Maine Court Summary

The Maine trial court system consists of Superior Courts, District Courts, Probate Courts, and Judicial Branch Violations Bureau.

Trial Courts in Maine are either state courts or county courts. Superior Courts and District Courts are considered state courts, and Probate Courts are county courts. Superior Courts have general jurisdiction over all cases, but usually only handle cases that are beyond the jurisdiction of other courts. District Courts and Probate Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of cases.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in Maine

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Maine.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Superior Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Superior Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions		$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts$
Domestic Relations	Superior Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Superior Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Superior Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Superior Courts	District Courts	Probate Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Note: Some courts in Maine are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:

Judicial Branch Violations Bureau

Maine Courts Summary