Title 18-C, Title 18-C

Unless previously adjudicated in a formal testacy proceeding or in a proceeding settling the accounts of a personal representative or otherwise barred, the claim of any claimant to recover from a distributee who is liable to pay the claim, and the right of an heir or devisee, or …

After the personal representative's appointment has terminated, the personal representative, the personal representative's sureties or any successor of either, upon the filing of a verified application showing, so far as is known by the applicant, that no action concerning the es…

If other property of the estate is discovered after an estate has been settled and the personal representative discharged or after one year after a closing statement has been filed, the court upon petition of any interested person and upon notice as it directs may appoint the sam…

The power of a person to leave property by will and the rights of creditors, devisees and heirs to the person's property are subject to the restrictions and limitations contained in this Code to facilitate the prompt settlement of estates. Upon the death of a person, the person's…

Except as provided in section 3-1201, to be effective to prove the transfer of any property or to nominate an executor, a will must be declared to be valid by an order of informal probate by the registers or an adjudication of probate by the court.

Except as otherwise provided in Article 4, to acquire the powers and undertake the duties and liabilities of a personal representative of a decedent, a person must be appointed by order of the court or registers, qualify and be issued letters. Administration of an estate is comme…

A proceeding to enforce a claim against the estate of a decedent or the decedent's successors may not be revived or commenced before the appointment of a personal representative. After the appointment and until distribution, all proceedings and actions to enforce a claim against …

Persons interested in decedents' estates may apply to the register for determination in the informal proceedings provided in this Article and may petition the court for orders in formal proceedings within the court's jurisdiction including but not limited to those described in th…

In proceedings within the exclusive jurisdiction of the court where notice is required by this Code or by rule, and in proceedings to construe probated wills or determine heirs that concern estates that have not been and cannot now be opened for administration, interested persons…

Unless supervised administration as described in Part 5 is involved: [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] 1. Proceedings independent. Each proceeding before the court or register is independent of any other proceeding involving the same estate; 2…

1. Limitations period; exceptions. An informal probate or appointment proceeding or formal testacy or appointment proceeding, other than a proceeding to probate a will previously probated at the testator's domicile and appointment proceedings relating to an estate in which there …

A statute of limitation running on a cause of action belonging to a decedent that had not been barred as of the date of death does not apply to bar a cause of action surviving the decedent's death sooner than 4 months after death. A cause of action that but for this section would…

1. Examination by court. Upon petition by a county attorney, personal representative, heir, devisee, creditor or other person interested in the estate of a decedent, anyone suspected of having concealed, withheld or conveyed away any property of the decedent, of having fraudulent…

A compromise of any controversy as to admission to probate of any instrument offered for formal probate as the will of a decedent, the construction, validity or effect of any governing instrument, the rights or interests in the estate of the decedent, of any successor or the admi…

The procedure for securing court approval of a compromise is as follows. [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] 1. Written, signed agreement. The terms of the compromise must be set forth in an agreement in writing that must be executed by all comp…

1. Affidavit; duty to deliver property. Thirty days after the death of a decedent, any person indebted to the decedent or having possession of personal property or an instrument evidencing a debt, obligation, stock or chose in action belonging to the decedent shall make payment o…

The person paying, delivering, transferring or issuing personal property or the evidence of personal property pursuant to affidavit is discharged and released to the same extent as if the person dealt with a personal representative of the decedent. The person is not required to s…

If it appears from the inventory and appraisal that the value of the entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed homestead allowance, exempt property, family allowance, costs and expenses of administration, reasonable funeral expenses and reasonable and necessary …

1. Verified statement; contents. Unless prohibited by order of the court and except for estates being administered by supervised personal representatives, a personal representative may close an estate administered under the summary procedures of section 3-1203 by filing with the …

If not less than 30 days after the death of a Maine resident entitled at the time of the resident's death to a monthly benefit or benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, all or part of the amount of such benefit or benefits not in excess of $1,000 is paid by the Unite…

1. Venue for first estate proceedings. Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceedings after a decedent's death is: A. In the county where the decedent was domiciled at the time of death; or [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 …

If conflicting claims as to the domicile of a decedent are made in a formal testacy or appointment proceeding commenced in this State, and in a testacy or appointment proceeding after notice pending at the same time in another state, the court of this State must stay, dismiss or …

1. Priority. Whether the proceedings are formal or informal, persons who are not disqualified have priority for appointment in the following order: A. The person with priority as determined by a probated will including a person nominated by a power conferred in a will; [PL 2017, …

A person desiring notice of an order or filing pertaining to a decedent's estate in which the person has a financial or property interest may file a demand for notice with the court at any time after the death of the decedent, stating the name of the decedent, the nature of the d…

1. Applications for informal probate or appointment proceedings. Applications for informal probate or informal appointment must be directed to the register and be verified by the applicant to be accurate and complete to the best of the applicant's knowledge and belief as to the f…

Upon receipt of an application requesting informal probate of a will, the register upon making the findings required by section 3-303 shall issue a written statement of informal probate if at least 120 hours have elapsed since the decedent's death. Informal probate is conclusive …

1. Informal probate; proof and findings required. In an informal proceeding for original probate of a will, the register shall determine whether: A. The application is complete; [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] B. The applicant has made oath …

Applications for informal probate that relate to one or more of a known series of testamentary instruments, the latest of which does not expressly revoke the earlier, other than a will and one or more codicils thereto, must be declined.

If the register is not satisfied that a will is entitled to be probated in informal proceedings because of failure to meet the requirements of sections 3‑303 and 3‑304 or any other reason, the register may decline the application. A declination of informal probate is not an adjud…

The moving party shall give notice as described by section 1-401 of the moving party's application for informal probate to any person demanding notice pursuant to section 3-204, to an heir, devisee or personal representative who has not waived notice in a writing filed with the c…

1. Duty to appoint; delay in order. Upon receipt of an application for informal appointment of a personal representative, other than a special administrator as provided in section 3‑614, if at least 120 hours have elapsed since the decedent's death, the register, after making the…

1. Informal appointment proceedings; proof and findings required. In informal appointment proceedings, the register shall determine whether: A. The application for informal appointment of a personal representative is complete; [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, P…

If the register is not satisfied that a requested informal appointment of a personal representative should be made because of failure to meet the requirements of sections 3‑307 and 3‑308, or for any other reason, the register may decline the application. A declination of informal…

The moving party shall give notice as described by section 1‑401 of the moving party's intention to seek an appointment informally to: [PL 2019, c. 598, §2 (NEW).] 1. Person demanding notice. Any person demanding notice pursuant to section 3‑204; 2. Heir or devisee. An heir or de…

If an application for informal appointment indicates the existence of a possible unrevoked testamentary instrument that may relate to property subject to the laws of this State and that is not filed for probate in the court, the register must decline the application.

A formal testacy proceeding is litigation to determine whether a decedent left a valid will. A formal testacy proceeding may be commenced by an interested person filing a petition as described in section 3-402, subsection 1 in which the petitioner requests that the court, after n…

1. Petition for formal probate of a will; contents. Petitions for formal probate of a will, or for adjudication of intestacy with or without request for appointment of a personal representative, must be directed to the court, request a judicial order after notice and hearing, con…

1. Notice of hearing on petition for formal probate of a will. Upon commencement of a formal testacy proceeding, the court shall fix a time and place of hearing. Notice must be given in the manner prescribed by section 1-401 by the petitioner to the persons enumerated in this sub…

Any party to a formal proceeding who opposes the probate of a will for any reason shall state in that party's pleadings that party's objections to probate of the will.

If a petition in a testacy proceeding is unopposed, the court may order probate or intestacy on the strength of the pleadings if satisfied that the conditions of section 3-409 have been met or conduct a hearing in open court and require proof of the matters necessary to support t…

In a contested case in which the proper execution of a will is at issue: [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] 1. Self-proved will; witness not required. If the will is self-proved pursuant to section 2-503, the will satisfies the requirements for…

In contested cases, petitioners who seek to establish intestacy have the burden of establishing prima facie proof of death, venue and heirship. Proponents of a will have the burden of establishing prima facie proof of due execution in all cases and, if they are also petitioners, …

A final order of a court of another state determining testacy or the validity or construction of a will made in a proceeding involving notice to and an opportunity for contest by all interested persons must be accepted as determinative by the courts of this State if it includes o…

After the time required for any notice has expired, upon proof of notice, and after any hearing that may be necessary, if the court finds that the testator is dead, venue is proper and that the proceeding was commenced within the limitation prescribed by section 3-108, the court …

If 2 or more instruments are offered for probate before a final order is entered in a formal testacy proceeding, more than one instrument may be probated if neither expressly revokes the other or contains provisions that work a total revocation by implication. If more than one in…

If it becomes evident in the course of a formal testacy proceeding that, though one or more instruments are entitled to be probated, the decedent's estate is or may be partially intestate, the court shall enter an order to that effect.