Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure

Cited as Mass. R. Civ. P. · 96 rules

The Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure govern civil cases in the Trial Court and before a single justice of the Supreme Judicial Court or the Appeals Court. Browse the full set below in numeric order. Plain-English summaries, FAQs, and full rule text are being added rule by rule.

Source: Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries · Promulgated by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts · Amendments effective March 10, 2025 · Official source

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Rule 1 Scope of Rules
Rule 1A Transitional Rule for District Court Litigation in Progress on July 1, 1996
Rule 1B Transitional Rule for Probate Accounts in Litigation on July 1, 1977 Repealed
Rule 2 One Form of Action
Rule 3 Commencement of Action
Rule 4 Process
Rule 4.1 Attachment
Rule 4.2 Trustee Process
Rule 4.3 Arrest: Supplementary Process: Ne Exeat
Rule 5 Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers
Rule 6 Time
Rule 7 Pleadings Allowed: Form of Motions
Rule 8 General Rules of Pleading
Rule 8.1 Special Requirements for Certain Consumer Debts
Rule 9 Pleading Special Matters
Rule 10 Form of Pleadings
Rule 11 Appearances and Pleadings
Rule 12 Defenses and Objections - When and How Presented - By Pleading or Motion - Motion for Judgment on Pleadings
Rule 13 Counterclaim and Cross-Claim
Rule 14 Third-Party Practice
Rule 15 Amended and Supplemental Pleadings
Rule 16 Pre-Trial Procedure: Formulating Issues
Rule 17 Parties Plaintiff and Defendant: Capacity
Rule 18 Joinder of Claims and Remedies
Rule 19 Joinder of Persons Needed for Just Adjudication
Rule 20 Permissive Joinder of Parties
Rule 21 Misjoinder and Non-Joinder of Parties
Rule 22 Interpleader
Rule 23 Class Actions
Rule 23.1 Derivative Actions by Shareholders
Rule 23.2 Actions Relating to Unincorporated Associations
Rule 24 Intervention
Rule 25 Substitution of Parties
Rule 26 General Provisions Governing Discovery
Rule 27 Depositions Before Action or Pending Appeal
Rule 28 Persons Before Whom Depositions May Be Taken
Rule 29 Stipulations Regarding Discovery Procedure
Rule 30 Depositions Upon Oral Examination
Rule 30A Audiovisual Depositions & Audiovisual Evidence Repealed
Rule 31 Depositions of Witnesses Upon Written Questions
Rule 32 Use of Depositions in Court Proceedings
Rule 33 Interrogatories to Parties
Rule 34 Producing Documents, Electronically Stored Information, and Tangible Things, or Entering Onto Land, for Inspection and Other Purposes
Rule 35 Physical and Mental Examination of Persons
Rule 36 Requests for Admission
Rule 37 Failure to Make Discovery: Sanctions
Rule 38 Jury Trial of Right
Rule 39 Trial by Jury or by the Court
Rule 40 Assignment of Cases for Trial: Continuances
Rule 41 Dismissal of Actions
Rule 42 Consolidation: Separate Trials
Rule 43 Evidence
Rule 44 Proof of Official Records
Rule 44.1 Determination of Foreign Law
Rule 45 Subpoena
Rule 46 Exceptions Unnecessary
Rule 47 Jurors
Rule 48 Number of Jurors -- Majority Verdict
Rule 49 Special Verdicts and Interrogatories
Rule 50 Motion for a Directed Verdict and for Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict
Rule 51 Argument: Instructions to Jury
Rule 52 Findings by the Court
Rule 53 Masters
Rule 54 Judgments: Costs
Rule 55 Default
Rule 55.1 Special Requirements for Defaults and Default Judgments for Certain Consumer Debts
Rule 56 Summary Judgment
Rule 57 Declaratory Judgment
Rule 58 Entry of Judgment
Rule 59 New Trials: Amendment of Judgments
Rule 60 Relief from Judgment or Order
Rule 61 Harmless Error
Rule 62 Stay of Proceedings to Enforce a Judgment
Rule 63 Unavailability of a Judge; Receipt of Verdict
Rule 64 Report of Case
Rule 64A Requests for Rulings of Law in District Court
Rule 65 Injunctions
Rule 65.1 Security: Proceedings Against Sureties
Rule 65.2 Redelivery of Goods or Chattels
Rule 65.3 Proceedings for Civil Contempt
Rule 66 Receivers
Rule 67 Deposit in Court
Rule 68 Offer of Judgment
Rule 69 Execution
Rule 70 Judgment for Specific Acts: Vesting Title
Rule 71 Process in Behalf of and Against Persons Not Parties
Rule 72 Probate Accounts Repealed
Rule 77 Courts and Clerks
Rule 78 Motion Day
Rule 79 Books and Records Kept by the Clerk and Entries Therein
Rule 80 Stenographic Report or Transcript
Rule 81 Applicability of Rules
Rule 82 Jurisdiction and Venue Unaffected
Rule 83 Supplemental Rules
Rule 84 Forms
Rule 85 Title

Consistent with the official compilation, Massachusetts has no Rules 73–76 or 86 (these federal rule numbers are unused in Massachusetts). Rules 1A, 64A, and 84 have been repealed or deleted but are retained here, in their numeric positions, for reference; Rules 1B, 30A, and 72 have been repealed with no surviving source text and are shown as repealed only.