Plymouth Family Court Records
Plymouth family court records are filed and maintained at the Plymouth Probate and Family Court, located right in the city at 52 Obery Street. Plymouth is both a qualifying city and the county seat of Plymouth County, so all filings for the county go through this single location. You can look up cases online for free, visit the courthouse in person, or join a virtual registry session on weekday mornings and afternoons. This page covers where to find records, how to request copies, what court files typically contain, and how to get help if you are handling your own case.
Plymouth Overview
Plymouth Probate and Family Court
The Plymouth Probate and Family Court handles all family court filings for Plymouth County. Plymouth is the county seat, so every case must be filed here regardless of which town the parties live in. The courthouse is at 52 Obery Street, Suite 1130, Plymouth, MA 02360. The main phone number is (508) 747-6204. Court hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. There is free parking available at this location, which makes getting there straightforward for most people coming from anywhere in the county.
The state's official page for this court is a good place to start before you visit or call. The image below comes from the Plymouth Probate and Family Court page on mass.gov, where you will find current hours, contact details, directions, and links to forms and filing instructions.
That page is maintained by the court and updated when hours or procedures change. If you are planning a visit, check it the day before to confirm nothing has shifted. Court operations can change with little notice, especially around holidays or during periods of high case volume.
| Court | Plymouth Probate and Family Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 52 Obery Street, Suite 1130 Plymouth, MA 02360 |
| Phone | (508) 747-6204 |
| plymouthprobate@jud.state.ma.us | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Parking | Free at courthouse |
Plymouth County also has a second location in Brockton at 215 Main Street, Brockton, MA 02301, phone (508) 897-5400. That location is for hearings only. No filings are accepted there. If you have a case and need to drop off paperwork, submit a new complaint, or request copies, you must go to the Plymouth address on Obery Street. The Brockton site is only for people with scheduled court appearances. Getting this wrong costs you a trip, so confirm which location applies to your task before you drive out.
Getting to Plymouth by public transit takes some planning. The MBTA Commuter Rail Kingston/Plymouth Line runs to Kingston Station, which is the nearest stop to the Plymouth courthouse. From there you can use Plymouth and Brockton bus service to cover the last stretch. Most people who come from outside Plymouth drive and use the free lot on site.
Plymouth County Probate Records and Filings
Plymouth County holds some of the oldest continuous court records in the United States. Probate records go back to 1685, making this one of the most historically significant court archives in the country. That depth matters if you are researching older cases or trying to trace family legal history through public records. For current cases, the process is much the same as any other Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts.
The image below shows the Plymouth Probate and Family Court information page, where you can access current filing guides, fee schedules, and court forms directly from the state site.
Plymouth County Probate also maintains a separate website with local resources. The image below shows the Plymouth County Probate website, which provides additional information on local court procedures, case types handled, and how to navigate the Plymouth court system as a self-represented party.
Plymouth family court files cover a full range of case types. Divorce records include financial statements, the Judgment of Divorce Nisi, separation agreements, and the Certificate of Divorce Absolute. Custody cases add parenting plans and any modification filings over time. Guardianship petitions, conservatorship matters, and paternity cases each build their own document trail in the docket. Every filing stays tied to the case number, so the complete history of a case is in one place.
Plymouth Family Court Records Virtual Registry
The Plymouth Probate and Family Court runs a virtual registry on weekdays. You can reach court staff by video call without driving to Obery Street. Virtual registry hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and again from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. This split schedule gives you two windows each day to connect with the court for document questions, status checks, or records requests.
The image below is from the Plymouth virtual registry page on mass.gov, where you will find the Zoom link, call-in number, and any updates to the schedule.
To join, call in at 1 (646) 828-7666 and enter Meeting ID 1606727074. The virtual registry is a practical option if you live in one of the more rural parts of Plymouth County and do not want to make the drive to the Plymouth courthouse just to ask a question. You get the same access to court staff as you would at the counter, just over video.
Note: The virtual registry has two daily sessions with a break from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, so time your connection accordingly to avoid being cut off mid-conversation.
How to Find Plymouth Family Court Records
The free state case search tool at MassCourts.org covers the Plymouth Probate and Family Court. You can search by party name or case number. Results show the case type, parties involved, filing date, and a docket entry list. This is the fastest way to confirm whether a Plymouth family court case exists and to get the case number before requesting copies.
Online results do not include the actual documents. To get copies, you need to make a formal request at the courthouse counter, through the mail, or during a virtual registry session. Write down the case name and docket number before you reach out. If you only have a name, the online search will help you find the number. Certified copies cost more than plain photocopies. If you need a certified copy for a legal purpose such as a name change, a mortgage refinance, or proving your marital status to another agency, ask for certified specifically when you request the document. The clerk will know what to give you.
Common records people request from Plymouth include the Certificate of Divorce Absolute, the Judgment of Divorce Nisi, and financial statements from divorce cases. Guardianship and probate filings are also frequently requested. The court handles all of these at the same counter on Obery Street. If you are not sure which form to use for a copies request, the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 208 page has background on divorce records, and the court staff can point you to the right request form once you explain what you need.
Massachusetts Law and Plymouth Family Court Cases
Plymouth family court cases follow the same Massachusetts state law as every other Probate and Family Court. Divorce falls under General Laws Chapter 208. That chapter covers residency rules, grounds for divorce, how marital property gets divided, alimony, and the waiting periods before a divorce becomes final. A joint petition divorce carries a 120-day wait after the judgment nisi is entered. A contested divorce has a 90-day period. Plymouth follows these same timelines as every other court in the state.
Paternity, child support, and custody for children born outside of marriage are governed by General Laws Chapter 209C. When the parents are married, these issues come out of the divorce case itself. The court applies state child support guidelines to set the payment amount. Any later request to change the order goes back to the same Plymouth court as a modification complaint, and it becomes part of the original docket. The full case history stays in one place.
Most Plymouth family court records are public. However, some filings tied to minors, sealed cases, and certain financial disclosures have restricted access. Parties to a case can access more of their own file than a general member of the public can. If you are not sure what is available to you, ask the clerk when you visit or call the court directly at (508) 747-6204. They can explain what the access rules are for your specific situation.
Legal Help for Plymouth Family Court Cases
Plymouth County residents who need free or low-cost legal help have several options. The Massachusetts courts maintain a self-service legal center at MassCourts.org with forms, guides, and step-by-step instructions for people who are handling their own cases. The site covers divorce, custody, support, guardianship, and protective orders. It is a good starting point before you decide whether to hire a lawyer.
If you need in-person guidance, ask the clerk at the Plymouth courthouse whether a Court Service Center or volunteer lawyer program operates at or near the Obery Street location. These programs vary by court and season, but many Probate and Family Courts in Massachusetts have some form of on-site legal help available on set days. Plymouth County Legal Services may also be able to connect lower-income residents with free legal help for family court matters.
Note: Court staff at Plymouth can explain procedures and point you to forms, but they cannot give legal advice about how to handle your case.
Plymouth County Family Court Records
Plymouth city cases file at Plymouth County Probate and Family Court, which serves the entire county from the same Obery Street location. The county page has more detail on all case types handled there, the full jurisdiction of the court, and resources for other towns in the county.
Nearby Cities
Several qualifying cities near Plymouth also have family court records pages. Each files cases through its own county's Probate and Family Court.