Maine Probate Courts
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The probate courts are responsible for matters involving wills and trusts in the state of Maine. The probate courts also deal with: adoptions, name changes and the appointment of guardians. The courts were established by the state's constitution in 1820. There are 16 probate courts, one in each county. Each court has its own judge. Judges on the probate courts serve four-year terms.[1][2]
To serve on the probate court, a judge must be licensed to practice law and live in the state.[3]
Probate judges are the only judges in the state who are selected by voters in partisan elections. Once elected, judges begin serving on the court on the first day of January, after the general election. If they are being elected to fill a vacancy, their term begins immediately after the election.
If a mid-term vacancy occurs on the probate court, a temporary replacement may be appointed by the governor. However, the nominee must be a member of the same political party as the judge who previously served on the court. At the next general election, a permanent replacement must be selected according to the rules laid out in Maine's Constitution.
Probate courts, listed by county
See also
External links
- Maine Probate Court, accessed May 9, 2014
- Maine Legislature, "Statutes, Title 4: Judiciary, Chapter 7: Probate Court," accessed May 9, 2014
Footnotes
Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maine • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maine
State courts:
Maine Supreme Judicial Court • Maine Superior Court • Maine Business and Consumer Court • Maine District Courts • Maine Family Division • Maine Juvenile Court • Maine Probate Courts • Maine Small Claims Court • Maine Treatment Court
State resources:
Courts in Maine • Maine judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maine