampton and, once appointed, receives Letters of Authority. | Asset discovery to confirm how title is held. Packet generation for the MPC 150 filing. Guidance on recording the survivorship documents at the Registry of Deeds. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | For a qualifying small estate of personal property with no real estate, the child can file the Voluntary Administration Statement (MPC 170), which is decided without a hearing. For a larger estate, the child files informal probate (MPC 150). Either can be filed through eFileMA or by mail to the Northampton courthouse, and the Hampshire Virtual Registry can answer questions remotely, so an out-of-state filer can proceed without traveling. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate qualifies. Packet generation for MPC 170 or MPC 150, prepared so an out-of-state filer can proceed through eFileMA or by mail. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The parent files informal or formal probate with the Registry of Probate in Northampton and, once issued Letters of Authority, can act for the estate. Because the Hampshire County home must be sold, the personal representative obtains a license to sell (MGL c. 202) where the will grants no power of sale, and clears the Massachusetts estate tax lien at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds before conveying. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the probate filing and the license-to-sell paperwork. Attorney referral if the sale or an heir dispute turns contested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Hampshire Probate and Family Court, (413) 586-8500 (mass.gov/locations/hampshire-probate-and-family-court) | The filing office for probate; local intake questions, hours, directions, forms links, and Registry contact information |
| Hampshire Virtual Registry (mass.gov/info-details/hampshire-probate-and-family-court-virtual-registry) | Remote registry help by Zoom or phone, Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., for questions about a filing or a case without a trip to Northampton |
| Springfield and Greenfield Court Service Centers (mass.gov/info-details/court-service-centers) | Free help with forms and court procedure, with no lawyer or income requirement; the nearest physical centers to Hampshire County, with a virtual Court Service Center also available by Zoom or phone |
| Probate and Family Court forms and self-help hub (mass.gov/orgs/probate-and-family-court) | The statewide MPC forms, the MUPC estate administration procedural guides, and step-by-step instructions for informal, formal, and voluntary administration |
| MassLegalHelp (masslegalhelp.org) | Plain-language self-help on wills, estates, and probate for the public |
| Community Legal Aid, (855) 252-5342 (communitylegal.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible and elderly residents of Hampshire County and central and western Massachusetts, with a Northampton office |
When to hire an attorney
Many Hampshire County estates are uncontested and can be handled without an attorney: a qualifying small estate of personal property moves by voluntary administration (MPC 170) without a hearing, and an ordinary case moves by informal probate (MPC 150) before a MUPC Magistrate. Consider counsel when the estate holds Hampshire County real estate that must be sold and the will grants no power of sale, when a will contest or heir dispute is likely, when the estate is insolvent or a formal accounting is demanded, or when the estate includes a business interest or out-of-state property. An attorney can also manage a formal probate before a judge and any remote appearances. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Massachusetts probate attorney serving Hampshire County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit-union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Hampshire County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Massachusetts estate settlement path fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the MPC petition for your path (informal probate, formal probate, or voluntary administration) and the supporting paperwork, ready to file with the Registry of Probate in Northampton through eFileMA, by mail, or at the counter.
Find a local probate attorney. When a matter is contested or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Massachusetts probate attorney serving Hampshire County.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Hampshire County?
With the Registry of Probate at the Hampshire Probate and Family Court, 15 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060. The Hampshire Probate and Family Court is the county's single division of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court and covers every Hampshire County community, from Northampton and Amherst to South Hadley, Ware, and the hilltowns. You may also file through eFileMA or by mail.
Does the Belchertown session handle Hampshire County probate?
The Hampshire Probate and Family Court holds a limited satellite session at the Eastern Hampshire District Court, 205 State St., Belchertown, only the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The main Registry of Probate is in Northampton, and for anything time-sensitive it is best to file at Northampton, through eFileMA, or by mail rather than wait for the twice-monthly Belchertown session.
Is there e-filing for probate in Hampshire County?
Yes. eFileMA is available in the Hampshire Probate and Family Court 24/7 for informal probate (MPC 150), formal probate (MPC 160), and the voluntary administration statement (MPC 170). E-filing is available but not required; you may still file by mail or at the Registry counter. Tyler charges a convenience fee on top of the statutory filing fee.
What are the Hampshire Probate and Family Court hours?
The Northampton Registry of Probate is open Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed weekends and court holidays. The Belchertown satellite session runs only the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Hampshire Virtual Registry is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
What forms do I need for probate in Hampshire County?
Massachusetts uses one statewide set of MPC forms in every division, including Hampshire. The core forms are the Petition for Informal Probate (MPC 150), the Petition for Formal Adjudication (MPC 160), and the Voluntary Administration Statement (MPC 170), with companions such as the bond (MPC 801) and the surviving-spouse, children, and heirs-at-law form (MPC 162). There is no separate Hampshire County form set.
How much does it cost to file probate in Hampshire County?
The filing fee is uniform statewide. Informal or formal probate is $390 ($375 plus a $15 surcharge) and voluntary administration is $115 ($100 plus a $15 surcharge), per the Probate and Family Court filing-fee schedule on mass.gov, verified July 2026. Newspaper publication and deputy-sheriff service, where required, are separate costs, and eFileMA adds a convenience fee.
Can I look up a Hampshire County probate case online?
Yes, through the MassCourts public portal at masscourts.org, the Trial Court's eServices site, which covers Probate and Family Court dockets including Hampshire County. Some records, such as impounded family matters, are restricted. For questions about a specific filing, call the Registry of Probate at (413) 586-8500 or use the Hampshire Virtual Registry.
Who decides an uncontested probate in Hampshire County?
A MUPC Magistrate of the Probate and Family Court, not a judge, decides uncontested informal probate and informal appointment, and does so with no hearing. The Magistrate may act as early as seven days after death. Formal probate and any contested matter go before a judge of the division.
Do I have to travel to Northampton to file probate?
Not necessarily. The Hampshire Probate and Family Court accepts filings through eFileMA (Odyssey File and Serve), available 24/7, and by mail to 15 Atwood Dr., Northampton, MA 01060. The Hampshire Virtual Registry can also help with registry business by Zoom or phone, Monday to Friday, so many matters can be handled without a trip to the courthouse.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.