Bristol County, Massachusetts Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Bristol County, Massachusetts are collected by the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton according to Massachusetts's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. With 579,200 residents and ranked a mid-ranked jurisdiction among Massachusetts's 14 counties, Bristol County operates within the Superior Court (complex civil) / Probate & Family Court (probate/family) / District Court (small claims) and follows both the state's base fee requirements and its own local additions.

Bristol County encompasses Fall River and New Bedford, former textile and whaling capitals that are reinventing themselves through healthcare, education, and arts while preserving their rich maritime and industrial heritage. These local economic characteristics shape the types of legal proceedings filed in Bristol County — from probate of estates that include commercial property or business interests near Taunton to civil disputes arising from the county's primary industries.

The Bristol County Probate and Family Court handles the full range of case types for this community, with filing fees applying uniformly based on case type regardless of the underlying subject matter.

Bristol County is known for landmarks including Battleship Cove, New Bedford Whaling Museum, Horseneck Beach State Reservation. For residents and businesses in the areas surrounding these community anchors, knowing the applicable filing fees and court procedures in advance helps legal matters proceed efficiently at the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton.

• Filing fees in Bristol County are based on Massachusetts's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $150–$225 (Probate & Family Court)
• civil complaints and appearances — $240–$315 (Superior Court) / $60–$110 (District Court)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $200–$240 (Probate & Family Court)
• small claims filings — $40–$150 (District Court / Boston Municipal Court small claims). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton may include additional local charges.

• Bristol County falls in the mid-range of Massachusetts jurisdictions by population, and its local surcharges typically reflect that scale.
• The clerk's office at the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton can confirm whether any local assessments apply beyond the state statutory base fee.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Bristol County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in Massachusetts), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Bristol County, request the full fee schedule from the Bristol County Probate and Family Court clerk in Taunton before initiating the proceeding.

Massachusetts has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Bristol County is among the jurisdictions where e-filing is more established.

For this major county, the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton likely participates in the state's e-filing system, and represented parties in civil and family matters may be required to file electronically. Contact the Bristol County Probate and Family Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Bristol County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Bristol County Probate and Family Court clerk's window in Taunton during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Bristol County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some Massachusetts probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Bristol County Probate and Family Court in Taunton which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Bristol County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under Mass.
• Gen.
• Laws ch.
• 261, § 27A.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Bristol County Probate and Family Court clerk's office in Taunton at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Bristol County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in Mass.
• Gen.
• Laws ch.
• 261, § 27A and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Bristol County Probate and Family Court clerk in Taunton for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Bristol County Probate and Family Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Bristol County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.