Local Attorney Launches Bid for Berkshire County Register of Probate
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Longtime local attorney Ken Ferris has announced his candidacy for Berkshire County register of probate.
The Register of Probate's office for the Berkshire Probate and Family Court manages administrative functions for cases, often involving significant and life-changing situations. Ferris wants to ensure that the office is accessible, professional, and efficient, while serving the public with fairness and dignity.
Ferris became a lawyer decades ago to help people, he said, and feels that he can improve the Register of Probate's office to benefit the public and employees. He kicked off his campaign at the Tavern at the A on Feb. 12.
"The office runs very well, but there's got to be a way that I can improve this process to help people understand and navigate through the system so that at the end of the day, they get their justice, if you will," he said.
"They've got to have access, and I think that I have some ideas that I believe will help people get the access they need."
Ferris is an attorney with Hashim & Spinola and has 35 years of legal experience in Berkshire County. He also served as the coordinator of the mediation program at the Berkshire County Probate and Family Court for several years.
It is a little bittersweet, Ferris said, because as the Register of Probate, he would have to step down from law practice.
"But practicing law, you're only helping that particular person, at that particular time," he explained. "I think, with the registry, I would be able to help a lot more people. That is what inspired me."
Incumbent Anthony P. Patella was uncontested for a six-year term in 2020. Francis Marinaro served in the office from 1996 to 2014. The elected position oversees day-to-day operations in the court's office, including implementing policies and procedures, and handling records, filings, and data.
Ferris would like to create some kind of guidance that makes the court process easier to understand and work with the local Bar Association and the public in that process.
"As I've been up in probate court, I've seen people struggle at the counter in terms of understanding the process, getting frustrated because they don't know how to get their case from the counter to the courtroom, which is where it all happens," he explained.
"You're in probate court because of the divorce, a death, a guardianship; it's probably not the best time in your life. And so as I've watched people struggle, I have said to myself, 'There's got to be a way to improve what's there.'"
His son, Michael Ferris, who is also an attorney, said his father has been going to the Berkshire Probate Court for as long as he can remember.
"It's impossible not to care about a place that's been going that long, both logistically, figuring out ways that something can run more efficiently or productively, but you personally get to know people," he said.
"You get to know clerks, support staff, court officers, judges, other attorneys, and you care about them, and you want the best for them, and that's exactly what he wants."
He emphasized his father's commitment to the community, from coaching Little League to serving on Pittsfield's Mobile Home Rent Control Board.
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