Nantucket County, Massachusetts Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Nantucket County, Massachusetts — home to approximately 14,255 residents and in the lower quarter of Massachusetts jurisdictions by population — handles court filings through the Nantucket County Probate and Family Court in Nantucket. Massachusetts's court structure (Superior Court (complex civil) / Probate & Family Court (probate/family) / District Court (small claims)) determines which courthouse accepts which case types and what fees apply.

For residents of Nantucket County, the filing fee amounts depend on both the state's statutory schedule and any local surcharges added by the county.

Nantucket County is a rural jurisdiction in Massachusetts where the Nantucket County Probate and Family Court in Nantucket handles all case types with a less specialized but accessible approach to court administration. Confirming the current fee schedule with the clerk's office is recommended, as fees can change when new state legislation takes effect or when the county updates its local surcharge schedule.

• Filing fees in Nantucket 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 Nantucket County Probate and Family Court in Nantucket may include additional local charges.

• As a smaller jurisdiction, Nantucket County typically operates with modest local surcharges, though the base state filing fees apply uniformly.
• The Nantucket County Probate and Family Court in Nantucket may have more flexibility in scheduling and processing than the state's busiest courts.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Nantucket 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 Nantucket County, request the full fee schedule from the Nantucket County Probate and Family Court clerk in Nantucket before initiating the proceeding.

Massachusetts has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Nantucket County is a jurisdiction where e-filing adoption may be more limited.

In smaller counties like Nantucket County, the Nantucket County Probate and Family Court in Nantucket may accept or require paper filings for some or all case types, though this is changing as the state's e-filing infrastructure expands. Contact the Nantucket 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 Nantucket 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 Nantucket County Probate and Family Court clerk's window in Nantucket during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Nantucket 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 Nantucket County Probate and Family Court in Nantucket which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Nantucket 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 Nantucket County Probate and Family Court clerk's office in Nantucket 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 Nantucket 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 Nantucket County Probate and Family Court clerk in Nantucket for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Nantucket 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 Nantucket 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.