Do I Need a TOD Deed in Lincoln County, Maine?
Maine authorizes transfer on death deeds18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in Lincoln County the Registry of Deeds records one for $40 flat, regardless of page count.
The Registry of Deeds charges $40 flat, regardless of page count. Most transfer on death deeds run two to four pages. Transfer on death deeds are exempt from transfer tax in Lincoln County.
Record the transfer on death deed at the Registry of Deeds, 32 High Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:00 PM.
Yes. Lincoln County accepts e-recording through Simplifile, Hopdox, CSC, ePN and Indecomm.
A transfer on death deed in Maine requires notary acknowledgment18-C M.R.S. 6-401 to 6-420Verified Oct 18, 2026View source before it can be recorded in Lincoln County.
No. A transfer on death deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Retirement
Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.
Learn moreForms 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
Maine does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable 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 and a simple will $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 $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Maine, four years at a public university cost about $88,048NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; the state levies an estate tax36 M.R.S. §§ 4102, 4103, 4119Verified Sep 15, 2026View source above $7,160,00036 M.R.S. §§ 4102, 4103, 4119Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Maine automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce18-C M.R.S. § 2-804Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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.
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.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Maine costs an estimated $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. Attorney fees run 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 under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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Maine Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Maine probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.