Serves clients throughout Maine from Waterville. Assists personal representatives with probate administration, including the inventory, accounting and distribution of estate assets, works with trustees to administer trusts, and handles guardianships, conservatorships and MaineCare long-term care applications. The firm is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).
Probate in Penobscot County
Probate Court Record
Penobscot County Probate Court
Penobscot County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
97 Hammond Street, Bangor, ME 04401
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Penobscot County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Penobscot County? →Settling an estate in Penobscot County →
Asset Protection Firms Serving Penobscot County
Serves clients across Maine from the Skowhegan Legal Center in Somerset County. Guides families through probate and estate administration after a death, handles guardianships, and prepares wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, asset protection trusts, and MaineCare plans. Founder Claudia Raessler, who opened the practice in 2019, also handles probate litigation.
All 4 Maine asset protection firms serving Penobscot County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Maine
Free forms for planning your estate in Maine: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Maine.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Maine, a pour-over will is signed before 218-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Maine, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notary18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's death18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Maine does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In Maine, a will is signed before 218-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony18-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Maine
Free tools for planning your estate in Maine: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Maine and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Maine, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.9%Modeled estimate under 18-C M.R.S. § 3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage); § 3-720 (reasonable attorney fees in estate litigation): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under 18-C M.R.S. § 3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage); § 3-720 (reasonable attorney fees in estate litigation): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
Calculate Costs
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Maine runs $5,390Estimate: 10 hours at $539, Clio's Maine Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $8,085Estimate: 15 hours at $539, Clio's Maine Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Maine authorizes transfer on death deeds18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Maine automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce18-C M.R.S. § 2-804Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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