Quick answer: Unlike most states, Maine's Probate Court filing fee is a sliding scale based on estate value — not a flat fee. It starts around $20–$40 for the smallest estates and rises toward $950 or more for estates over roughly $2 million. The personal property affidavit needs no court filing at all. See the full picture in the Maine probate cost calculator.
Probate Court fees — a sliding scale
| Estate value | Approx. filing fee |
|---|---|
| $10,000 or less | ~$40 |
| $10,000 – $20,000 | ~$60 |
| $20,000 – $50,000 | ~$100 |
| $50,000 – $100,000 | ~$175 |
| $100,000 – $500,000 | ~$300 |
| $500,000 – $2,000,000 | ~$600 |
| Over $2,000,000 | ~$950+ |
These are illustrative approximations; each county's Probate Court sets and publishes its own fee schedule, so confirm the exact figure for your county.
Other administration costs
- Publication to creditors — once a week for 2 successive weeks (~$75–$150); known creditors get written notice within 4 months of appointment.
- Bond — may be required unless waived by the will or the court.
- Appraisal — if real estate or a business must be valued.
- Personal representative & attorney fees — the real variables, both reasonable amounts with no statutory schedule.
Not the estate tax: the court filing fee, personal representative fee, and attorney fee are administration costs that apply to nearly every estate. Maine's separate estate tax (36 M.R.S. Chapter 575) is a different matter entirely, relevant only above its multi-million-dollar exemption.
Ways to keep court costs down
- Personal property affidavit — base $40,000, inflation-adjusted to currently about $52,500, no real estate, no filing fee at all (18-C § 3-1201).
- Informal probate — the default UPC track, minimal court involvement.
- Ask the Probate Court for the current fee schedule for your estate's value.