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In Franklin County, money disputes up to $7,000 go to the small-claims court: simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Franklin County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
Franklin County runs several hub courthouses for these cases. Assignment follows the ZIP code of the defendant or of the dispute itself.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Confirm the courthouse before you file. The court's own small-claims page carries its current filing location and hours, and Squabble confirms the courthouse for your case when you file.
Franklin County covers 30 ZIP codes, including the Ashfield, Bernardston and Buckland areas. 2 courthouses serve Franklin County, Orange District Court among them.
Some counties take small claims electronically and others on paper. Squabble handles the paperwork whichever applies.
Hearings are short and informal; some courts offer remote appearance for eligible cases.
Bring copies of your evidence for the judge and the other side; some courts also accept electronic submission ahead of the hearing.
Franklin County, Massachusetts, has a population of 70,871 and includes towns such as Greenfield, Orange, Deerfield, Montague, Shelburne Falls, Sunderland, and Northfield, along with ZIP codes including 01301, 01364, 01342, and 01373. Small claims cases in the county are handled through the Massachusetts Small Claims Court, which hears claims up to $7,000. Orange District Court, located at 1 Court Square in Orange, 01364, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM and is closed Saturday and Sunday. The court can be reached at (978) 544-8277, and information is posted at https://www.mass.gov/locations/orange-district-court. Franklin County Superior Court sits at 43 Hope St in Greenfield, 01301, with a phone number of (413) 774-5535 and a website at https://www.mass.gov/locations/franklin-county-superior-court. Franklin County lies near Hampshire County, Hampden County, and Berkshire County, so residents of nearby areas may find their own cases filed in those counties instead.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
Franklin County covers these 29 towns and cities:
Ashfield, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Deerfield, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Heath, Lake Pleasant, Leverett, Millers Falls, Monroe Bridge, Montague, New Salem, Northfield, Orange, Rowe, Shelburne Falls, Shutesbury, South Deerfield, Sunderland, Turners Falls, Warwick, Wendell, Wendell Depot, Whately.
With about 70,871 residents, Franklin County ranks 12th by population among the 14 counties of Massachusetts. Orange District Court sits about 11 miles from the Hampshire County courthouse in Belchertown and 20 miles from the Hampden County courthouse in Westfield.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims is the court's track for everyday money disputes: simplified rules, and limits on how much you can sue for.
Maximum claim
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Massachusetts, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
A claim involving a minor is brought by a court-appointed guardian.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
They are the same across all 30 Franklin County ZIP codes, from 01054 onward. These are the limits for Franklin County, population about 70,871.
Debts up to $7,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Franklin County has about 70,871 residents. Franklin County takes in Ashfield, Bernardston and Buckland and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Prepare the claim form, work out which court covers it, and pay the court's charge.
The other side is formally served and has the chance to respond, or to settle before the hearing.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
This is the route a Franklin County case takes, whether it starts in 01054 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Orange District Court publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page.
Filing is only half of it. The defendant has to receive formal notice, a step called service of process, and in most cases you cannot hand over the papers yourself.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
Courts set their own cut-off for how many days before the hearing notice must land. The clerk gives you that date along with the hearing date.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Franklin County address carries one of its 30 ZIP codes, 01054, 01072 and 01093 among them. Addresses in Franklin County include places such as Ashfield, Bernardston and Buckland.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Claim type | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years |
| Oral contract | 6 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
Franklin County, population about 70,871, is covered by the table above. The same periods apply in Franklin County as in nearby Hampshire County and Hampden County, which are in the same state.
Money owed under a contract in Massachusetts generally accrues interest at 12% per year before judgment (Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231 §6C).
The Squabble interest calculator shows what the accrued figure comes to on top of the principal.
The rate above is the one for Franklin County, population about 70,871. Franklin County is under the same state rate as nearby Hampshire County and Hampden County.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
State the party's full legal name, explain the events, and set out the calculation.
File at the Franklin County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file where offered, and pay the $40–$75 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Turn up on the day, in person or remotely where offered, present what happened, and take the decision.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →A claim form opens the case, a proof of service records that notice was given, and a fee waiver applies where you qualify. Titles differ between courts, and Squabble uses the ones your courthouse expects.
A Franklin County filing goes to one of 2 courthouses, Orange District Court among them. Ashfield, Bernardston and Buckland are among the places in Franklin County that filings come from.
Expect a short, informal hearing in which the judge asks the questions. Most people present their own case.
Franklin County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Ashfield, Bernardston and Buckland are among the Franklin County places a hearing can draw parties from.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Some states permit part of the debtor's wages to be diverted to the judgment until it is cleared.
A levy lets the court reach money sitting in the debtor's bank account.
Recording the judgment with the county can place a lien on the debtor's real property.
The court can additionally require the debtor to appear and answer under oath about what they earn and own. An unsatisfied judgment usually carries statutory interest until it is paid.
Hampshire County and Hampden County are the counties nearest to Franklin County. A Franklin County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Franklin County case for you.
