What Happens After Filing for Divorce in Maine

You've completed your complaint, served your spouse, filed the papers with the court, and paid the $120 fee. Now what? The post-filing phase of a Maine divorce follows a structured path, and what happens next depends on two things: whether you have minor children and whether your spouse responds.

Days 1–21: Your Spouse's Response Window

From the date of service, your spouse has 21 calendar days to file a response with the court. They can file:

• Entry of Appearance (FM-020) — establishes their address for court notices and preserves their right to participate in the case
• Answer and Counterclaim (FM-223) — responds to your complaint and raises their own claims for property division, custody, or spousal support

If your spouse files an answer, the case proceeds on a scheduled track. If they don't respond within 21 days, you can file an Affidavit and Request for Default (Form CV-061) and move toward a default judgment.

The Court Assigns Your Case to a Track

Once your proof of service is filed, the court assigns your case based on whether minor children are involved.

Cases With Children: The Family Division Track (Rule 110A)

A Family Law Magistrate oversees your case. The court schedules an initial Case Management Conference within 4–8 weeks after proof of service is filed. At this conference, the magistrate addresses:

• Temporary custody and parenting time arrangements
• Interim child support based on the income shares model
• Health insurance coverage for the children
• Whether a Guardian ad Litem should be appointed

The magistrate can enter binding interim orders at this conference — so come prepared with your proposed parenting schedule and financial information.

If you and your spouse agree on all temporary arrangements, you can skip this conference by filing Form FM-054 (Certificate in Lieu of Case Management Conference).

Both parents must also complete a court-approved co-parenting education class. The standard program is the "First Step: Foundations in Co-Parenting" workshop through the Kids First Center, which runs about four hours and costs around $150.

Cases Without Children: The Judicial Track (Rule 110B)

A District Court Judge handles your case directly. If your spouse files an answer, the court schedules an initial conference no sooner than 60 days after proof of service is filed. If your spouse doesn't respond, the court skips the conference and schedules an uncontested hearing once the 60-day waiting period expires.

If Issues Are Contested: CADRES Mediation

When any issue remains unresolved — property, support, custody, or debt allocation — the court refers both parties to the Court Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (CADRES) for mandatory mediation.

The mediation fee is $160, split equally at $80 per party (unless the court orders a different split or you've received a fee waiver). Both parties must attend and participate in good faith. If someone refuses to participate meaningfully, the court can sanction them — including ordering them to pay the other side's attorney fees or entering a default judgment against them.

CADRES mediation resolves many cases without a trial. If it doesn't, the case moves to formal discovery, a pre-trial conference, and eventually a trial before a judge or magistrate, as appropriate.

Financial Disclosure

When the dispute involves property division, debt allocation, spousal support, or attorney's fees, both parties must exchange and file sworn Financial Statements (Form FM-043) — a detailed disclosure of all assets, debts, monthly expenses, and income. These must be filed within 21 days of the Family Division Scheduling Order or at least three business days before the first mediation session, whichever comes first.

For uncontested cases without children where there are no financial disputes, you can file the simpler Certificate in Lieu of Financial Statement (Form FM-042) instead.

The Final Hearing

After the 60-day mandatory waiting period expires and all procedural requirements are met, the court schedules a final hearing.

For uncontested cases, this is a brief appearance — typically 10–20 minutes. The judge or magistrate asks a few questions under oath, reviews your settlement agreement, and signs the Divorce Judgment.

For contested cases that went to trial, the judge or magistrate, as appropriate, issues a written judgment after hearing evidence from both sides.

After the clerk enters the signed judgment on the docket, there's a 21-day appeal window before it's completely final. Both parties can waive this at the hearing to make the divorce immediately effective.

The Maine Divorce Filing Process Guide maps this entire post-filing sequence with deadline trackers for each case track, so you always know what's due next and when.

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