Serves Waldo County from an office on Waldo Avenue in Belfast, open by appointment only. Miles Frieden handles probate, wills and estate planning alongside real estate work and mediation, with flat fee options available. He has practiced in Waldo County since opening his Searsport office in 1986.
Estate Planning for Waldo County, Maine Property Owners
For most Waldo County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.
For a Waldo County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Probate Court. The two tools that keep a Waldo County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the Registry of Deeds, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.
Skipping this planning step means the Probate Court decides who receives the property: a simple Maine probate takes 4+ months and opens with $50 in court filing fees.
Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Waldo County
A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Waldo County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the Registry of Deeds during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.
Before recording, a Maine transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgment18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's death18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Where to Record Property Documents
Deeds and other real property documents for Waldo County are recorded with the Registry of Deeds at 39a Spring Street, Belfast, ME 04915. Phone: 1-207-338-1710. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box D, Belfast, ME 04915.
The Registry of Deeds charges $40 flat, regardless of page count. A 2-page transfer on death deed costs $40 to record in Waldo County. A transfer on death deed is exempt from transfer tax.
Waldo County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Registry of Deeds
Waldo County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
39a Spring Street, Belfast, ME 04915
Website
E-recording
available via Simplifile
P.O. Box D
Belfast, ME 04915
Fax
1-207-338-6360
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
Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Waldo County
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.
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 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 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
(2)·
Data sourced from Maine statutes and official state code. How we research.
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.
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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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Free
Codicil to a Will
In Maine, a codicil is signed before 218-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony18-C M.R.S. § 2-503Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
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Free
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Maine requires 218-C M.R.S. § 5-805Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not required18-C M.R.S. § 5-805Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
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Free
HIPAA Release
In Maine, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and mental health records5 MRS § 19203(1)-(2); 34-B MRS § 1207(1)(A)Verified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases them.
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Free
Financial Power of Attorney
Maine treats a power of attorney as durable by default18-C M.R.S. § 5-905, § 5-904, § 5-906, § 5-907, § 5-909, § 5-913, § 5-931, § 5-951Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notary18-C M.R.S. § 5-905, § 5-904, § 5-906, § 5-907, § 5-909, § 5-913, § 5-931, § 5-951Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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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
Living Will
In Maine, the living will is the Advance Health Care Directive18-C M.R.S. §§ 5-801 to 5-817 (Title 18-C, Article 5, Part 8, Uniform Health Care Decisions Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
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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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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.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Maine, a will is signed before 218-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not required18-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Maine recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signed18-C M.R.S. § 2-505Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Maine itself needs 218-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not required18-C M.R.S. § 2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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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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How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Maine runs $1,029Estimate: 3 hours at $343, Clio's Maine Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,058Estimate: 6 hours at $343, Clio's Maine Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $26,31318-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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Maine, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingMe. Rev. Stat. tit. 18-C, §§ 5-202, 5-203, 5-204Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 1, §§ 72(2-B), 73Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Maine takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges 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; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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Maine Estate Planning Articles
Estate planning articles for Maine.
