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18-C M.R.S. § 3-801(1) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Maine
The longest fixed wait in a Maine probate is usually the creditor claim period: 4 months from first publication of the notice under 18-C M.R.S. § 3-801(1). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts, and 18-C M.R.S. § 3-803(1)(A) sets an outer limit of 9 months after death.
- 1Claim period 4 months
- 2Counted from Notice / letters
- 3Outer limit 9 months
- 4Statute 18-C M.R.S. § 3-801(1)
The statute
“within 4 months after the date of the first publication of the notice”
Source: 18-C M.R.S. § 3-801(1); outer limit: 18-C M.R.S. § 3-803(1)(A). Last checked 2026-10-20.
The outer limit reads: “Nine months after the decedent's death”.
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Earliest affidavit for collection of personal property (30 days, 18-C M.R.S. § 3-1201) | February 14, 2026 |
| Trigger: first publication of the notice | March 1, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (4 months, 18-C M.R.S. § 3-801(1)) | July 1, 2026 |
| Outer limit for claims (18-C M.R.S. § 3-803(1)(A)) | October 15, 2026 |
Maine starts the clock at first publication of the notice, so the end date moves with the court. The example assumes that event comes 45 days after the death (March 1, 2026); a later filing pushes July 1, 2026 back day for day. By comparison the small-estate route — when the estate fits — opens on February 14, 2026.
15 jurisdictions on this site give creditors longer and 8 give them less; the median is 122 days.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. Nothing runs until first publication of the notice; the time between the death and the petition is outside the statutory period.
- Notice. Published notice and notice mailed to known creditors start or shorten the claim period; a creditor who should have been mailed notice may get extra time.
- Real estate. Maine's small-estate route does not take real property, so an estate with a house in the state generally goes through administration or another court step.
- Accounting and closing. The final account, receipts from heirs and any tax filings come after the claim period ends.
Nearby New England timelines
Massachusetts: 12 months from death; New Hampshire: 6 months; Rhode Island: 6 months.
Related: Maine small estate limit · creditor claim periods compared · executor timeline.
General information from the statute as written on 2026-10-20; not legal advice. Dates are worked examples of the statutory periods, not deadlines for any real estate. The Maine probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.