Massachusetts Small Estates: the voluntary administration
The short answer
Massachusetts calls its simplified route the voluntary administration, and it is set out in M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201. One vehicle doesn't count toward the limit. You have to wait a set number of days after the death before using it. It does not transfer real estate. A house in the person’s sole name needs the court process instead. The current limit and the date we last read the statute are on the card below.
Massachusetts’ voluntary administration
Massachusetts sets this out in M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201. One vehicle doesn't count toward the limit. The figure itself, and the date we last read that statute, are on the card below.[1]
Massachusetts
- Procedure:
- voluntary administration
- Limit:
- $25,000
- Wait:
- 30 days
- Real estate:
- not covered
One vehicle doesn't count toward the limit.
M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201 — official page read September 18, 2026
It does not transfer real estate. A house in the person’s sole name needs the court process instead.[1]
The voluntary administration is one piece of settling an estate in Massachusetts. Answer a few questions and Go Forward builds the rest of the list for your situation — the notifications, the accounts, the paperwork — in the order it needs doing.
Build my plan →Steps this page connects to: Check whether probate is required · Order certified death certificates · List what the estate holds
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Sources
- M.G.L. c. 190B § 3-1201 (voluntary administration) — Massachusetts — official statute or court self-help page. Read September 18, 2026.
Each state above links to the statute or court page we read, with the date we read it.
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