Maine Rules of Civil Procedure
Cited as Me. R. Civ. P. · 158 active rules
The Maine Rules of Civil Procedure govern how civil cases proceed in Maine's Superior and District Courts, including the Family Division and the Business and Consumer Docket. Browse the full set below, organized by Chapter. Plain-English summaries, FAQs, and full rule text are being added rule by rule.
Source: Maine Judicial Branch ·
Prescribed by the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine (4 M.R.S. § 8, the Rules Enabling Act) ·
Current through June 1, 2026 ·
Official source
Chapter I. Scope of Rules — One Form of Action
Chapter II. Commencement of Action; Service of Process, Pleadings, Motions, and Orders
Chapter III. Pleadings and Motions
- Rule 7 Pleadings Allowed: Form of Motions
- Rule 8 General Rules of Pleading
- Rule 9 Pleading Special Matters
- Rule 10 Form of Pleadings
- Rule 11 Signing of Pleadings, Motions and Other Written Requests for Relief; Sanctions
- Rule 12 Defenses and Objections--When and How Presented by Pleading or Motion--Motion for Judgment on Pleadings
- Rule 13 Counterclaim and Cross-Claim
- Rule 14 Third-Party Practice
- Rule 15 Amended and Supplemental Pleadings
- Rule 16 Pretrial Procedure in the Superior Court
- Rule 16A Pretrial Procedure in the District Court
- Rule 16B Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Rule 16C Expedited Track
Chapter IV. Parties
- Rule 17 Parties Plaintiff and Defendant; Capacity
- Rule 17A Settlement of Claims of Minor Plaintiffs
- Rule 18 Joinder of Claims and Remedies
- Rule 19 Joinder of Persons Needed for Just Adjudication
- Rule 20 Permissive Joinder of Parties
- Rule 21 Misjoinder and Nonjoinder of Parties
- Rule 22 Interpleader
- Rule 23 Class Actions
- Rule 23A Derivative Actions by Shareholders
- Rule 23B Derivative Actions by Members of Unincorporated Associations
- Rule 24 Intervention
- Rule 25 Substitution of Parties
Chapter V. Depositions and Discovery
- Rule 26 General Provisions Governing Discovery
- Rule 27 Discovery Before Action or Pending Appeal
- Rule 28 Persons Before Whom Depositions May be Taken
- Rule 29 Stipulations Regarding Discovery Procedure
- Rule 30 Depositions Upon Oral Examination
- Rule 31 Depositions Upon Written Questions
- Rule 32 Use of Depositions in Court Proceedings
- Rule 33 Interrogatories to Parties
- Rule 34 Production and Inspection of Documents and Things; Entry Upon Land for Inspection and Other Purposes
- Rule 35 Physical and Mental Examination of Persons
- Rule 36 Requests for Admission
- Rule 37 Failure to Make Discovery: Sanctions
Chapter VI. Trials
- Rule 38 Jury Trial of Right in the Superior Court
- Rule 39 Trial by Jury or by the Court
- Rule 40 Assignment of Cases for Trial; Continuances
- Rule 41 Dismissal of Actions
- Rule 42 Consolidation; Separate Trials
- Rule 43 Taking of Testimony
- Rule 44 Proof of Official Record
- Rule 44A Determination of Foreign Law
- Rule 45 Subpoena
- Rule 46 Preserving Objections
- Rule 47 Selecting Jurors
- Rule 48 Majority Verdict; Stipulations as to Number
- Rule 49 Special Verdicts and Interrogatories
- Rule 50 Judgment as a Matter of Law
- Rule 51 Argument of Counsel; Instructions to Jury
- Rule 52 Findings by the Court
- Rule 53 Referees
Chapter VII. Judgment
- Rule 54 Judgments; Costs
- Rule 54A Court Fees
- Rule 55 Default
- Rule 56 Summary Judgment
- Rule 57 Declaratory Judgments
- Rule 58 Entry of Judgment
- Rule 59 New Trials: Amendment of Judgments
- Rule 60 Relief from Judgment or Order
- Rule 61 Harmless Error
- Rule 62 Stay of Proceedings to Enforce a Judgment
- Rule 63 Inability of a Judge to Proceed; Recusal
Chapter VIII. Provisional and Final Remedies and Special Proceedings
Chapter IX. Appeals to the Law Court
Rules 72 through 76, 76A, 76B, and 76I — abrogated in their entirety. These appeal provisions were replaced by the Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure and carry no operative text of their own; see Chapter IX-A below for the removal and appeal procedures that remain in the civil rules.
Chapter IX-A. Removal and Appeal from the District Court to the Superior Court or the Law Court
Chapter X. Superior and District Courts and Clerks
- Rule 77 Superior and District Courts and Clerks
- Rule 78 [Reserved] Reserved
- Rule 79 Books and Records Kept by the Clerk and Entries Therein
Chapter XI. Special Rules for Certain Actions
- Rule 80 Divorce and Annulment
- Rule 80A Real Actions
- Rule 80B Review of Governmental Action
- Rule 80C Review of Final Agency Action
- Rule 80D Forcible Entry and Detainer
- Rule 80E Administrative Inspection Warrants
- Rule 80F Traffic Infractions
- Rule 80G Actions for License Revocation or Suspension
- Rule 80H Civil Violations
- Rule 80I Search Warrants for Schedule Z Drugs
- Rule 80J Warrants for Surveys and Tests
- Rule 80K Land Use Violations
- Rule 80L Jury Trial de novo in Small Claims Appeals to the Superior Court
- Rule 80M Medical Malpractice Screening Panel Procedures
Chapter XII. General Provisions
- Rule 81 Applicability of Rules
- Rule 82 Jurisdiction and Venue Unaffected
- Rule 83 Definitions
- Rule 84 Forms
- Rule 85 Title
- Rule 86 Effective Date
- Rule 87 Publication of Orders and Standards
- Rule 88 Assignment of Counsel
- Rule 89 Withdrawal of Attorneys; Visiting Lawyers; Temporary Practice with Legal Services Organizations
- Rule 90 Legal Assistance by Law Students
- Rule 91 Proceedings for Waiver of Payment of Fees or Costs
- Rule 92 Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Service
- Rule 93 Foreclosure Diversion Program
Chapter XIII. Family Division
- Rule 100 Scope of the Family Division Rules
- Rule 100A Form of Action
- Rule 101 Commencement of Action
- Rule 102 Confidentiality
- Rule 103 Process
- Rule 104 Preliminary Injunction
- Rule 105 Answer; Response; Counterclaim
- Rule 106 Defenses
- Rule 107 Orders Before Judgment
- Rule 108 Child Support Affidavits and Worksheets, Financial Statements, and Real Estate Certificates
- Rule 109 Failure to Appear; Sanctions
- Rule 110A Prehearing Schedule and Procedure for Cases Involving Minor Children
- Rule 110B Prehearing Procedure for Cases Involving No Minor Children
- Rule 111 Joinder, Consolidation and Intervention
- Rule 112 Discovery
- Rule 113 Time for Final Hearing
- Rule 114 Trial
- Rule 114A Real Estate Order and Abstract
- Rule 115 No Judgment Without Hearing; Judgments to be Final
- Rule 116 Dismissal of Actions
- Rule 117 Default
- Rule 118 Final Orders of Family Law Magistrates; Judicial Review
- Rule 119 Referees
- Rule 120 Post-Judgment Relief
- Rule 121 Stay of Proceedings to Enforce a Judgment
- Rule 122 Transfer from Superior Court to District Court
- Rule 123 Appeals to the Law Court
- Rule 124 Removal to Superior Court
- Rule 125 Effective Date
- Rule 126 Probate Matters in the District Court
- Rule 127 Protection from Abuse Cases
- Rule 128 Petitions to Terminate Parental Rights Under Title 19-A
- Rule 129 Qualified Residential Treatment Program Review
Chapter XIV. Business and Consumer Docket Procedural Rules
- Rule 130 Purpose, Scope, and Other Rules
- Rule 131 Case Filing, Transfer, and Identification
- Rule 132 Case Management
- Rule 133 Discovery
- Rule 134 Motion Practice
- Rule 135 Joint Final Pretrial Statement
- Rule 136 Pretrial Conference
- Rule 137 Trial
- Rule 138 Electronic Communication
- Rule 139 Electronic Filing Repealed
- Rule 140 Electronic Service Repealed
Maine numbers its rules 1 through 140, with letter-suffixed rules added over time as procedures were split out (for example 4A–4C, 16A–16C, 23A–23B, 76C–76H, and the 80A–80M special-proceeding rules). Rule 4C, Rule 78, and Rules 139–140 carry no operative text and are shown here unlinked. Chapter IX (Rules 72 through 76, 76A, 76B, and 76I) is entirely abrogated — those appeal provisions were replaced by the Maine Rules of Appellate Procedure and the chapter is shown as a single note rather than invented rows. All are shown here for completeness.