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Court Rules
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On this page:
- Recent rule amendments and orders regarding rules
- Procedural rules
- Rules governing judges, lawyers, and guardians ad litem
- Other guides
Recent Rule Amendments & Orders Regarding Rules
| Order Number | Rule Set Adopted or Amended | Rule Nos. Adopted or Amended | Subject | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Me. Rules 02 | Bar Admission | 6(a); 11A(e); 11B(d) | Forms of payment of application fee; time for admission to bar | 3/1/23 |
| 2023 Me. Rules 01 | Civil (Family) | 110B; 114A | Pretrial procedure; real estate orders and abstracts | 2/15/23 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 08 | Bar | 13(g)(3); 14(a)(7); 18(g) | Transcripts of Grievance Commission proceedings; release of information to law enforcement or Maine Assistance Program for Lawyers and Judges | 11/8/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 07 | Civil (Family) | 110A(a), (b)(4)(A) | Authority of Family Law Magistrates to determine interim parental rights and responsibilities | 10/13/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 06 | Bar Admission | 3(c); 11(d) | Vice-chair of Board of Bar Examiners; expiration of MPRE score | 10/4/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 05 | Civil | 5(a); 55(a), (b), (d), (f) | Service of requests for default or default judgment; defaults and default judgments in foreclosures and actions by "debt collectors" | 10/11/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 04 | Appellate | 19(a)(2)(J); 23(b)(5) | Appeals from orders on motions to seal criminal history record information; length of response to petition for appellate review in workers' compensation appeals | 9/2/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 03 | Appellate | 1(c); 2A(b)-(c); 2C(a)(1); 7(b)(1); 7A; 10 | Signatures; representation on appeal; time to file notice of appeal; time for filing briefs; Track A appeals; contents of briefs; electronic filing of motions | 7/13/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 02 | Bar | 1(g); 4(a) | Requirement to provide email address to receive service of documents | 7/1/22 |
| 2022 Me. Rules 01 | Guardians ad litem | 10(d)(4) | Continuing education; courses presented or approved by Maine Judicial Branch | 3/31/22 |
Procedural Rules
(Updated January 31, 2023)
- Maine Rules of Civil Procedure:
- Rules only--no advisory notes (as amended January 2023)
- Rules complete with advisory notes
- Maine Rules of Unified Criminal Procedure
- Rules only--no advisory notes (May 2017)
- Rules complete with advisory notes (May 2017)
- Maine Rules of Electronic Court Systems (March 2021)
See also temporary standing order (Effective until further order of the court)
- Maine Rules of Evidence
- Rules only--no advisory notes (June 2018)
- Rules complete with advisory notes (June 2018)
- Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure
- Rules only--no advisory notes (September 2022)
- Rules complete with advisory notes (September 2022)
- Maine Rules of Probate Procedure (July 2019)
- Maine Rules of Small Claims Procedure (June 2007)
Rules Governing Judges, Lawyers, and Guardians ad Litem
(Updated February 28, 2023)
- Rules governing judges:
- Maine Code of Judicial Conduct only (no advisory notes) (September 2017)
- Maine Code of Judicial Conduct complete with advisory notes (September 2017)
- Maine Rules of the Committee on Judicial Conduct (May 2021)
(Formerly the Committee on Judicial Responsibility and Disability)
- Rules governing lawyers:
- Maine Rules of Professional Conduct (ethical rules):
- Rules only--no advisory notes (June 2019)
- Rules complete with advisory notes (June 2019)
- Maine Bar Rules:
- Rules only--no advisory notes (as amended November 2022)
- Rules complete with advisory notes (as amended November 2022)
- Other rules governing lawyers:
- Maine Bar Admission Rules (March 2023)
- Rules for the Maine Assistance Program for Lawyers (November 2014)
- Rules for Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection (April 2019)
- Maine Rules of Professional Conduct (ethical rules):
- Rules governing guardians ad litem:
- Rules only--no advisory notes (March 2022)
- Rules complete with advisory notes (March 2022)
- Maine Civil Legal Services Fund Commission (September 2019)
Other Guides
- Checklist for Preparing, Filing, and Maintaining an Appeal Pursuant to the Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure (September 2017)
- Appellate Practice Guide for use with The Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure (restyled, effective September 1, 2017) (September 2017)
- A Guide for Appeals to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court (August 2009). Note: This guide is based on the former rules, applicable to appeals filed before September 1, 2017.
- Maine Law Review: Uniform Maine Citations (2022) -- Uniform Maine Citations, 2022-2024 Edition, provides updated rules for the citation of Maine legal authorities, including judicial decisions, constitutional provisions, statutory and legislative materials, court rules, treatises, periodicals, and miscellaneous Maine authorities.