Don't Let Your Massachusetts Exhibits Get Rejected
Get the complete Massachusetts exhibit requirements checklist. Know exactly what Superior Court Standing Order 1-88, section H (final trial conference exhibit lists) requires before your filing deadline.
- Massachusetts exhibit lists are due not less than five business days before the final trial conference under Superior Court Standing Order 1-88, unless the court orders otherwise.
- Standing Order 1-88 applies to all civil actions filed in the Massachusetts Superior Court.
- Massachusetts's e-filing file-size limit is commonly cited as superior Court covered civil filings: 25 MB per document / 50 MB per envelope, but limits change — confirm the current limit with the court or clerk before filing.
- All Counties: Superior Court Standing Order 1-88 applies in all counties.
- A second filing pitfall in Superior Court e-filing: submitting locked or password-protected PDFs.
- Superior Court Standing Order 1-88 requires the parties to submit a joint list of agreed exhibits and a list of contested exhibits before the final trial conference.
- Track-based discovery deadlines are set by the clerk's tracking order under Standing Order 1-88.
Free Massachusetts Exhibit Guide
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Use the guide as a preparation checklist
- Check the instructions for your assigned court.
- Confirm labels, deadlines, and delivery method.
- Review the finished files before submitting.
Quick Reference
Source citations apply to the statement beside them, not the whole page. Check current court instructions and your case orders before filing.
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Try It FreeExhibitPrep formats documents; it does not provide legal advice or filing approval. Some guidance remains unverified. Citations support only their stated claims and scope. Review the finished files against current court instructions and case orders before filing.
Two Ways to Prepare Massachusetts Exhibits
Manual Stamping
- •Place each label individually
- •Keep a separate exhibit list
- •Check numbering across files
- •Review instructions and finished files
With ExhibitPrep
- •Apply chosen labels across a batch
- •Create a contents page and bookmarks
- •Review stamps before saving
- •Revise and compare saved copies
About Massachusetts Exhibit Requirements
For Superior Court summary judgment, Rule 9A(b)(5)(v) governs the joint appendix, index, pagination, and separators. Trial exhibits and final-conference requirements must be checked separately under the case order.
Before you file
ExhibitPrep formats documents. It does not provide legal advice, submit filings, or determine whether evidence is admissible or a filing meets court requirements.
Some guidance has not been verified against current official sources. A citation supports only its stated claim and scope. Compare the finished PDF with current court instructions and orders in your case. Follow the filing review checklist.
What's in the Guide
- eFileMA e-filing in designated civil actions - 25 MB limit per document
- Business Litigation Session: session-specific procedures under Administrative Directive 24-1
- Suffolk County hosts the Business Litigation Session, which has its own procedures
- Confirm the exhibit marking convention with the assigned judge or pretrial order
- Agreed and contested exhibit lists are due not less than five business days before the final trial conference unless the court orders otherwise.
- Final trial conference: joint lists of agreed and contested exhibits due not less than five business days before, unless otherwise ordered
- Middlesex County, including the Cambridge area
- Business Litigation Session: acceptance is discretionary, so check whether your case qualifies
County-Specific Rules Covered
All Counties
- • Superior Court Standing Order 1-88 applies in all counties Source (opens in a new tab)
- • Superior Court Standing Order 1-88 applies to all counties Source (opens in a new tab)
Pro Tips Included
- •Review the applicable Superior Court rules and the case-specific orders.
- •Number the summary-judgment joint appendix pages consecutively under Rule 9A(b)(5)(v).
- •Include the required index in the summary-judgment joint appendix; confirm other exhibit-index requirements with the court.
- •For summary judgment, compile all exhibits into a SINGLE joint appendix
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 1.Not consecutively numbering the pages of motion exhibits
- 2.Include the required index in the summary-judgment joint appendix; confirm other exhibit-index requirements with the court.
- 3.Filing separate exhibit appendixes for summary judgment (should be single joint appendix)
- 4.Using scanned documents instead of electronically converted PDFs when possible
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Massachusetts Exhibit FAQs
What exhibit marking system do Massachusetts courts require?
Confirm the exhibit marking convention with the assigned judge's order or the parties' agreement before marking.
What is Massachusetts Superior Court Rule 9A?
Superior Court Rule 9A governs civil motions practice in Massachusetts — it sets the format for motion packages and for the joint appendix filed with summary judgment motions, where record exhibits are consecutively numbered and indexed. Rule 9A is not the trial exhibit rule. Superior Court Standing Order 1-88 requires the parties to submit a joint list of agreed exhibits and a list of contested exhibits not less than five business days before the final trial conference, unless otherwise ordered. Under Rule 9A, motion exhibits must be separated by off-set tab dividers or page markers, consecutively numbered, and preceded by a Table of Contents or Exhibit Index when there is more than one exhibit.
What is Standing Order 1-88 in Massachusetts?
Standing Order 1-88 establishes time standards for civil case management in Massachusetts Superior Court. Standing Order 1-88 sets Fast Track "F" deadlines (discovery complete in 10 months, resolution in 22 months) and Average Track "A" deadlines (discovery complete in 24 months, resolution in 36 months). Check your tracking order and final trial conference notice for exhibit deadlines.
Is e-filing mandatory in Massachusetts courts?
Standing Order 1-23 sets document and envelope limits for covered Superior Court civil filings; check other departments separately.
What is the Business Litigation Session?
The Business Litigation Session (BLS) of the Superior Court handles business and commercial disputes that benefit from individualized case management. Suffolk County Superior Court hosts the Business Litigation Session, whose procedures are governed by its own Administrative Directive. Cases may be accepted into the BLS at the BLS Administrative Justice's discretion, based principally on complexity and the need for substantial case management.
What is the exhibit exchange deadline in Massachusetts?
Superior Court Standing Order 1-88 requires the joint list of agreed exhibits and the list of contested exhibits not less than five business days before the final trial conference, unless otherwise ordered by the court. A joint pre-trial memorandum is filed no less than five business days before the final pre-trial conference. Under Superior Court Standing Order 1-88, exhibit lists are due not less than five business days before the final trial conference unless the Court orders otherwise. For summary judgment motions, all exhibits referred to in the memoranda or the Consolidated Statement of Facts must be filed as a single joint appendix with an index under Superior Court Rule 9A.
See It in Action
A video walkthrough of ExhibitPrep stamping exhibits for Massachusetts courts.
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Nearby Jurisdictions
Practicing in multiple states? Check requirements for neighboring jurisdictions.