Serves Penobscot County from an office on Main Street in downtown Bangor. A general practice firm that lists probate and estate planning among its practice areas, with attorneys Emily Belanger and Gregory Dorr handling estate planning.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Penobscot County, Maine
How probate works in Penobscot County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
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
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.
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.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCredit card.The Registry takes Visa, MasterCard and Discover.
Hearing schedule
- Tuesdays and Thursdays
Fax
1-207-561-6184
About the court
- The Registry holds original probate records dating back to 1836.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Penobscot 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 Penobscot County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 97 Hammond Street, Bangor.
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 Penobscot County
What probate costs in Penobscot 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 97 Hammond Street, Bangor.
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 Penobscot 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 Penobscot 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 Penobscot County
In Penobscot 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
Penobscot 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
Penobscot 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 Penobscot 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 Penobscot County are recorded with the Registry of Deeds at 97 Hammond Street, Bangor, ME 04401. Phone: 1-207-942-8797. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 2070, Bangor, ME 04402-2070.
The Registry of Deeds charges $40 flat, regardless of page count.
Penobscot County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Registry of Deeds
Penobscot County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
97 Hammond Street, Bangor, ME 04401
Website
E-recording
available via Simplifile
P.O. Box 2070
Bangor, ME 04402-2070
Fax
1-207-945-4920
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 Penobscot County
Maine allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Penobscot 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 Penobscot 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 the greater Bangor area from an office on Main Street in Orono. Guides personal representatives and families through probate, from opening the estate and obtaining authority to act through required notices, filings and distribution of assets, and handles guardianship and conservatorship matters. The firm's attorneys have practiced in the greater Bangor area since 1974.
Serves Hancock, Penobscot and Washington counties from Main Street in Ellsworth. Attorneys Melissa Hale and Sally Mills handle probate, trustee services, guardianships and conservatorships, and Sally Mills and Zachary McNally take on probate litigation. Established in 1883, the firm describes itself as Maine's oldest law firm.
Serves Cumberland, Penobscot, and Kennebec counties from offices in Portland, Bangor, and Augusta. Its Private Clients & Fiduciary Services group handles estate administration, opens probate estates, appears in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, and litigates estate and trust disputes in Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut probate courts. It also manages trusts as fiduciary.
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.
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
- Penobscot County Probate Court, official page
- Penobscot County Registry of Deeds, official page
- Penobscot 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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