Disclaimer:  This is a series of blogs related to the
impact of COVID-19 on the court system; in particular, the Massachusetts
Probate and Family Court.  This
information may be outdated and it is important to look at the court’s
website.  Also, different courts have
different particularities.  I have gotten
this from both speaking to other lawyers’ and the staff at the Probate and
Family Court along with Zoom conferences and other articles along with reading
the standing orders.

The
courts must determine whether it is an emergency or not an emergency in the
Family and Probate court.  If it is an
emergency how that is going to be addressed, different judge’s and different
courts are looking at it differently. 
Typically, it would be by telephone as most courts are not fully
equipped for video-conferencing with all the different parties.  Some judges have been allowing the emergency
hearing on paper, based on pleadings and having detailed pleadings would be
important.