Maine Application for Informal Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative

Locate Documents. Record the preferences of the testator. Check status of property and accounts. Confirm beneficiaries are correct. Make a list of personal possessions. Create a schedule of assets. Make a list of credit cards and debts. Electronic access to information.

An executor is someone named in your will, or appointed by the court, who is given the legal responsibility to take care of any remaining financial obligations. Typical duties include: Distributing assets according to the will. Maintaining property until the estate is settled (e.g., upkeep of a house)

Determine Your Priority for Appointment. Receive Written Waivers From Other Candidates. Contact Court in the County Where Deceased Resided. File the Petition for Administration. Attend the Probate Hearing. Secure a Probate Bond.

Can I appoint a beneficiary as my executor? Yes, your executor may also be a beneficiary to your estate. In fact, if you are leaving everything to your spouse or adult children who are capable of managing their finances, it is a natural choice to appoint your spouse or one or more of your children as your executor(s).

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.

A personal representative usually is named in a will. However, courts sometimes appoint a personal representative. Usually, whether or not the deceased left a will, the probate court will issue a finding of fact that a will has or has not been filed and a personal representative or administrator has been appointed.

No. The person must be appointed by the probate court as the personal representative and letters issued for the appointment as personal representative to be effective. California Probate Code §8400(a).To learn about the duties of a personal representative in California probate, click here.

The fee varies depending on the size of the estate from $20.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less to $950.00 for an estate of $2,000,000 plus $100.00 for each additional $500,000.