Davidson Law Office, LLC
Serves Washington County from an office on Court Street in Machias, the county seat. Jeffrey W. Davidson has been admitted to the Maine bar since 2004.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Washington County, Maine
How probate works in Washington County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Washington County Probate Court
Washington County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
85 Court Street, Machias, ME 04654
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, Debit card.Card payments go through Maine PayPort, which adds $1 on a payment up to $40 and 2.5% on a larger one.
Hearing schedule
- Two Tuesdays a month, and as needed
P.O. Box 297
Machias, ME 04654
Fax
1-207-255-3999
About the court
- Probate records run from 1785, and those from 2007 onward are on the Maine Probate website. Adoption records after September 1953 are closed. The office sells probate forms.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Washington 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 Washington County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 85 Court Street, Machias.
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 Washington County
What probate costs in Washington 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 85 Court Street, Machias.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Local costs for the creditor notice and mailings.
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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County
In Washington 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
Washington 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
Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County are recorded with the Registry of Deeds at 85 Court Street, Machias, ME 04654. Phone: 1-207-255-6512. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 297, Machias, ME 04654.
The Registry of Deeds charges $40 flat, regardless of page count.
Washington County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Registry of Deeds
Washington County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
85 Court Street, Machias, ME 04654
Website
E-recording
available via Simplifile
P.O. Box 297
Machias, ME 04654
Fax
1-207-255-3838
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 Washington County
Maine allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Washington 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 Washington 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.
Fletcher & Mahar, P.A.
Serves Washington County from Calais. Dennis L. Mahar, admitted to the Maine bar in 1986, is the firm's active attorney.
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 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
- Washington County Probate Court, official page
- Washington County Registry of Deeds, official page
- Washington 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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