Add Checkbox Fields Legal Maine Guardianship Forms For Free

Probate records of Maine are kept by the register of probate or the clerk of the probate court in each county. The records generally date from the year a county was formed. You can obtain copies of the original probate records by contacting the appropriate clerk's office.

Listed below are some of the non-probate assets available in Maine. Any property in a living trust. Life insurance policies. 401(k)s, IRAs, other retirement accounts. Securities in transfer-on-death accounts. Pay-on-death bank accounts. Joint tenancy real property.

Any person who is concerned about another person's welfare and ability to manage personal affairs and assets may file a petition in the Probate Court (in the county where the person in need of a guardian or conservator lives) asking the court to appoint a guardian, a conservator, or both.

If the gross estate (a tax-related term that describes not only probate assets but also assets that do not pass under the decedent's will) is under the State of Maine exemption ($6,800,000 in 2024), it is often possible to close the estate administration after nine months have elapsed since the decedent's death.

If you have concerns that an adult is incapacitated and in need of a guardian, you may report this information to Adult Protective Services to initiate a “guardianship study.”

To start the probate process, you need to file an “Application for Probate” in the probate court in the county where the decedent lived. In Maine, each county has its own probate court. If there is a Will, it needs to be submitted to the probate court. The probate judge will decide whether or not the Will is valid.

Probate is the legal process that takes place after someone dies. To start the probate process, you need to file an “Application for Probate” in the probate court in the county where the decedent lived. In Maine, each county has its own probate court. If there is a Will, it needs to be submitted to the probate court.

In Maine, you can make a living trust to avoid probate for virtually any asset you own—real estate, bank accounts, vehicles, and so on. You need to create a trust document (it's similar to a will), naming someone to take over as trustee after your death (called a "successor trustee").

The public may access electronic court records in civil and family cases at a courthouse where eFiling is available, unless the court records are "nonpublic" under MRECS or confidential by law.