Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement is a commonly used form within Maine. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement:

• This form pertains to the State of Maine

• The current version of this form was last revised on July 1, 2019

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Maine’s Form DE-601 - Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Maine form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Maine probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form DE-601, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in ME are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form DE-601 online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form DE-601 witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Maine.

5 reasons you should submit DE-601 as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Maine can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Maine. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Maine is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Maine probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Maine probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form DE-601, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Maine probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Maine.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form DE-601 - Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Maine probate court office.

Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Maine-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Maine Form DE-601 - Petition For Order Of Complete Settlement. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

DE-601 (Rev. 07/01/19) Page 1 of 2 STATE OF MAINE _____________________COUNTY PROBATE COURT DOCKET NO. Estate of _________________________________ PETITION FOR ORDER OF Decedent COMPLETE SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE UNDER 18-C M.R.S. §3-1001 or §3-1002 OR SPECIAL FINDING OR BOTH 1. Full legal name, address and email address of Petitioner. 2. Legal interest of Petitioner in this Estate: 1  Personal Representative named in the Will  Surviving spouse  Domestic partner  Devisee  Heir  Creditor  Other _____________ 3. Petitioner asks the Court (Check applicable sections.):  To make a determination of the testacy status of the Decedent. (§ 3-1001 only) 2 (Attach p roposed order.)  To compel the Personal Representative to file an account with the Court. (Attach reasons why order is sought.)  To consider and approve the account of the Personal Representative. (Attach account.)  To construe the Will or a portion thereof. (Attach, as exhibit, provisions of Will which Petitioner wants construed and construction sought by Petitioner.)  To determine the heirs of the D ecedent. (Attach names of persons Petitioner believes to be heirs.)  To determine the persons or entities entitled to distribution and the amounts to be distributed. (Petitioner should attach schedule showing proposed distribution.)  To order final settlement and distribution of Estate.  To discharge the Personal Representative from further claims or demands of interested persons and to close administration of the Estate.  Other: 3 Dated __________________________ _________________________________________ Petitioner or Attorney for Petitioner 4 DE-601 (Rev. 07/01/19) Page 2 of 2 Attorney for Petitioner, if any: Name Address Address Phone Number Maine Bar Number Email Address 1 18 -C M.R.S. § 1-201(26) 2 18-C M.R.S. § 3-1002. 3 For example, See Title 18-C M.R.S. § 3-1001(2). 4 See Rule 11 MARP