Maine Legal Guides
26 guides covering Maine topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Maine lawFree caselaw search for Maine — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Maine
Maine adverse possession: 20 years under Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 801. Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Maine opinions.
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Maine? Does Fault Matter?
Maine car accident lawsuits and fault: modified comparative fault with a 50% bar (recovery barred at 50% or more fault) under 14 M.R.S. § 156, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (6 years — 14 M.R.S. § 752).
- Castle Doctrine in Maine: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Maine castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (17-A M.R.S. § 108), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Maine
How Maine courts decide custody and parenting time under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 19-A, §§ 1653 to 1658, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- Deathbed Will + Deathbed Marriage + Morphine + Delirium = Valid Will
Supreme Court of Maine Approves Will Prepared By Social Worker for Decedent on Deathbed and on Morphine. In Estate of Hamel , 2014 ME 75 (Me. June 10, 2014), the Maine Supreme Court approved of a deathbed will in Maine executed by Ruth O'Br…
- DUI Penalties in Maine
Maine DUI penalties under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 29-A, § 2411: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- How Does Bond Work in Maine? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Maine bail and bond explained: cash, surety, and ROR. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Maine opinions under 15 M.R.S. §§ 1026–1028.
- How Does Eviction Work in Maine?
Maine eviction / forcible entry and detainer under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, §§ 6001 to 6016: notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Maine?
A valid will in Maine must be: In writing; Signed by the testator or in the testator’s name by some other individual in the testator’s conscious presence and by the testator’s direction; and Signed by at least two individuals, each of whom …
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Maine: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Maine guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a complaint; how service and Maine eFiling (File & Serve / Odyssey where deployed) registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Maine
Maine divorce filing guide: At least one party must have resided in Maine for 6 months before filing. equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Maine
Paths to shorten or correct a Maine prison sentence under Me. R. Crim. P. 35: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Maine opinions.
- How to Modify Child Support in Maine
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Maine child support order under 19-A M.R.S. ch. 59 (support services); Maine Child Support Guidelines: what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Spousal Support in Maine
Step-by-step guide to modifying spousal support in Maine under 19-A M.R.S. § 721(11): changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Is Abortion Legal in Maine?
Maine abortion law after Dobbs: protected access. Legal until viability, with life/health exceptions thereafter. Linked statutes and Maine opinions.
- Maine Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Maine calculates child support under 19-A M.R.S. §§ 2001–2012, including the income shares, deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Maine Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Maine evidence law under the Maine Rules of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Maine Spousal support: Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Maine courts award spousal support under 19-A M.R.S. § 951-A: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Maine Supreme Court: Deafness no Barrier to Valid Will
The Maine Supreme Court has ruled that deafness does not defeat the ability to make a valid will. In Estate of Washburn , 2020 ME 18, the dispute over the validity of David's will (the Decedent) was between David's surviving spouse, Michell…
- Security Deposit Return in Maine
How Maine landlords must handle residential security deposits under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 14, §§ 6031 to 6039: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Maine
Maine stand-your-ground overview (duty-to-retreat (outside the home)): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Maine
In Maine, a surviving spouse has many widow's rights, including: Intestate Share Elective Share Homestead Allowance Exempt Property Family Allowance Omitted Spouse Rights The Maine Probate Code was extensively revised in 2019, changing the …
- Title To Inherited Real Property In Maine
The Maine Supreme Court, in Clark v. Clark , recently interpreted Maine’s Probate Code to determine title to inherited real property. To reach the decision, the Court relied on a North Dakota Supreme Court decision, Estate of Hogen , interp…
- What a Maine Expungement and sealing Order Actually Does
Maine expungement and sealing begins with 15 M.R.S. § 2262, §2262 Statutory prerequisites for sealing criminal history record information. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Maine?
Maine implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 29-A, § 2521, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next Of Kin In Maine?
The term next of kin in probate usually refers to who are the heirs of an estate where there is no will. Maine, like all other states, has statutes that determine who inherits where there is no will (called intestacy). Pursuant to Maine sta…