How probate works in Knox County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Knox County
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About the court
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Knox County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 62 Union Street, 1st Floor, Rockland.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Maine intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Maine estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 months18-C MRS §§ 3-801, 3-803, 3-805, 3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What probate costs in Knox County, Maine comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Probate Court at 62 Union Street, 1st Floor, Rockland.
Maine charges $50 - $1,210+ (based on estate value)18-C M.R.S. § 1-602(2)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Maine are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Maine allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules pay18-C M.R.S. § 3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Maine requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
Probate in Maine typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate cases in Knox County, Maine are filed at the Probate Court.
Maine has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is available18-C M.R.S. §§ 3-301, 3-302Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Knox County Self-Filing Assessment.
Filed with the opening petition at the Probate Court: Original will and any codicils (for testate estates) (18-C M.R.S. §3-301(1)(B)(1)); Application for informal probate/appointment (DE-201(I) with a will, DE-101(I) without) OR Petition for formal probate (DE-201 with a will, DE-101 without), sworn/verified by the applicant (18-C M.R.S. §3-301(1), §3-402); Acceptance/statement of acceptance of the duties of office by the personal representative before letters issue (18-C M.R.S. §3-601 "Qualification"; DE-104 PR Acceptance); Bond only if required by the will, for a special administrator, or by court order (18-C M.R.S. §3-603)18-C M.R.S. §3-103 (appointment & letters), §3-301 (informal application), §3-402 (formal petition contents)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
In Knox County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Municipal Clerk of the town or city where the death occurred, or from Maine Department of Health and Human Services - Data, Research, and Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Knox County · State vital records office
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Certified copies
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $6 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Knox County · Office of Chief Medical Examiner
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Serves this county
Cremation authorization
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Registry of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Knox County are recorded with the Registry of Deeds at 62 Union Street, Rockland, ME 04841. Phone: 1-207-594-0422. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The Registry of Deeds charges $40 flat, regardless of page count.
Knox County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN and Hopdox.
Recording Office Record
Knox County
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| Flat fee (any length) | $40 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
33 MRSA 751; 33 MRSA 752
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Maine allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Knox County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Maine are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Knox County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Solo PracticeRockland, ME
Serves midcoast Maine from a Rockland office in Knox County. Prepares estate plans and will packages; the practice lists no probate or estate-settlement service. Crystal Tarjick works with each client directly and travels to clients who have difficulty getting to the office.
PracticesEstate PlanningBusiness LawReal Estate Law
Solo PracticeCamden, ME
Serves Knox and Waldo counties and the Augusta area from Camden, with a signing location in Manchester. Represents personal representatives in probate court, probating wills and handling intestate estates, and prepares MaineCare applications for a spouse or parent entering a nursing home. Attorney Jesse Bifulco also runs free online estate planning webinars.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawMedicaid Planning
FirmRockland, ME
Serves Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties from Rockland, where it has practiced since 1963. Handles estate planning, probate, and elder law matters, and its attorneys appear before Maine DHHS on behalf of Midcoast clients.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder Law
Solo PracticeDamariscotta, ME
Serves Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Kennebec, and Cumberland counties from Damariscotta. Represents personal representatives in estate administration and ancillary administration, administers testamentary and living trusts, files estate and fiduciary tax returns, and handles will contests. Licensed in Maine and Massachusetts, with multi-jurisdictional work for summer residents.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
FirmPortland, ME
Serves clients throughout Maine from One Monument Way in Portland. Its Estate Planning & Elder Law attorneys guide personal representatives through probate administration, handle trust administration, and represent heirs and beneficiaries in will contests and disputes over the distribution of estate property. The firm has represented Maine people and businesses since 1881.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
FirmPortland, ME
Serves clients in probate courts throughout Maine from Marginal Way in Portland. Its estate planning and administration team represents personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries in administering estates and trusts, handles guardianships and conservatorships, and with the firm's trial group represents clients in contested probate, will, and trust matters. Founded in 1965.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from Maine statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in Maine: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Maine.
Settling an estate in Maine: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 days18-C MRSA §§ 3-706, 3-707, 3-708Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 months18-C MRS §§ 3-801, 3-803, 3-805, 3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
Settling a trust in Maine happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust Code18-B M.R.S. § 101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 days18-B MRSA §§ 813, 1005, 105Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
Maine has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is available18-C M.R.S. §§ 3-301, 3-302Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
Browse vetted Maine attorneys handling probate matters.
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see Maine attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
Enter the estate value to see whether Maine lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
