Short answer. Who carries out a lockout: sheriff or constable.
At a glance
- Filing fee
- $100 to file, due at least one business day before the hearing.
"The filing fee of $100."
Source 1 - Hearing after filing
- The hearing must be at least 7 days after the tenant gets the complaint (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day).
"must be at least 7 days after the date the tenant gets the complaint."
Source 1 - Judgment to writ
- The writ of possession can issue 7 days after judgment.
"the law allows the writ to issue 7 days after judgment enters."
Source 1 - Writ to lockout
- Once a sheriff serves the writ, the tenant has 48 hours to move out.
"After the writ is served, the tenant will have 48 hours to move out."
Source 1 - Who carries out the lockout
- Sheriff or constable. A sheriff or a constable serves the writ; the tenant then has 48 hours.
"The writ may be served by a sheriff or a constable."
Source 2 - Paying to stop the case
- In a nonpayment case, no writ issues if the tenant has paid the amount needed to reinstate the tenancy.
"paid the amount necessary to reinstate the tenancy"
Source 2 - Right to counsel (statewide)
- No statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction cases (as of November 2026, per the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel): its tracker of enacted laws lists no statewide law here.
"An eviction right to counsel is created by an enacted law that, at a minimum:"
Source 3, National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source)
Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026
Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Need the other side served? Process serving with an affidavit of service.
- Answer or appear: no date (Not confirmed on an official page)
- Hearing or trial: Monday, December 14, 2026
- Judgment: Monday, December 14, 2026
- Writ or warrant of possession: Monday, December 21, 2026
- Earliest lockout: Wednesday, December 23, 2026
Another date: open the estimator.
Want us to handle it?
A runner files your papers in person at the clerk's window and sends you a scan of the stamped copy. We file what you prepared; we don't give legal advice.
Price: Outside New Jersey it goes through our contractor network: quote-based, confirmed before any work starts, and booked once a local contractor accepts. In New Jersey it is from $75 per filing, court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.
Help the official pages point to
- In a nonpayment case, no writ issues if the tenant has paid the amount needed to reinstate the tenancy.
- Free mediation at the court on the hearing day (source 1)
Not stated on the pages we read: court, time to answer or appear, diversion or mediation (statewide).
Sources
- State of Maine Judicial Branch: Evicting a Tenant from a Residence for not Paying Rent (checked November 2026)
- Maine Revised Statutes, Title 14, section 6005: Writ of possession; service (checked November 2026)
- National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source): National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: Enacted Eviction Right to Counsel and Eviction Defense Programs (last modified November 2026) (checked November 2026)
Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)".
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Common questions
How soon after filing is the Maine hearing?
The hearing must be at least 7 days after the tenant gets the complaint (the earliest date here assumes service on the filing day). That's the statute's window; the court's own calendar decides the actual date.
When can a Maine landlord get the writ after winning?
The writ of possession can issue 7 days after judgment.
How long between the writ and a lockout in Maine?
Once a sheriff serves the writ, the tenant has 48 hours to move out.
Who carries out an eviction in Maine?
Sheriff or constable. A sheriff or a constable serves the writ; the tenant then has 48 hours. The officer acts on the court's order.
Can paying the rent stop a Maine eviction case?
In a nonpayment case, no writ issues if the tenant has paid the amount needed to reinstate the tenancy.
What does it cost to file in Maine?
$100 to file, due at least one business day before the hearing.
Notice step: notice periods · Deposit step: deposit rules · All states: eviction process by state · Louisiana · Maryland