Quick answer: Maine does not set probate attorney fees by a statutory percentage. Fees are typically billed hourly, commonly $250–$400 per hour, with total costs often $3,000–$5,000 for informal probate and $5,000–$12,000 or more for formal or contested proceedings. Estimate the whole picture in the Maine probate cost calculator.
No fixed schedule
No statutory percentage: Maine's attorney fees for probate are a reasonable amount for the work performed. 18-C M.R.S. § 3-720 separately covers attorney's fees when a personal representative defends or prosecutes estate litigation in good faith, whether successful or not.
How Maine probate lawyers bill
- Hourly — the most common method, commonly $250–$400 per hour, below the national average for probate work.
- Flat fee — for a routine, uncontested informal probate.
- Percentage of estate value — by agreement in some cases; reported figures often fall in a rough 1%–3% range, but this is a market pattern, not a legal rate.
Facing probate in Maine?
Talk to a Maine attorneyA local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Questions to ask before hiring
- Do you bill hourly, flat, or as a percentage — and what's your estimate for an estate like mine?
- Can this estate use the personal property affidavit (currently about $52,500) and skip full probate?
- Does the estate approach Maine's multi-million-dollar estate tax exemption, and if so, can you help coordinate the Form 706ME filing?
- Would informal probate work, or does anything require a formal proceeding?
Ways to reduce legal fees
- Personal property affidavit — up to currently about $52,500, no real estate, usually no attorney needed.
- Informal probate — the default UPC track, far less attorney time than a formal proceeding.
- Stay organized — a clean inventory cuts billable hours.