Cost of Guardianship in Maine: Filing Fees and Ongoing Expenses

Upfront Filing Costs

Maine probate court filing fees are set by statute (18-C M.R.S. § 1-602), so the base amounts are uniform across all 16 counties. What varies is the discretionary charges each county adds — court visitor fees, emergency filing fees, and certified-mail handling.

Here's the statutory fee schedule:

Most families file the joined petition ($115 + $10 surcharge = $125) because they need authority over both the parent's personal care and their finances. Filing the guardianship and conservatorship as separate petitions costs $180 + $20 in surcharges — $75 more for the same result.

Court Visitor Fees

A standard guardianship petition triggers a court-appointed visitor investigation. The visitor (usually a social worker or nurse) interviews the petitioner, the respondent, and prospective care providers, then files an evaluation with the judge.

Visitor fees vary significantly by county:

• Cumberland and Hancock counties — $150 flat rate, assessed at filing
• Washington County — $30/hour (capped at 3 hours) plus mileage and disbursements
• Other counties — Rates fall between these benchmarks; check with the county register of probate before filing

If the case is contested and the court appoints a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) or independent counsel for the respondent, costs escalate. Washington County sets GAL rates at $80/hour (capped at 5 hours) and appointed counsel at $80/hour (capped at 10 hours) unless the judge orders otherwise.

Notice and Service Costs

The respondent must receive in-hand service at least 14 days before the hearing. All interested parties — including the spouse or domestic partner, adult children, existing fiduciaries, and any adult with whom the parent has shared household responsibilities for more than 6 months — must receive certified-mail notice.

Most county courts charge $45 per certified-mail notice sent through the court. A family with four interested parties pays $180 in notice fees alone, on top of the filing fee.

Conservatorship Bond Premiums

When the court grants conservatorship, the judge typically requires the conservator to post a surety bond to protect the parent's estate. The bond amount is usually set to cover the estate's liquid assets.

Annual bond premiums generally run 0.5% to 1.0% of the estate's total value. For an estate with $200,000 in liquid assets, that's $1,000–$2,000 per year — an ongoing cost that continues as long as the conservatorship is active.

Estates under $25,000 in countable assets may be exempted from the bond requirement at the judge's discretion, but this isn't guaranteed.

The Total Picture: A Realistic Scenario

For a family filing a joined guardianship/conservatorship petition in Cumberland County with three interested parties and a $150,000 estate:

If the case is contested and the court appoints a GAL at $80/hour for 5 hours, add another $400. If the family hires a private attorney to prepare and present the petition, legal fees typically range from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on complexity.

Avoiding the Guardianship Cost Entirely

The entire guardianship apparatus — the petition, the visitor investigation, the bond, the annual reporting — exists because the parent never signed a power of attorney while they still had capacity. A durable financial POA and an advance health care directive, executed before cognitive decline, give the family the same decision-making authority without any court involvement, filing fees, or ongoing bond premiums.

The Maine Power of Attorney & Guardianship Kit covers both pathways: the voluntary POA route (for families who still have time) and the full guardianship filing sequence (for families whose parent has already lost capacity), with a county-by-county fee reference.

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