Rule 85.Title
Part X. General Provisions · Last verified September 4, 2026
Full Text of Rule 85
Plain-English Summary
Rule 85 is the last rule and it is one sentence: these rules may be known and cited as the Massachusetts Rules of Domestic Relations Procedure (Mass.R.Dom.Rel.P.).
Small as it is, it settles something a practitioner needs. The abbreviation the court gives itself is Mass.R.Dom.Rel.P., printed without spaces, which is how the ruleset refers to itself in Rule 30's Reporter's Notes. The Bluebook form used on this site is Mass. R. Dom. Rel. P., spaced, and the citation chip at the top of every rule page on this site uses that form.
The name also draws the line these rules keep drawing against their civil counterpart. Throughout the compilation, provisions carry a parenthetical tag reading "(Identical to Mass.R.Civ.P. …)" — two distinct rulesets, deliberately marked as such, with Rule 85 naming the one you are in.
Rule 1 is the other half of the identification: it lists the proceedings these rules govern. Rule 81(h) supplies the vocabulary for reading civil-rule language inside them, and Rule 82 confirms that naming and translating change no court's jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite the Massachusetts domestic relations rules?
Rule 85 provides that these rules may be known and cited as the Massachusetts Rules of Domestic Relations Procedure (Mass.R.Dom.Rel.P.). This site uses the spaced Bluebook form, Mass. R. Dom. Rel. P.
Are these the same as the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure?
No. They are a separate ruleset governing the proceedings listed in Rule 1. Many provisions carry a parenthetical stating that they are identical to a numbered civil rule, but several civil rules are deleted here and several provisions have no civil counterpart.
What is the official abbreviation?
Mass.R.Dom.Rel.P., as printed in Rule 85.
Which proceedings do these rules govern?
Rule 1 lists them: divorce, separate support, custody of minor children, annulment or affirmation of marriage, spousal and child support, paternity and support for a child born out of wedlock, modification, contempt and abuse prevention, as enumerated in General Laws chapters 207, 208, 209, 209A, 209C, 215 and 209D.