Serves Lincoln County and the midcoast from 181 Main Street in Damariscotta. Guides families through the administration of an estate, representing personal representatives at hearings and in contested and uncontested probate matters, and files petitions for guardianship and conservatorship. Formed in 2016 by the merger of Gallagher and Stein with the Law Office of Marcia E. DeGeer.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Lincoln County, Maine
How probate works in Lincoln County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Lincoln County Probate Court
Lincoln County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
32 High Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAll 16 probate courts take filings through Maine Probate EZ-File, and every party must e-file in a case opened since October 1, 2014, except a self-represented person who has not registered as an e-filer. Each electronic filing carries a $7 fee. On paper: A self-represented party who has not registered as an e-filer may file on paper; An original will or other testamentary document is filed on paper.
Filing in person
Appointment requiredAll services are by appointment only. Call 207-882-7392 to make an appointment before coming to the courthouse.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe official Title 18-C probate forms are on the Maine Probate website, and every probate court also has them. Court staff give general and procedural information but no legal advice.
Hearing schedule
- Every Wednesday
P.O. Box 249
Wiscasset, ME 04578
Fax
1-207-882-4320
About the court
- Probate records begin in 1760. The court also offers genealogy research and processes passport applications by appointment.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Lincoln County
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 Lincoln County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 32 High Street, Wiscasset.
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 Lincoln County
What probate costs in Lincoln 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 32 High Street, Wiscasset.
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.
How to File Probate at the Probate Court
Probate cases in Lincoln County, Maine are filed at the Probate Court.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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 Lincoln County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
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.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Lincoln County
In Lincoln 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
Maine Department of Health and Human Services - Data, Research, and Vital Statistics
Lincoln County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
9:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
220 Capitol Street, Augusta, ME 04333-0011
Website
Certified copies
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
11 State House Station
220 Capitol Street
Augusta, ME 04333-0011
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
State Medical Examiner
Lincoln County · Office of Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Website
Serves this county
Office of Chief Medical Examiner
Cremation authorization
Signed by this office
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Lincoln County
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 Lincoln County are recorded with the Registry of Deeds at 32 High Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578. Phone: 1-207-882-7431. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:00 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 249, Wiscasset, ME 04578.
The Registry of Deeds charges $40 flat, regardless of page count.
Lincoln County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, Hopdox, CSC, ePN and Indecomm.
Recording Office Record
Registry of Deeds
Lincoln County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:00 PM
Office
32 High Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578
Website
E-recording
available via Simplifile, Hopdox, CSC, ePN and Indecomm
P.O. Box 249
Wiscasset, ME 04578
Fax
1-207-882-4061
Recording fees
| 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
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Lincoln County
Maine allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- 18-C M.R.S. § 1-602(2)
- 18-C M.R.S. § 3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- 18-C M.R.S. §§ 3-301, 3-302
- 18-C M.R.S. §3-103 (appointment & letters), §3-301 (informal application), §3-402 (formal petition contents)
- 18-C MRS §§ 3-801, 3-803, 3-805, 3-806
- 33 MRSA 751; 33 MRSA 752
- Lincoln County Probate Court, official page
- Lincoln County Registry of Deeds, official page
- Lincoln County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Maine statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Maine
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.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
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.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
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.
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