Find Civil Court Filings in Plymouth

Plymouth civil court records are maintained at four courts that all share one address: 52 Obery Street in Plymouth. The Plymouth District Court, Plymouth County Superior Court, Plymouth Probate and Family Court, and Southeast Housing Court each handle different types of civil matters but sit in the same courthouse complex. This guide explains what each court does, how to search Plymouth civil court records online, and what copy fees to expect.

Plymouth District Court Civil Records

The Plymouth District Court handles civil claims up to $50,000 and small claims cases up to $7,000. It is the first stop for most civil disputes involving Plymouth residents that do not require the Superior Court. The district court serves a wide area, covering eight communities: Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Kingston, Marshfield, Pembroke, Plymouth, and Plympton. Any civil action filed by or against parties in these towns within the dollar limits will be filed and tracked here.

The clerk's office at Plymouth District Court holds all civil docket records, including small claims judgments, civil default entries, and execution documents. If you need a copy of a past civil judgment or want to confirm a case was filed, the clerk can tell you whether a record exists and what it contains. The court also offers a small claims filing process that does not require a lawyer, which makes it accessible for individuals seeking to resolve disputes for amounts under $7,000 without paying attorney fees.

The mass.gov page for Plymouth District Court has the current contact details and hours. The screenshot below comes from that page.

The Plymouth District Court page at mass.gov shows the Obery Street address along with phone numbers and links to court forms and fee information.

Note: The Southeast Housing Court also holds sessions at 52 Obery Street and handles housing civil disputes for the Plymouth area at (508) 747-8550.

Plymouth County Superior Court - Civil Sessions

The Plymouth County Superior Court holds its civil sessions at 52 Obery Street, the same address as the district court. For civil cases above $50,000, this is the filing location for Plymouth County. Criminal sessions for Plymouth County Superior Court are held primarily in Brockton, but civil matters are handled at the Plymouth courthouse, which means Plymouth residents filing or responding to large civil actions can do so locally rather than traveling to Brockton.

Free parking is available on-site at the Obery Street complex, which is a practical benefit when visiting for civil case filings or record reviews. The Superior Court handles complex civil litigation, business disputes, and larger tort claims. It also handles appeals from some district court civil decisions. If you need records from a large civil action involving a Plymouth party, the clerk's office at the Plymouth Superior Court location can confirm filing details and provide copies of public documents. For cases assigned prior to the current docket system, you may need to call ahead to confirm availability.

The mass.gov page for Plymouth County Superior Court confirms the civil session location. The screenshot below is from that official page.

The Plymouth County Superior Court page at mass.gov notes that civil sessions are held at the Plymouth courthouse, distinguishing them from the criminal sessions based in Brockton.

Note: Criminal sessions for Plymouth County Superior Court are handled in Brockton, not Plymouth; if you are looking for civil records, the Plymouth address is the right location.

Plymouth Probate and Family Court Civil Records

The Plymouth Probate and Family Court is the third major civil court at 52 Obery Street. It handles estate filings, guardianship petitions, trust matters, and family civil cases for all of Plymouth County. The current Register is Matthew J. McDonough. Unlike the district and superior courts, the probate court focuses exclusively on matters tied to families, estates, and related civil proceedings under state probate law.

If you need to search Plymouth civil court records for estate cases, guardianships, or conservatorships tied to a Plymouth address, this is the right office. The clerk can confirm whether a probate case was filed and what documents are available. Some probate records are searchable through MassCourts, but older cases may only exist in paper form at the courthouse. A phone call or in-person visit is the most reliable way to confirm whether an older probate civil record exists and can be copied.

The mass.gov page for Plymouth Probate and Family Court covers the address, phone, and hours for this office. The screenshot below is from that page.

The Plymouth Probate and Family Court page at mass.gov lists Register McDonough and the full contact details for the Obery Street office.

How to Search Plymouth Civil Court Records Online

MassCourts is the main online portal for searching Plymouth civil court records. The site covers the district, superior, housing, and probate courts across Massachusetts, including all Plymouth County locations. To search, go to masscourts.org and choose Plymouth County from the court menu. You can look up cases by party name, case number, or attorney name. The portal is free and does not need an account.

Results in MassCourts show docket entries, filing dates, and case status. The system does not always provide full document images, but it gives you the case number and the court location you need to request physical copies. Once you have a case number, contact the clerk's office at 52 Obery Street to ask for copies. Depending on the court involved, you will reach the district court clerk, superior court clerk, or probate court register's office at different phone numbers, even though they share the same address.

A second resource specific to Plymouth County is plymouthrecords.us/court-records. This site provides an additional search option for Plymouth County court records and may cover some cases that do not appear clearly in MassCourts. Use both tools when doing a thorough search, especially for older civil matters or cases that were filed before the current online docket system was fully implemented.

Note: MassCourts is the official state portal but older Plymouth civil case records may only appear at plymouthrecords.us or in paper files at the 52 Obery Street courthouse.

Plymouth Civil Court Fees and Copy Requests

Copy fees for Plymouth civil court records follow the Massachusetts trial court schedule. The standard rates apply at all three court offices at 52 Obery Street.

The fee schedule is:

• Standard page copies: $0.05 to $1.00 per page (varies by court and document type)
• Certified copies: $2.50 to $4.50 per page
• Case certificates or judgment certificates: $20.00 each

Pay at the clerk's counter in person. Mail requests are accepted by check made out to the specific court. Include the case number, party names, the approximate year the case was filed, and the documents you need. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope and an estimated payment. The clerk will contact you if the fee needs adjustment. If you are coming in person, free parking on-site makes it easy to visit multiple court offices in one trip.

The Law Library at 52 Obery Street is available on-site for anyone who needs help understanding the civil records search process or wants to review legal documents on-site before paying for copies. This is useful for longer civil case files where you want to identify specific documents before committing to copy fees. Drug court and mental health court programs also operate at this location, though those records are not part of the standard civil court public file.

Note: Fee waiver applications are available from any clerk's office at 52 Obery Street for parties who qualify under the Commonwealth's indigency guidelines.

Plymouth Courthouse: One Address, Four Courts

All four courts serving Plymouth civil matters sit at 52 Obery Street. The Plymouth District Court, Plymouth County Superior Court civil sessions, Plymouth Probate and Family Court, and Southeast Housing Court each have separate clerk's offices and phone numbers within the same building complex. Free parking is available on-site for anyone coming to file, search, or request records.

The shared address means that a single visit to 52 Obery Street can cover multiple record types in one trip. If you need both a district court civil case file and a probate estate record tied to the same individual, you do not need to travel to multiple courthouses. The Law Library at the same location also provides research support. This consolidated setup makes Plymouth one of the more practical locations in Massachusetts for in-person civil court records research.

The other qualifying city in Plymouth County with its own page is Brockton, which is also part of the Plymouth County court system. Criminal sessions for Plymouth County Superior Court are held in Brockton, so cross-referencing with Brockton may be useful if your civil matter involves any related criminal case history in Plymouth County Superior Court.

Plymouth County Civil Court Records

Plymouth is in Plymouth County. Civil filings in Plymouth are part of the Plymouth County court system. For county-level resources and the complete list of court locations, visit the Plymouth County civil court records page.

View Plymouth County Civil Court Records