WomensLaw is not just for women. We serve and support all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.
Important: Even if courts are closed, you can still file for a protection order and other emergency relief. See our FAQ on Courts and COVID-19.
Legal Information: Massachusetts
Updated:
November 12, 2020How much does it cost to file for custody?
There is a $115 fee to file for custody, visitation, or paternity. If you are filing for custody as part of a divorce, the fee is $215 to file for divorce.1 (These costs are accurate as of December 2018.) If you cannot afford the filing fee, ask the clerk if you can apply to get the fee waived. This will require filling out an “affidavit of indigency,”2 which is a sworn statement in which you give facts to prove you are a person of low-income.
1 See the Massachusetts Court System website
2 M.G.L. 261 § 27B
© 2008–2020 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.