--- title: "Probate Lawyer in Bangor, ME | Estate Administration" url: https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/probate/ description: "Bangor probate lawyers for Personal Representatives and families: opening the estate, paying creditors, transferring real estate, and will disputes." --- ![Probate & Estate Administration](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/images/probate.jpg) Probate & Estate Administration # Probate & Estate Administration Settling an estate correctly, from first filing to final distribution. 07.2 — Overview When someone dies, somebody has to gather what they owned, pay what they owed, and get the rest to the right people. In Maine that usually happens through the probate court. We guide Personal Representatives and families through it, from the first filing to the final distribution. The first step is usually filing the will, if there is one, with the probate court in the county where the person lived, and asking the court to appoint a Personal Representative. In Penobscot County that's the Probate Court on Hammond Street in Bangor, a few minutes from our office. We also handle estates in the probate courts for Hancock, Waldo, Piscataquis, and Somerset counties. Most Maine estates go through informal probate, which is handled mostly on paper through the Register of Probate without a hearing. Formal probate, with a judge involved, makes sense when the will is unclear, someone is likely to object, or there are questions about who the heirs are. Smaller estates can sometimes skip full administration altogether. Once we know what the estate holds, we'll tell you which path fits. Being a Personal Representative is a real job with legal duties. You have to find and protect the estate's property, notify creditors, pay legitimate debts and final bills, keep records, and eventually distribute what's left. Maine gives creditors a limited window to make claims once notice is published, and skipping a step can leave the Personal Representative personally on the hook. We keep track of the deadlines and the paperwork so you're not guessing. Real estate is often the biggest piece of an estate, and it's where we bring something extra. Gray & Palmer started as a real estate practice in 1983. When a house or camp needs to be sold or passed to an heir, we handle the deed and the title work ourselves instead of sending you to another office. When someone dies without a will, Maine's intestacy laws decide who inherits, usually a spouse, children, or other close relatives in a set order. And when family members disagree about a will, an inheritance, or how a Personal Representative is handling things, we represent clients in those disputes as well. At a glance - Opening the estate in Probate Court - Advising Personal Representatives on their duties - Notice to creditors and paying valid claims - Selling or transferring real estate in an estate - Estates with no will - Will contests and family disputes Discuss your probate & estate administration matter Call (207) 945-5502 or send us a message, and an attorney will get back to you. [Call (207) 945-5502](tel:12079455502) Practice Areas Other ways we can help. [View all](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/) - [Bankruptcy & Debt](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/bankruptcy-debt/) - [Personal Injury](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/personal-injury/) - [Real Estate Law](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/real-estate-law/) - [Family Law](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/family-law/) - [Criminal Law](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/criminal-law/) - [Business Law](https://grayandpalmerattorneys.com/practice-areas/business-law/) Consultation ## Discuss your probate & estate administration matter Call (207) 945-5502 or send us a message, and an attorney will get back to you. Call [(207) 945-5502](tel:12079455502) Visit 6 State Street, Suite 407 Bangor, Maine 04401