Rule 85.Title
Effective July 1, 1974 · Last verified June 26, 2026
Full Text of Rule 85
Rule History
Effective July 1, 1974.
Reporter’s Notes
(1996)
With the merger of the District/Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure into the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure in 1996, the former title has been eliminated. The Mass.R.Civ.P. now also apply in the District Court and in the Boston Municipal Court.
(1973)
This tracks Federal Rule 85.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 85 is the citation rule. It provides that these rules may be known and cited as the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure, abbreviated in the rule itself as “Mass.R.Civ.P.” In standard (Bluebook) form the set is cited “Mass. R. Civ. P.,” the form used throughout this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure cited?
They may be known and cited as the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure. The rule itself uses the short form “Mass.R.Civ.P.”; the standard Bluebook citation is “Mass. R. Civ. P.”
Is there an official abbreviation for these rules?
Yes. Rule 85 itself supplies “Mass.R.Civ.P.” as the short form, though the Bluebook citation form used on this site is “Mass. R. Civ. P.” with periods and spaces.