NCJ Number
70682
Date Published
1979
Length
52 pages
Annotation
Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts submit their report on the fees charged by the State courts.
Abstract
Remarks are given on the retionale for the report and the definition of the term 'fee.' Court fees established by the Massachusetts courts are then enumerated for the Supreme Judicial Court, the Appeals Court, the Superior Court Department of the Trial Court, the Probate and Family Court Department of the Trial Court, the Land Court Department, the District and Boston Municipal Court Departments, and the Housing Court Department. Mention is also made of miscellaneous fees established by statute annd of clerks' and registers' fees. A report of revenues generated by fees lists total dollar amounts of revenues from each of the State Courts. The disposition of revenues is addressed, as arestandards and amounts for waivers of court fees. A look at fees of other jurisdictions divulges information on civil filing fees of courts of general jurisdiction in such States as Kentucky, California, Alaska, Nevada, Missouri, Oregon, Florida, and Minnesota. Also considered for comparative purposes are filing fees in other States' appellate courts and courts of limited jurisdiction and for small claims and admission to the bar by examination. Recommendations focus on establishing fees that reflect costs of the services represented by the fees, a fee schedule that reflects fees charged in other States for each of Massachusetts' courts, and uniform standards of indigency. Attachments project estimated court revenues, enumerate fees to be collected in civil actions by the clerks of the District and Boston Municipal Court Departments, list fees to be collected by clerks of courts, consider fees to be collected by the Recorder of the Land Court Department, and examine fees to be collected by the Registers of the Family and Probate Court Department.