Maine route screening

Maine small-estate eligibility

This page gives no dollar limit for this route.

Section 3-1201 states a $40,000 base adjusted for inflation under § 1-108, and subsection 3 requires each county probate court to publish the adjusted value annually. No county probate court's official 2026 publication of the adjusted value has been found, so publishing the unadjusted base as the operative cap would be wrong. Check: The applicable county Probate Court through https://www.maineprobate.net/welcome/

After 30 days, a successor may collect personal property when the entire estate, wherever located and less liens and encumbrances, is within the inflation-adjusted § 3-1201 ceiling and no personal-representative case is pending or granted.

Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised October 17, 2026.

1. Where and when

StateMaineFixed to this page. Open the navigator to compare another state.Date of deathRequired. Without it no waiting period can be tested and the route stays undecided.

2. What they left

Asset 1

DescriptionValue$Not entered. A blank amount is not counted as zero.Enforceable liens or mortgage$Not entered. Enter 0 if there is no lien.OwnershipThis is real property

Asset 2

DescriptionValue$Not entered. A blank amount is not counted as zero.Enforceable liens or mortgage$Not entered. Enter 0 if there is no lien.OwnershipThis is real propertyWill it be sold during administration?Some court charges are assessed on sale proceeds and exclude real property that is kept, so this changes the amount.

Ownership determines whether an asset usually enters probate. Choose “Not sure” when title or beneficiary status has not been confirmed.

Private by design: entries stay in this browser.

Your working estimate

Maine estate snapshot

Route check

More information is needed

Counted probate estate: not yet counted

A valid date of death is required before any waiting period can be tested.

Gross probate propertyNot yet counted

Court chargeSet locallyThe opening fee is county-specific. Do not substitute one county’s schedule or an average for a statewide amount.

Scheduled executor compensationMore information needed2 asset entries have no value entered.A personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation, not a statutory percentage. A will compensation provision may be renounced before qualification when there is no compensation contract with the decedent; the representative may also renounce all or part of the fee.

This route check is general information, not legal advice. It does not test every eligibility condition, creditor issue, will provision, local fee, or asset-title fact.

The current annual adjusted ceiling must be obtained from the county Probate Court; the affidavit does not transfer real property.

Where the limit comes from

Is this the limit that applies?

No dollar limit is given for this route. Why, and where the rule is set, are explained below.

Check the eligibility rule before relying on a dollar amount.The reason this page gives no single limit is explained below.

Why no figure is published: Section 3-1201 states a $40,000 base adjusted for inflation under § 1-108, and subsection 3 requires each county probate court to publish the adjusted value annually. No county probate court's official 2026 publication of the adjusted value has been found, so publishing the unadjusted base as the operative cap would be wrong.

Where the rule is set: The applicable county Probate Court through https://www.maineprobate.net/welcome/

How the Maine screen is measured

Procedure	Collection of personal property by affidavit
What counts	The probate estate within the statute’s scope, so solely owned real property can count
Value basis	Value less enforceable liens and encumbrances
Waiting period	30 days after death

The Maine caveats that can change this answer are listed once, on the Maine overview.

The official Maine path

No statewide form is published for this route; ask the Probate Court (county) in the county of residence for its packet.

What a small-estate screen can and cannot decide, and which assets never enter it, is explained once in small-estate affidavit or probate and what counts as a probate asset.

Controlling source

Statute

18-C M.R.S. § 3-1201

18-C M.R.S. § 3-1201, collection by affidavit

The section’s own words

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 of the indebtedness or deliver the personal property or an instrument evidencing a debt, obligation, stock or chose in action to a person claiming to be the successor of the decedent upon being presented an affidavit made by or on behalf of the successor stating that: A. The value of the entire estate, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $40,000, adjusted for inflation pursuant to section 1‑108 ; [PL 2025, c. 76, §1 (AMD).] B. Thirty days have elapsed since the death of the decedent; [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).] C.

Maine Legislature · Data for this page extracted on 10/20/2025 14:32:56. · Rechecked October 3, 2026

Sources rechecked October 3, 2026: Maine source list · how sources are checked · report a correction

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