Title 4, Title 4

1. Disclosure of orders and proceedings. The judge of probate presiding over any matter involving guardianship, adoption or change of name or another matter involving custody or other parental rights with respect to a minor child shall require all parties to disclose whether they…

The courts of probate shall have jurisdiction in equity, concurrent with the Superior Court, of all cases and matters relating to the administration of the estates of deceased persons, to wills and to trusts which are created by will or other written instrument. Such jurisdiction…

Subject to Title 18‑C, sections 1‑303 and 3‑201, and except as otherwise provided in Title 18‑C, section 5‑105, when a case is originally within the jurisdiction of the probate court in 2 or more counties, the one that first commences proceedings therein retains the same exclusiv…

Judges of probate are elected or appointed as provided in the Constitution of Maine. Only attorneys at law admitted to the general practice of law in this State and resident in this State may be elected or appointed as judges of probate. Their election is effected and determined …

Sheriffs, their deputies and constables shall execute all legal processes directed to them by any such judge of probate, who may, when necessary, require such officer, when not in attendance upon any other court, to attend during the sitting of the probate court, for which that o…

Probate court shall always be open in each county for all matters over which it has jurisdiction, except upon days on which by law no court is held, but it shall have certain fixed days and places to be made known by public notification thereof in their respective counties to whi…

Judges of probate may hold hearings for matters in equity and contested cases at such time and place in the county as the judge of probate may appoint and make all necessary orders and decrees relating thereto, and when hearings are held at other places than those fixed for holdi…

The judge of probate in and for the County of Aroostook shall hold a court of probate at least twice in each year at Fort Kent and at least 4 times each year at Caribou in the county. The time for holding the court shall be appointed by the judge and made known by public notifica…

During the sickness, absence from the State or inability of any judge of probate to hold the regular terms of that judge's court, such terms, at the judge's request or that of the register of the county, may be held by the judge of any other county. The judges may interchange ser…

When a judge or register of probate is interested in that judge's or register of probate's own right, trust, or in any other manner, or is within the degree of kindred, by which in law that judge or register of probate may, by possibility, be heir to any part of the estate of the…

Every judge, upon entering on the duties of that judge's office, shall examine the records, decrees, certificates and all proceedings connected therewith that the judge's predecessor left unsigned or unauthenticated. If the judge finds them correct, the judge shall sign and authe…

A judge of probate may not have a voice in judging and determining or be attorney or counselor in or out of court in any civil action or matter that depends on or relates to any sentence or decree made by that judge of probate in that judge of probate's office, or in any civil ac…

Judges of probate, in any case in which an estate is under their jurisdiction for probate, shall have the power to order that an appropriate amount out of the estate be set aside for perpetual care and suitable memorials for the cemetery lot in which the deceased is buried, and t…

All contracts for support for life shall be approved by the Probate Court in the county in which the support for life is to be rendered. The Probate Court shall grant approval after such reasonable notice as the court shall determine to be appropriate, if the court shall find, af…

As a candidate for the elective office of judge of probate or as an elected judge, a person seeking or holding the office of judge of probate may engage in any political activity that would be lawful for a candidate for any other elected county office or for an incumbent elected …

Each county shall provide all necessary printed blanks and record books for its probate courts and courts of insolvency, and said record books may be printed to correspond with the printed blanks.