Middlesex County, MA Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Middlesex County, MA Consumers

Massachusetts Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Massachusetts PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Middlesex County: Key information about your local probate court (Superior Court in Massachusetts) for Middlesex County.
• How Probate Works in Massachusetts: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Middlesex County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Massachusetts probate forms from the Massachusetts probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Massachusetts: Learn how to use Massachusetts's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In Alaska, you can use an Affidavit procedure if the entire estate consists only of vehicles with a total value of up to $100,000 and personal property (other than vehicles) worth up to $50,000. There is a 30-day waiting period. Alaska Stat. 13.16.680.

    You can use a small estates procedure if the entire estate, not counting debts owed on the property, adds up to less that $100,000 of vehicles and $50,000 of personal property (furniture, clothes, and other tangible items). There is a 30-day waiting period.

    Alaska Stat. 13.16.690,695

• Massachusetts Estate Taxes:

  • Massachusetts, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in Massachusetts. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Massachusetts Wage & Hour Law

• Massachusetts Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in Alaska is $11.73 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in Alaska must be paid at least $11.73 an hour. 

    Middlesex County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Middlesex County is $11.73 an hour, the state minimum wage. 

  • Learn more about the minimum wage in Alaska at https://labor.alaska.gov/lss/whhome.htm.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Massachusetts and whether they apply to you.

  • If you work more than eight hours in a workday or more than 40 hours in a workweek, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each overtime hour you work, unless you are exempt. See Wage and Hour - Employees' Frequently Asked Questions, at the website of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, for more information on Alaska's overtime rules. 

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Massachusetts. 

  • Find the form and instructions to file a wage claim in Alaska at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development website. 

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Massachusetts.

  • The tipped minimum wage in Alaska is the same as the regular minimum wage: $11.73 an hour. Tips don't count against the employer's obligation to pay the minimum wage.

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Massachusetts law from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Anchorage: 907-269-4900; Fairbanks: 907-451-2886; Juneau: 907-465-4842

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Massachusetts Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Massachusetts: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Massachusetts, unemployment benefits range from $56 per week to $370 per week.
  • Formula:

    In Alaska, your weekly benefit amount depends, in part, on whether you earned 90% or more of your compensation during the entire base period in a single quarter:

    • If so, your base period wages are the total amount you earned in the other three quarters of the base period (not including the quarter when you earned the most), multiplied by ten. 
    • If not, your base period wages are simply the total amount you earned in all four quarters of the base period. 

    Once you have calculated your base period wages, look up your weekly benefit amount in the chart at Calculating Your Weekly Benefit Amount and Duration.

  • Duration:

    In Alaska, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 16 to 26 weeks, depending on how evenly spread your earnings were throughout the base period. If you earned most of your income in your highest-paid quarter, your benefits will last for a shorter period; if your earnings were more evenly divided over the entire base period year, you will receive benefits for a longer time. See Calculating Your Weekly Benefit Amount and Duration for more information. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Massachusetts.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Massachusetts MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Middlesex County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free Massachusetts BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Massachusetts law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• Massachusetts BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in Massachusetts 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Massachusetts Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Middlesex County: Middlesex County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Massachusetts Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Massachusetts!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Massachusetts? Learn about whether Massachusetts imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Middlesex County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Malden 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Middlesex County, MA.
• Gerrymandering in Massachusetts: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Middlesex County, MA

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration

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