Massachusetts courts
When must I file a notice of appeal in an ordinary Massachusetts civil case?
You normally must file a notice of appeal in an ordinary Massachusetts civil case within 30 calendar days after entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from, under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i). If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Massachusetts legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Massachusetts legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
- Period
- 30 calendar days
- Trigger
- Entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from
- Rule
- Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i)
Massachusetts rules as encoded, 2026 and 2027 legal holidays bundled
Free calculator · No account needed
Calculate your deadline
Loading calculator…
What lawyers say
5.0“The platform is really easy to use.”
Michael B.Employment litigation attorney · California
“The Evidence Record saved us time with our insurance on bankruptcy matters.”
MariaBankruptcy and commercial attorney · London, UK
“The most up-to-date service we could find.”
Li ChenArbitration practitioner · Singapore
Which date starts the 30-day period?
The period runs from the entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from.
For Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i), count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Massachusetts rules of courtIn a civil case, unless otherwise provided by statute, the notice of appeal required by Rule 3 shall be filed with the clerk of the lower court (i) within 30 days of the date of the entry of the judgment, decree, appealable order, or adjudication appealed from
Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i)
This is a docket-entry calculation. Do not substitute the day an email arrived, the day you read the order or the day of the hearing. Confirm that event before applying Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i).
Which date do I enter?How are the 30 calendar days counted?
- Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i). Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or Massachusetts legal holiday, continue to the next day that is not one of those.
The Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) record uses this method. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a).
For Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i), if the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or Massachusetts legal holiday, the computation rule carries it to the next day that is not. Massachusetts legal holidays for 2026 and 2027 are applied; a local court closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President can extend the deadline further.
The supporting computation provision for Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) adds this boundary. Massachusetts computes time under Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a). The calculator applies Massachusetts legal holidays for 2026 and 2027. A local court closure, an emergency closure or a holiday declared by the Governor or the President is not bundled and can extend the deadline.
Read Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a)The calculation applies the ordinary method recorded for Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i). Check applicable holidays, court accessibility and the filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhat does a worked calculation look like?
Fictitious example
Assume the entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from on this date, with no order, motion or extension affecting the period), with no order, motion, extension or local closure affecting the result. Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a). The example assumes no local rule, order or closure changes the ordinary period under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i).
| Step | What is counted | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Do not count this day | September 1, 2026 |
| Day 1 | Start counting calendar days | September 2, 2026 |
| Day 30 | Ordinary deadline in this example | October 1, 2026 |
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Extensions
- Any enlargement is confined to the relief permitted by the appellate rules.
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, approved stipulation, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i).
- Any enlargement is confined to the relief permitted by the appellate rules.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can control over the ordinary period described by Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i).
What should I check before filing?
Common questions
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from, or when I first learned of it?
Under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i), the period runs from the entry of the judgment, decree or order appealed from, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Counting days and filing
Is it 30 calendar days or business days?
For Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i), count calendar days, including intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a) carries it forward as provided by that rule.
Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a)Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
Massachusetts filing rules and the court’s electronic filing system set the cutoff. This calculator does not verify filing hours or system availability. Confirm that boundary before relying on a Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) result.
Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a)What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a) and the court’s administrative orders govern an inaccessible clerk’s office. Check the court’s notices. This calculator does not predict a closure. This check remains separate from the ordinary Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) count.
Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a)Extensions and local rules
Can the court extend this deadline?
Any enlargement is confined to the relief permitted by the appellate rules. A request does not itself extend the period under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i), and no discretionary extension is calculated here.
Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. A local rule, standing order or case-specific order can control over the ordinary period calculated under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i). Compare the result with every applicable order before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i). It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free calculation under Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i), including the citation, counting steps and warnings. Court-specific facts can keep a result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
An eligible Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) record retains the inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. It records that calculation and its fingerprint, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. A provisional Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) result remains subject to review, and a separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
Provisions used (2)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Mass. R. App. P. 4(a)(1)(A)(i) | Trigger and period |
| Mass. R. Civ. P. 6(a) and Mass. R. App. P. 14(a) | Counting, holidays and the last day |