An Act To Amend the Fees for Probate Filings
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1800
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: WESTON, CUMMINGS
Amends: 18-A MRSA §1, 18-A MRSA §9

Legislative Document 
No. 1800 
S.P. 717 
In Senate, December 30,2005 
An Act To Amend the Fees for Probate Filings 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 28,2005. Referred to the Committee 
on Judiciary pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218. 
Presented by Senator WESTON of Waldo. 
Cosponsored by Representative: CUMMINGS of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 18·A MRSA §1-602" as amended by PL 2003, c. 383, §l, 
is further amended to read: 
§1-602. Filing 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 e~-~~-~~~~-sha~e 
and any other document for which certification is required, $8 
~, except as otherwise expressly provided by law. 
~he-Eee-mH6t 
ae--paiQ-~y-~~-~~~-~~~~~~--~~~~~~~--e~--9the~ 
pe~seR-~~~~fi~-~~~am&&&-te-~~~~~-whe&-~Ae-~~~-Ehe 
Qeyise-~~-~~~~-is-~r---~~-Ee~i6teE-~~-~~~-sha~~ 
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with-~Ae-~~~~-~~~~-as-p~ey4QeQ-~-~~~~~-~~r-&ee&~G&-1e~T 
For making and certifying to the register of deeds copies for an 
elective share, $120. 
The personal representative, petitioner, 
applicant or other person requesting the certification shall pay 
the recording fee to the register of p~eaateT deeds: 
4.6 
(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, $10; 
(ii) 
For filing a will to be probated and without an 
appointment, 
$~G i£5; 
(iii) 
$lGTGGG-aRQ-HRQe~ Under $40,000, $le tl2; 
(vii) 
$.40,001 to $50,000, $1§ $125; 
(viii) 
$50,001 to $75,000, $lGG ~; 
(ix) 
$75,001 to $100,000, $l§G $250; 
Page l-LR2690(1) 
(x) 
$100,001 to $150,000, $6QQ llQQ; 
(xi) 
$150,001 to $200,000, $6§Q ll5Q; 
(xii) 
$200,001 to $250,000, $aQQ $400; 
(xiii) 
$250,001 to $300,000, $a§9 1i5D; 
(xiv) 
$300,001 to $400,000, $499 ~; 
(xv) 
$400,001 to $500,000, $4§9 iQQQ; 
(xvi) 
$500,001 to $750,000, $§99 ~; 
(xvii) 
$750,001 to $1,000,000, $§§9 ~; 
(xviii) 
$1,000,001 to $1,500,000, $e9Q $1,350; 
(xix) 
$1,500,001 to $2,000,000, $199 $1,500; or 
(xx) 
More than $2,000,000, $1§9 $2,000, and continuing in 
steps of $§G $100 for every increase in value of $500,000 or 
part therQQf 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, $10TL 
(5) 
For filing a petition for appointment as guardian, 
$~§T 
~ 
(6) 
For filing application for involuntary hospitalization, 
(7) 
For 
filing 
a 
joined 
petition 
for 
guardian 
and 
conservator, $aST ~ 
(8) 
For filing any other formal proceeding, $lsT ~ 
(9) 
For filing a petition for appointment of conservator, 
$~ST $50; and 
(10) 
For all other subsequent informal appointments, 
$1§ 
.$]2. 
Sec. 2. 18-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 ~. 
Sec. 3. 18-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 
adopt a person, regardless of age, and to change that person 's 
name. 
The fee for filing the petition is $9Q $150 plus: 
Sec. 4. 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 $75. 
SUMMARY 
This bill raises the filing fees for probate filings and it 
requires the recording fee to be paid to the register of deeds.