I provide divorce mediation for residents of every city and town in Massachusetts — all 14 counties, all 351 municipalities. With over 1,800 Massachusetts divorces successfully mediated, I have filed cases in every Probate and Family Court in the state and am familiar with each court’s judges, procedures, and local practices.
All of my mediation sessions are conducted via Zoom, which means you get the same quality of service whether you live in downtown Boston, rural Berkshire County, or on the islands. I prepare every court document you need and mail them to you with a pre-addressed envelope to the correct courthouse. Most couples complete the entire mediation process in just two sessions.
Ready to get started?Call Julia Rueschemeyer at 413-253-7484 for a free phone consultation, or schedule an appointment online.
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Divorce in Massachusetts is governed entirely by state law — specifically Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 208. This means the same statutes, the same court forms, and the same legal standards apply whether you file in Suffolk County (Boston) or Franklin County (Greenfield), in Middlesex County (the state’s most populous) or Nantucket County (the least). There are no county-level divorce laws.
However, Massachusetts does have 14 separate Probate and Family Courts, one per county, and they are not identical in practice. Here is what varies from court to court and what stays the same:
Every county court uses the same official forms, applies the same child support guidelines, follows the same alimony statute (G.L. c. 208, §§ 48-55), requires the same $215 filing fee, and imposes the same 120-day nisi waiting period after the judge approves your agreement. The residency requirements, grounds for divorce, and property division standard (“fair and equitable” under G.L. c. 208, § 34) are the same statewide. For a step-by-step guide to the filing process, see our guide to filing an uncontested divorce. For help determining which court you file in, see our complete court directory.
Judges have significant discretion. Probate and Family Court judges have wide latitude in how they interpret Massachusetts family law and make orders — particularly around property division, alimony duration and amount, and custody arrangements. Two judges presented with the same facts can reach different conclusions, and each judge develops patterns and preferences over time. This is one reason why mediation is so valuable: in mediation, you make the decisions rather than leaving them to a judge whose approach you cannot predict.
Court backlogs vary. Some courts schedule uncontested divorce hearings within 6-8 weeks of filing; others can take 3-4 months or longer. Contested cases face even more variation — a busy docket in Middlesex County or Suffolk County can mean significantly longer waits than a smaller court like Franklin or Dukes County.
Virtual registry and eFile availability differ. Most courts now offer Zoom virtual registry hours where you can get face-to-face help with forms and filings, but the hours and responsiveness vary. Electronic filing through eFileMA is expanding but is not universally available for all case types at all courts.
Number of courthouse locations. Most counties have a single courthouse, but three counties have multiple locations: Middlesex County (Woburn and Lowell, each serving specific towns), Bristol County (Taunton and Fall River, both serving all county towns), and Plymouth County (Plymouth and Brockton, both serving all county towns).
If you are researching divorce and comparing Massachusetts to other states, several features of Massachusetts law are worth knowing:
All property is divisible. Massachusetts is an “all-property” equitable distribution state. Under G.L. c. 208, § 34, a judge can divide any property owned by either spouse — including assets acquired before the marriage, inheritances, and gifts — not just property acquired during the marriage. In practice, premarital and inherited assets are often treated differently in negotiations, but the statute gives courts broad authority. This makes the division of marital property especially important to get right.
Flexible pension division methods. Unlike most states, which require a single method for dividing pensions in divorce, Massachusetts allows multiple approaches: immediate offset (one spouse keeps the pension and the other receives equivalent assets now), deferred distribution (the pension is divided at retirement using a QDRO or DRO), or a combination. The choice between these methods can mean tens of thousands of dollars in difference. I can calculate pension present values during your first mediation session at no additional cost — a service that saves you hundreds of dollars and weeks of waiting for an outside actuary.
The Cavanagh decision changed support calculations. Since the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s August 2022 ruling in Cavanagh v. Cavanagh, judges in contested cases must consider the combined impact of alimony and child support — not just calculate them independently. This affects how support is structured in virtually every case involving children. Use our Cavanagh Calculator to model combined scenarios.
No legal separation status. Massachusetts does not recognize “legal separation.” You are either married or divorced. Spouses can live apart and obtain separate support orders, but there is no intermediate legal status. A “separation mediator” in Massachusetts is simply a divorce mediator.
Massachusetts is remarkably diverse — economically, geographically, and demographically — and this diversity shows up in divorce mediation. The financial issues facing a couple in Weston (median home value over $2 million, tech and finance compensation packages with equity and RSUs) are very different from those facing a couple in Fall River (one of the state’s most affordable cities, where the cost savings of mediation over litigation can be life-changing). A couple divorcing on Martha’s Vineyard may own a $3 million seasonal property held in a trust, while a couple in rural Franklin County may have a family farm that has been passed down for generations.
I have mediated divorces across this entire spectrum — over 1,800 cases in total. My comfort with financial complexity sets me apart from most mediators. I routinely handle:
Whatever your situation, wherever you live in Massachusetts, I mediate your divorce via Zoom, prepare all court documents, and guide you through the filing process at the correct Probate and Family Court.
Select your county below for court contact information, judge listings, courthouse locations, filing details, and local information specific to your area. Not sure which county you are in? Use our town-by-town county lookup.
Court: Barnstable Probate and Family Court, 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630 — (508) 375-6710
Towns: Barnstable, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Dennis; Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet
Court: Berkshire Probate and Family Court, 44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201 — (413) 442-6941
Towns: Pittsfield, North Adams, Great Barrington, Adams; Alford, Becket, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Egremont, Florida, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mt. Washington, New Ashford, New Marlborough, Otis, Peru, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Windsor
Courts: Taunton, 40 Broadway, Suite 240 — (508) 977-6040 | Fall River, 289 Rock Street — (508) 672-1751
Towns: New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Dartmouth, Mansfield; Acushnet, Berkley, Dighton, Easton, Fairhaven, Freetown, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Westport
Court: Dukes Probate and Family Court, 81 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539 — (508) 627-4668
Towns: Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, Edgartown, West Tisbury; Aquinnah, Chilmark, Gosnold
Court: Essex Probate and Family Court, 36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970 — (978) 744-1020
Towns: Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen, Peabody, Salem, Beverly, Andover, Gloucester; Amesbury, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Groveland, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rockport, Rowley, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury
Court: Franklin Probate and Family Court, 425 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301 — (413) 774-7011
Towns: Greenfield, Montague, Orange, Deerfield; Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Erving, Gill, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, New Salem, Northfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, Whately
Court: Hampden Probate and Family Court, Hall of Justice, 50 State Street, Springfield, MA 01102 — (413) 748-7760
Towns: Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, Westfield, West Springfield, Agawam; Blandford, Brimfield, Chester, East Longmeadow, Granville, Hampden, Holland, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Montgomery, Palmer, Russell, Southwick, Tolland, Wales, Wilbraham
Court: Hampshire Probate and Family Court, 15 Atwood Drive, Northampton, MA 01060 — (413) 586-8500
Towns: Amherst, Northampton, Easthampton, South Hadley, Belchertown; Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Pelham, Plainfield, Southampton, Ware, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington
Courts: Woburn (South), 10-U Commerce Way — (781) 865-4000 | Lowell (North), 370 Jackson Street, 5th Floor — (978) 656-7700
Each location serves specific towns — see county page for details.
Woburn serves: Cambridge, Newton, Somerville, Malden, Medford, Waltham; Arlington, Belmont, Burlington, Everett, Lexington, Melrose, Stoneham, Wakefield, Watertown, Weston, Winchester, Woburn
Lowell serves: Lowell, Framingham, Billerica, Chelmsford, Marlborough, Natick; Acton, Ashby, Ashland, Ayer, Bedford, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, North Reading, Pepperell, Reading, Sherborn, Shirley, Stow, Sudbury, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Wayland, Westford, Wilmington
Court: Nantucket Probate and Family Court, 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 02554 — (508) 228-2669
Towns: Nantucket
Court: Norfolk Probate and Family Court, 35 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021 — (781) 830-1200
Towns: Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Brookline, Franklin, Needham; Avon, Bellingham, Canton, Cohasset, Dedham, Dover, Foxborough, Holbrook, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Milton, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole, Wellesley, Westwood, Wrentham
Courts: Plymouth, 52 Obery Street — (508) 747-6204 | Brockton, 215 Main Street — (508) 897-5400
All papers filed at Plymouth; Brockton holds hearing sessions.
Towns: Brockton, Plymouth, Weymouth, Marshfield, Bridgewater; Abington, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Norwell, Pembroke, Plympton, Rochester, Rockland, Scituate, Wareham, West Bridgewater, Whitman
Court: Suffolk Probate and Family Court, 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114 — (617) 788-8300
Towns: Boston, Revere, Chelsea, Winthrop
Court: Worcester Probate and Family Court, 225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 — (508) 831-2200
Towns: Worcester, Fitchburg, Leominster, Shrewsbury, Milford, Gardner; Ashburnham, Athol, Auburn, Barre, Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Grafton, Hardwick, Harvard, Holden, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Lunenburg, Mendon, Millbury, Millville, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Southborough, Southbridge, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westborough, Westminster, Winchendon
Because Massachusetts divorce law is state law — not county or municipal law — every court uses the same forms, follows the same statutes, and applies the same guidelines. This means the mediator you choose does not need to be located in your county. What matters is that your mediator knows Massachusetts family law, is experienced with financial complexity, and can prepare court-ready documents for filing at the correct court.
Zoom mediation eliminates geographic barriers. A couple in Pittsfield gets the same access to an experienced attorney mediator as a couple in Cambridge. A family on Nantucket avoids the ferry trip to the mainland. Two spouses who have already separated and are living in different towns — or different counties — can both participate from their own homes.
In my experience mediating over 1,800 cases, Zoom mediation is every bit as effective as in-person mediation, and most couples find it more convenient. You can share documents in real time, see each other face-to-face, and have the same substantive conversations you would in a physical office.
These tools are used by thousands of Massachusetts residents every month. All are free and produce results specific to Massachusetts law: