An Act To Amend the Fees for Probate Filings
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1800
Committee Amendment CA_A_S617 (Senate)
Amends: 18-A MRSA §1

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 717, L.D. 1800, Bill, "An 
Act To Amend the Fees for Probate Filings" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 18-A MRSA §1-602, as amended by PL 2003, c. 383, §l, 
is further amended to read: 
§1-602. Filinq and certification fees 
The register of probate must receive the following fees for 
filing or certifying documents: 
(1) 
For making and certifying to the register of deeds 
copies of devises of real estate, abstracts of petitions for 
appointment of a personal representative or for an elective share 
and any other document for which certification is required, $8 
~, plus the fee for recording as provided by Title 33, section 
751, except as otherwise expressly provided by law. 
The fee must 
be paid by the personal representative, 
petitioner or other 
person filing the document to be certified when the copy of the 
devise 
el'-~s-t.l'-ae~s, abstract, petition for elective share or 
other 
document 
for 
which certification is 
required is 
mase 
requested. 
The register of probate shall deliver the certified 
document to the register of deeds together with the fee for 
recording as provided by Title 33, section 751 ... ---1!he--peI'SeBa~ 
Page l-LR2690(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 717, L.D. 1800 
~ep~eseB~a~iveT-~~~~~~-~~~-9E-~~-~~-Ee~Qes~iB~ 
~ae-€e~~J~J€a~Je£-~~-~-~h&-Eee9EQiB~-~ee-~~~~-~i&~~-9f 
p~9:ea~e .... .L 
(2) 
for 
all 
estates, 
personal 
personal 
For receiving and entering each petition or application 
estates, 
testate 
and 
intestate, 
including 
foreign 
and the filing of a notice by a domiciliary foreign 
representative, except for the filing of a successor 
representative, when the value of the estate is: 
(i-a) 
For filing a will for no probate. no charge: 
(ii) 
For filing a will to be probated and without an 
appointment, $lQ 112; 
(iii) 
$10,000 and under, $15 tlQ; 
(iv) 
$10,001 to $20,000, $~Q t!Q; 
(v) 
$20,001 to $30,000, $45 £QQ; 
(vi) 
$30,001 to $40,000, $eQ 112; 
(vii) 
$40,001 to $50,000, $15 ~; 
(viii) 
$50,001 to $75,000, $lQQ $125; 
(ix) 
$75,001 to $100,000, $l§Q $190; 
(x) 
$100,001 to $150,000, $~QQ $250; 
(xi) 
$150,001 to $200,000, $~5Q ~; 
(xii) 
$200,001 to $250,000,$6QQ $375; 
(xiii) 
$250,001 to $300,000, $~§Q ~; 
(xiv) 
$300,001 to $400,000, $4QQ ~; 
(xv) 
$400,001 to $500,000, $4§Q $575; 
(xvi) 
$500,001 to $750,000, $§QQ ~; 
(xvii) 
$750,001 to $1,000,000, $§§Q $700; 
(xviii) 
$1,000,001 to $1,500,000, $eQQ $750; 
(xix) 
$1,500,001 to $2,000,000, $1QQ ~; or 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
e.r~. 
,~: ~;~; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to s. P. 717, L. D. 1800 
(xx) 
More than $2,000,000, 
$190 ~, and continuing in 
steps of $90 $100 for every increase in value of $500,000 or 
part thereof above $2,500,000TL 
(3) 
For making copies from the records of the court, $1 for 
each pageTL 
(4) 
For each certificate, under seal of the court, of the 
appointment 
and 
qualification of 
a 
personal 
representative, 
guardian, 
conservator 
or 
trustee, 
$5, 
and 
for 
each 
double 
certificate, $10"'L 
(5) 
For filing a petition for appoint.ment as guardian, $69 ... 
(6) 
For filing application for involuntary hospitalization, 
$10"'L 
(7) 
For 
filing 
a 
joined 
conservator, $~9 ... i12L 
petition 
for 
guardian 
and 
(8) 
For filing any other formal proceeding, $l9 ... ~ 
(9) 
For filing a petition for appointment of conservator, 
$69 ... .i5..Q..t 
(10) 
For all other subsequent informal appointments, $19T 
$25: and 
(II) 
For filing a petition for elective share, $120. 
Sec. 2. lS-A MRSA §1-60S is enacted to read: 
§l-6Q8. 
Fees not established in statute 
Unless otherwise specifically stated in statute or in the 
Rules of Probate Procedure as published by the Supreme Judicial 
Court, the Probate Court shall charge the Same fee as charged by 
the District Court or the Syperior Coyrt for similar procedures. 
Sec. 3. lS-A MRSA §1-701, sub-§(d), as enacted by PL 2001, c. 
163, §1, is amended to read: 
(d) 
The fee for filing the name change petition is $69 $40. 
Sec. 4. lS-A MRSA §9-301, first 1[, as amended by PL 2001, c. 52, 
§1, is further amended to read: 
A husband and wife jointly or an unmarried person, resident 
or nonresident of the State, may petition the Probate Court to 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
.. to S. P. 717, L. D. 1800 
adopt a person, regardless of age, and to change that person's 
name. 
The fee for filing the petition is $eQ ~ 
plus: 
Sec. 5. 18·A MRSA §9.312, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. 
C, §7 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: 
§9-312. Foreign adoptions 
If an adoption in a foreign country has been finalized and 
the adopting parents are seeking an adoption under the laws of 
this State to give recognition to the foreign adoption, a judge 
of probate may enter a decree of adoption based solely upon a 
judgment of adoption in a foreign country and may order a change 
of name if requested by the adopting parents. 
The fee for filing 
the petition is $55.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. 
It raises certain Probate 
Court filing fees and sets other fees at the same amount charged 
by the District Court and Superior Court for similar procedures. 
FISCAL ~OTE REQURED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Revised: 04118/06 frae. 
LD 1800 
LR2690(02) 
An Act To Amend the Fees for Probate Filings 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ';4 " 
Committee: Judiciary 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
The increase in fees for probate filings would result in increased costs of approximately $7,000 annually to the 
Department of Health and Human, Services, Office of Elder Services program. Most of these increased costs would 
result from guardianship petitions and conservatorship petitions. The bill does not include a FY 2006-07 General 
Fund appropriation for the Office of Elder Services. The Office of Elder Services does not believe it can absorb these 
costs within existing budgeted resources and as a result there may be an impact on other programs and services. The 
programs affected and the level of impact on each cannot be determined at this time. 
LR2690(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1