If you are considering divorce in Massachusetts, one of the first practical questions you need to answer is: which court do I file in? Massachusetts has 14 Probate and Family Courts—one for each county. Some counties, including Middlesex, Bristol, and Plymouth, have multiple courthouse locations to serve their residents. All divorce cases, including both uncontested (1A) and contested (1B) divorces, are filed exclusively in these courts.
Below you will find the rules for determining your filing location, a complete directory of every courthouse with contact information and virtual registry hours, and a town-by-town guide so you can identify your county.
If you and your spouse can agree on the terms of your divorce, divorce mediation can help you reach that agreement quickly and affordably—often in just two sessions. As a Massachusetts divorce mediator who has mediated over 1,800 cases, I prepare all the court documents for you and guide you through the entire filing process. Call Julia Rueschemeyer at 413-253-7484 to learn how mediation works.
Massachusetts law (G.L. c. 208) establishes specific rules for determining where you file your divorce:
If either spouse still lives in the county where you last lived together as a married couple, you must file in that county. This rule takes priority over everything else. For example, if you and your spouse last lived together in Amherst (Hampshire County) and one of you still lives in Hampshire County, you file at Hampshire Probate and Family Court in Northampton—even if the other spouse has moved to Suffolk County.
If neither spouse still lives in the county where you last lived together, either spouse may file in the county where he or she currently resides. For example, if you lived together in Worcester County but one spouse now lives in Middlesex County and the other in Norfolk County, either one can file in their current county of residence.
If you and your spouse lived in Massachusetts as a married couple and the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage occurred in Massachusetts, you can file your uncontested, 1A divorce immediately—there is no waiting period. If those conditions are not met (for example, if you report on your court forms that you moved to Massachusetts after separating), you must have lived in Massachusetts for at least one year before you can file. The court relies on your self-report for this. If you report on your forms that the breakdown occurred in Massachusetts, the court does not check on this or try to challenge it.
You file your divorce papers by mailing them to the correct Probate and Family Court or dropping them off in person at the court’s registry of probate. Some courts also accept electronic filing through the eFileMA system. The current filing fee for divorce in Massachusetts is $215.
Note about counties with multiple courthouses: In counties with more than one courthouse location (Middlesex, Bristol, and Plymouth), your divorce filing is handled by the county court as a whole. In Middlesex County, however, the two locations serve different towns—check the town-by-town listing below to determine whether you use the Woburn or Lowell location. In Bristol and Plymouth counties, all locations serve all towns in the county, and hearings may be scheduled at any location.
Massachusetts has 14 counties, each with its own Probate and Family Court. Some counties have multiple courthouse locations. Each court offers a virtual registry—Zoom office hours where you can get face-to-face help from court staff with questions about forms, filings, and procedures without traveling to the courthouse. Virtual registry hours are listed below; confirm current availability directly with the court before connecting.
| County | Courthouse Location | Phone | Virtual Registry (Zoom link) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Cape Cod |
3195 Main Street, PO Box 346 Barnstable, MA 02630 |
(508) 375-6710 | M-F 9-12 & 2:15-4 |
| Berkshire Western MA |
44 Bank Row Pittsfield, MA 01201 |
(413) 442-6941 | M, W, F 9-12 |
| Bristol South Coast2 courthouse locations. Both serve all Bristol County towns. |
Taunton (Main Office) 40 Broadway, Suite 240 Taunton, MA 02780 |
(508) 977-6040 | M-F 9-12 & 2-4 |
| Fall River 289 Rock Street Fall River, MA 02720 |
(508) 672-1751 | ||
| Dukes Martha’s Vineyard |
81 Main Street Edgartown, MA 02539 |
(508) 627-4668 | Contact court |
| Essex North Shore |
36 Federal Street Salem, MA 01970 |
(978) 744-1020 | M-F 8-4:30 |
| Franklin Pioneer Valley |
425 Main Street Greenfield, MA 01301 |
(413) 774-7011 | Contact court |
| Hampden Greater Springfield |
Hall of Justice, 50 State Street Springfield, MA 01102 |
(413) 748-7760 | M-F 8:30-4:15 |
| Hampshire Pioneer Valley |
15 Atwood Drive Northampton, MA 01060 |
(413) 586-8500 | M, W, F 9-4 |
| Middlesex Greater Boston / MetroWest2 courthouse locations. Each serves specific towns—see list below. |
Woburn (South) 10-U Commerce Way Woburn, MA 01801 |
(781) 865-4000 | M-F 9-12 |
| Lowell (North) 370 Jackson Street, 5th Floor Lowell, MA 01852 |
(978) 656-7700 | M-F 9-12 | |
| Nantucket Nantucket Island |
16 Broad Street Nantucket, MA 02554 |
(508) 228-2669 | Contact court |
| Norfolk South of Boston |
35 Shawmut Road Canton, MA 02021 |
(781) 830-1200 | M-F 8:30-1pm |
| Plymouth South Shore2 courthouse locations. Both serve all Plymouth County towns. |
Plymouth 52 Obery Street Plymouth, MA 02360 |
(508) 747-6204 | M-F 9-1 & 2-4 |
| Brockton 215 Main Street Brockton, MA 02301 |
(508) 897-5400 | ||
| Suffolk Boston |
24 New Chardon Street Boston, MA 02114 |
(617) 788-8300 | M, W, F 8-1 |
| Worcester Central MA |
225 Main Street Worcester, MA 01608 |
(508) 831-2200 | M-F 8:30-4 |
Note: Court hours, addresses, and virtual registry availability may change. Confirm details with the court before visiting or mailing documents. You can also search court dockets and case information through the MassCourts eServices portal.
Not sure which county your city or town is in? Use this guide. Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns spread across 14 counties. Find your city or town below to determine which Probate and Family Court handles your divorce filing.
Court: Barnstable Probate and Family Court, 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
Towns: Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, Yarmouth
Court: Berkshire Probate and Family Court, 44 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Towns: Adams, Alford, Becket, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Egremont, Florida, Great Barrington, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mt. Washington, New Ashford, New Marlborough, North Adams, Otis, Peru, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sandisfield, Savoy, Sheffield, Stockbridge, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge, Williamstown, Windsor
Bristol County has two Probate and Family Court locations. Both serve all towns in Bristol County. You may file or attend hearings at either location.
Towns: Acushnet, Attleboro, Berkley, Dartmouth, Dighton, Easton, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, Mansfield, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton, Westport
Court: Dukes Probate and Family Court, 81 Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539
Towns: Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, West Tisbury
Court: Essex Probate and Family Court, 36 Federal Street, Salem, MA 01970
Towns: Amesbury, Andover, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury
Court: Franklin Probate and Family Court, 425 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301
Towns: Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hawley, Heath, Leverett, Leyden, Monroe, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, Sunderland, Warwick, Wendell, Whately
Court: Hampden Probate and Family Court, Hall of Justice, 50 State Street, Springfield, MA 01102
Towns: Agawam, Blandford, Brimfield, Chester, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Granville, Hampden, Holland, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Monson, Montgomery, Palmer, Russell, Southwick, Springfield, Tolland, Wales, West Springfield, Westfield, Wilbraham
Court: Hampshire Probate and Family Court, 15 Atwood Drive, Northampton, MA 01060
Towns: Amherst, Belchertown, Chesterfield, Cummington, Easthampton, Goshen, Granby, Hadley, Hatfield, Huntington, Middlefield, Northampton, Pelham, Plainfield, South Hadley, Southampton, Ware, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington
Middlesex County has two courthouse locations, and unlike Bristol and Plymouth counties, each location serves specific towns. You must file at the courthouse that serves your town:
Middlesex South — Woburn
10-U Commerce Way, Woburn, MA 01801 — (781) 865-4000
Towns served: Arlington, Belmont, Burlington, Cambridge, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Weston, Winchester, Woburn
Middlesex North — Lowell
370 Jackson Street, 5th Floor, Lowell, MA 01852 — (978) 656-7700
Towns served: Acton, Ashby, Ashland, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Framingham, Groton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Lowell, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, 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
Towns: Nantucket
Court: Norfolk Probate and Family Court, 35 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021
Towns: Avon, Bellingham, Braintree, Brookline, Canton, Cohasset, Dedham, Dover, Foxborough, Franklin, Holbrook, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Milton, Needham, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Quincy, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole, Wellesley, Westwood, Weymouth, Wrentham
Plymouth County has two courthouse locations. Both serve all towns in Plymouth County. Hearings may be scheduled at either location.
Note: All papers must be filed at the Plymouth location (52 Obery Street). The Brockton courthouse holds hearing sessions.
Towns: Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marion, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Rockland, Scituate, Wareham, West Bridgewater, Whitman
Court: Suffolk Probate and Family Court, 24 New Chardon Street, Boston, MA 02114
Towns: Boston, Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop
Court: Worcester Probate and Family Court, 225 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608
Towns: Athol, Auburn, Barre, Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Fitchburg, Gardner, Grafton, Hardwick, Harvard, Holden, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Leominster, Lunenburg, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westborough, Westminster, Winchendon, Worcester
Massachusetts has been expanding electronic filing through the eFileMA system. However, availability varies by court and case type, and not all Probate and Family Courts accept electronic divorce filings. Many couples still file by mail, which works reliably for all courts.
If you file by mail, send your documents via certified mail or a trackable shipping method so you have proof of delivery. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want the court to return stamped copies of your filed documents.
For an uncontested (1A) divorce, after you file your joint petition and supporting documents, the court schedules a brief hearing—typically 10 to 15 minutes. At this hearing, a judge asks both spouses whether they have read the separation agreement, whether they understand it, and whether they agree to its terms. If the judge finds the agreement fair and reasonable, the judge approves it. See our blog post about what to expect at your 1A divorce hearing for more detail.
After the hearing, there is a mandatory 120-day waiting period (called the “nisi period”) before the divorce becomes final. You can use our divorce timeline calculator to see the exact date your divorce will become absolute.
Many courts now offer the option to attend your divorce hearing via Zoom rather than in person. Ask the court about remote hearing options when your hearing is scheduled.
When you work with a divorce mediator who is also an attorney, you don’t have to navigate the paperwork alone. As an attorney mediator dedicated 100% to divorce mediation in Massachusetts, I prepare every document you need to file—the joint petition, the separation agreement, financial statements, child support worksheet, and all supporting forms. I mail them to you with instructions showing exactly where to sign, and I provide an envelope pre-addressed and stamped to the correct court.
Because I mediate divorces for clients throughout Massachusetts via Zoom, I am familiar with the filing requirements and procedures of all 14 Probate and Family Courts and their multiple courthouse locations. Whether you need to file in Suffolk County (Boston) or Berkshire County (Pittsfield), in Worcester County or Hampshire County (Northampton), I will guide you through the process from start to finish.
Ready to get started? Call Julia Rueschemeyer at 413-253-7484 for a free phone consultation, or schedule an appointment online.