Quick answer: 18-C M.R.S. § 3-719 entitles a personal representative to "reasonable compensation" — no percentage, no schedule. What makes Maine distinctive is § 3-721(2), which lists six specific factors the Legislature wrote directly into the statute for judging that reasonableness — a real, codified test, not something left entirely to case law. Get an illustrative estimate with the Maine executor fee calculator.
The bare standard
18-C M.R.S. § 3-719: "A personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation for the personal representative's services." Enacted in 2017 as part of Maine's full recodification of its probate code into the new Title 18-C.
Six factors, written into the statute itself
18-C M.R.S. § 3-721(2), "Reasonable fee factors": "Factors to be considered as guides in determining the reasonableness of a fee include the following: A. The time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved and the skill requisite to perform the service properly; B. The likelihood, if apparent to the personal representative, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude the person employed from other employment; C. The fee customarily charged in the locality for similar services; D. The amount involved and the results obtained; E. The time limitations imposed by the personal representative or by the circumstances; and F. The experience, reputation and ability of the person performing the services."
What each factor actually means in practice
A — Time, labor, novelty, difficulty, skill: the baseline hours-and-complexity test most states use in some form. B — Preclusion of other work: a factor that leans toward professional fiduciaries who set aside other clients to take the job, less relevant for a family member handling one estate. C — Customary local fee: what similar work typically costs in that part of Maine. D — Amount and results: both the size of the estate and how well it was actually handled. E — Time limitations: whether the personal representative or the circumstances (a fast sale, a court deadline) compressed the available time. F — Experience, reputation, ability: who actually did the work matters, not just how long it took.
The court can still review a self-determined fee
§ 3-721(1): after notice to interested persons or on petition of an interested person, the court may review the reasonableness of compensation a personal representative determined for their own services, and order a refund of any excessive amount.
The will's compensation, and renouncing it
§ 3-719: if the will sets compensation and there's no separate contract with the decedent about it, the personal representative may renounce that provision before qualifying and get reasonable compensation instead. A personal representative may also renounce all or part of the compensation generally, with a written renunciation filed with the court.
Facing probate in Maine?A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Talk to a Maine attorneyEstimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on 18-C M.R.S. § 3-719 and § 3-721. Maine sets no statutory percentage or fixed hourly rate. Verify with the probate court or a licensed Maine attorney.