Mark Smith Ames

As Register, Mark Ames has prioritized preserving Hampshire County's historically important court records. He wrote a successful grant application that funded a preservation project (completed in 2016) digitizing and cataloging documents from 1660 to 1890 and making them freely available to the public through the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and he has served on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's Archives and Records Advisory Committee to preserve court records statewide.

“In order to preserve Hampshire County's historically important court records, Mark wrote a successful grant application which funded a preservation project (completed in 2016) that digitized and cataloged documents from 1660 to1890, making them available to the public for free through the New England Historic Genealogical Society.”

amesforprobate.com

Mark Ames's stated goal as Register of Probate is to make the Probate and Family Court process as seamless as possible for families going through difficult moments such as divorce or the death of a loved one. He has expanded access to the court by managing the Introductory Mediation and Conciliation programs, helping establish the Lawyer for the Day program that gives self-represented litigants free legal advice, and creating and staffing the court's satellite office in Belchertown to serve families in Belchertown, Granby, and Ware.

“People come to the Probate and Family Court at difficult times in their lives such as divorce and when a loved one dies. My goal as Register is to make the process as seamless as possible for them.”

amesforprobate.com