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A living trust in Maine costs $1,500 – $3,000 attorney-drafted, $3,000 – $7,000 for a couple’s full plan, or $100–$600 online. Maine is also one of 13 jurisdictions with its own estate tax, and its exemption is $7 million — against a federal exemption of $15 million. Estates that owe the IRS nothing can still owe Maine.
With a $7 million state exemption, planning here starts earlier than most states.
If your assets are in Maine only, with no blended family and no estate-tax exposure, an online service like Trust & Will produces a complete Maine trust in about an hour.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Trust & Will links here, at no extra cost to you. Complex situations belong with an attorney and we say so below.
Maine Living Trust Cost (2026)
| What You’re Paying For | Maine Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online trust service | $100 – $600 | Maine-specific documents; funding is on you |
| Simple will (attorney) | $300 – $1,000 | Does not avoid probate |
| Living trust, attorney-drafted | $1,500 – $3,000 | Individual, straightforward assets |
| Full estate plan (couple) | $3,000 – $7,000 | Trust + will + POA + directive |
| Complex / tax planning | $5,000 – $12,000+ | Irrevocable, Medicaid, business, estate tax |
| Deed transfer into trust | $150 – $400 per property | Every Maine property needs one |
Typical flat fees reported by Maine attorneys and legal directories, reviewed quarterly. A guide, not a quote.
What Probate Actually Costs in Maine
- Avoids probate: — the primary benefit for Maine families, especially those with real estate in multiple states
- Avoids ancillary probate: — critical if you own property in NH, MA, or other states
- Court system: County Probate Courts (16 counties, each with elected Register of Probate)
- Uniform Probate Code: Adopted — Title 18-C (effective July 1, 2019)
- Informal probate: Available for uncontested matters — handled by Register without court hearing
- Small estate affidavit: Estates ≤$40,000 statutory base (~$63,800 inflation-adjusted); personal property only; 30-day waiting period
- Creditor claims period: 4 months after publication of notice (9-month outer limit from death)
- Inventory: Due within 3 months of appointment
- Typical timeline: 9-18 months; complex or contested estates longer
- Filing fees: $20 (will filing); appointment certificates $10 each
- Attorney fees: No statutory schedule — reasonable compensation; typically 2-5% of estate value
- Homestead exemption: $47,500 ($95,000 if minor dependents in residence or debtor age 60+/disabled)
| Item | Maine |
|---|---|
| First $3,000,000 over exemption | 8% Up to $240,000 |
| Next $3,000,000 | 10% $240,000 + 10% of excess |
| Over $6,000,000 above exemption | 12% $540,000 + 12% of excess |
| Simple will (individual) | $300 – $1,000 Single person, straightforward assets |
Full Maine probate rules and thresholds: our Maine estate planning guide.
What each price point buys in Maine
- $100–$600 (online): A valid Maine trust document, pour-over will, and directives. You do the funding — every Maine deed transfer, every account retitling.
- $1,500 – $3,000 (attorney, individual): Custom drafting, review of how your assets are titled, and usually one deed included. Confirm that last part before you sign.
- $3,000 – $7,000 (attorney, couple): Adds marital property planning, plus credit shelter planning against the $7 million state exemption.
Does your estate even need probate in Maine?
Before paying for anything, check whether Maine would require full probate at all. The state’s simplified route: Estates ≤$40,000 statutory base (~$63,800 inflation-adjusted); personal property only; 30-day waiting period Estates that fit under it can often transfer by affidavit or summary procedure, with no personal representative and no attorney — which makes a trust a convenience decision rather than a cost-avoidance one. Estates above it are where the numbers above start to bite.
Trust vs. probate in Maine
| With a Trust | Without | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $1,500-$7,000 (one-time trust creation) | 2-5% of estate value in attorney/court costs |
| Timeline | Weeks to a few months | 9-18 months; complex or contested estates longer |
| Privacy | Private | Public court record |
Online or Maine Attorney?
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Assets only in Maine, standard estate | Online service |
| Estate near Maine’s $7 million state exemption | Attorney |
| Property in 2+ states, blended family, business | Attorney |
The dividing line is funding, not drafting. Online documents are valid in Maine; what they don’t do is retitle your assets. See funding your trust.
Other Maine rules that affect the plan
- TOD deeds: are also available in Maine, but a trust covers all asset types and provides incapacity protection
- Credit shelter trust: — essential for married couples to preserve both spouses’ Maine estate tax exemptions
- Dynasty trust: — Maine abolished the Rule Against Perpetuities for trusts (Title 33, Section 114), so trusts can last indefinitely
- Irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT): — removes life insurance proceeds from your taxable estate
- Medicaid protection: — irrevocable trusts funded 5+ years before application can protect assets from the MaineCare look-back
- State estate tax: Yes — ~$7M exemption (2026), 8-12% graduated rates
- State income tax: 5.8% top rate (trusts taxed at individual rates)
- No portability: of estate tax exemption between spouses
- Real estate transfer tax: $2.20 per $500 of value; additional $3.80 per $500 on transfers over $1,000,000 (effective Nov 2025)
- Common law: (separate property) state
- No tenancy by the entirety: — treated as joint tenancy (Title 33, Section 159)
Recent Maine Changes Worth Knowing
- July 2019 — Probate Code Modernization: Title 18-C replaced Title 18-A, modernizing Maine’s entire probate code under the Uniform Probate Code framework. This brought informal probate, streamlined small estate procedures, and TOD deeds to Maine.
- July 2019 — Rule Against Perpetuities Abolished: Title 33, Section 114 allows trusts to opt out of the RAP, enabling perpetual dynasty trusts in Maine.
Living trust costs in nearby states
Attorney pricing and probate rules shift at the state line — compare Maine with New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont.
When to Hire A Maine Attorney
Online stops being the right answer when the estate has moving parts: property in more than one state, a blended family, a business, or anyone you intend to exclude.
- Get two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical work varies by $1,000+ inside one metro.
- Ask what’s included. Deed transfers run $150–$400 each and are often quoted separately.
- Don’t buy complexity you don’t have.
Three ways to pay less in Maine
- Price the state tax exposure first. With a $7 million Maine exemption, an estate anywhere near that line should be quoted for credit shelter planning, not a basic trust — the cheap package solves the wrong problem.
- Count the deeds before comparing prices. At $150–$400 apiece, with properties in multiple counties each needing their own recorded transfer, a quote including one deed can beat a cheaper quote including none.
- Check the simplified threshold first. Estates ≤$40,000 statutory base (~$63,800 inflation-adjusted); personal property only; 30-day waiting period If your estate clears that, you may be buying convenience rather than savings.
Official sources: legislature.maine.gov · legislature.maine.gov · legislature.maine.gov · maine.gov
FAQ
How much does a living trust cost in Maine?
$1,500 – $3,000 attorney-drafted, $3,000 – $7,000 for a couple’s full estate plan, or $100 to $600 through an online service. Add $150 to $400 per property for the deed transfers that fund it.
Does a living trust avoid Maine estate tax?
No. A revocable trust is tax-neutral; it avoids probate, not the Maine estate tax. With a $7 million exemption, reducing that liability takes specific planning such as a credit shelter trust or an ILIT.
Can I make my own living trust in Maine?
Yes — online services produce valid Maine documents. The risk is funding: a trust that doesn’t hold title to your home doesn’t avoid probate for it.
Can a small estate skip probate in Maine?
Often, yes. Maine’s simplified threshold: Estates ≤$40,000 statutory base (~$63,800 inflation-adjusted); personal property only; 30-day waiting period Estates under it may transfer without full administration, which changes whether a trust is worth paying for.
How long does probate take in Maine?
9-18 months; complex or contested estates longer A funded trust typically distributes in weeks to a few months instead, and without the public court file.
If the online route fits your situation, Trust & Will’s trust plan covers Maine and takes about an hour.
More: Living trust costs nationwide · Maine estate planning guide · Funding your trust
Last updated: August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.