Are You Getting Zip From Your Maine Court Records Search?

Sometimes, searching for Maine court records can be a daunting task. RecordsSiteReviews takes the headache out of searching for such records by providing you with valuable information and important Maine court records links below.

When Maine genealogists come up empty with traditional ancestor information sources, they give Maine court records a try. Court records can be about anything – from adoption to divorce to criminal to financial to traffic violations. All these can provide important clues that could help locate long-lost family.

Cyberspace is an excellent place to start a person's family tree-hunting. But when this fails to yield anything specific, making the rounds of Maine courthouses might be in order. But don't get your hopes up. The odds of lucking out with court records in Maine, Louisiana, Kentucky or elsewhere can sometimes be slim.

ME Court Records - Reasons People Face a Brick Wall

Whether its court records in Maine or someplace else, people seldom get everything they need to piece together a comprehensive genealogy chart. So why is it so hard to hit the mother lode when researching court records? Here are five reasons as well as ways to address the problem.

·         Assuming docs are housed at a particular courthouse –There's probably nothing worse than proceeding to the wrong courthouse and requesting materials that aren't there in the first place. Be meticulous with your geographical and/or historical research before stepping out of the house. Consult a couple of historical maps of the place and concentrate on the boundaries.

·         Courthouse personnel – Dealing with overworked courthouse staff can be frustrating. Stay cool, polite and cheerful. Don't be so quick to give up. When the files you want aren't there, ask the staff where they most likely were moved or stored.

·         Records were lost or wiped out – Natural disasters as well as poor storage systems have led to many court records being destroyed. Other times original docs were removed and never returned. There are even instances wherein researchers have stolen files for their personal use. When stuck in a similar situation, consider what alternative resources are there that might help in reconstructing the lost info. Try looking for transcriptions and other court documentation and see what turns up.

·         Court records have been moved – Aside from moving records to warehouses, original ME court records could have also been transferred to other entities like state departments or archives. It's therefore important to get in touch with county courthouse personnel prior to paying them a visit or ordering any records.

·         Docs have been put in storage – Courthouses produce and hold numerous documents. Over time, courthouses will have to decide regarding storage and retention of papers. The quality and location of such documents aren't always that good. Phone the courthouse before dropping by so you know which documents are available there and which ones were kept elsewhere.

There will always be situations wherein court records in Maine courthouses will prove hard to pin down. But if you do things right, you're bound to get good leads on where other information could be “hiding”.
 

Maine Court Records Websites 

Judicial Branch 

A Selection of Maine County Courthouses You Can Visit 

Town of Alfred
Town Clerk
P.O. Box 129
Alfred, ME 04002
Telephone: (207) 324-5872

City of Auburn
45 Spring St.
Auburn, ME 04210
Telephone: (207) 786-2421

City of Augusta
16 Cony St.
Augusta, ME 04330-5298
Telephone: (207) 626-2310

City of Bangor
73 Harlow St.
Bangor, ME 04401
Telephone: (207) 945-4400

City of Bath
55 Front St.
Bath, ME 04530
Telephone: (207) 443-8332

City of Belfast
City Clerk, City Hall
131 Church St.
Belfast, ME 04915
Telephone: (207) 338-3063

City of Dover-Foxcroft
34 E. Main St.
Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426
Telephone: (207) 564-3318

City of Ellsworth
P.O. Box 586
Ellsworth, ME 04605-0586
Telephone: (207) 667-2563

City of Farmington
147 Main St.
Farmington, ME 04938
Telephone: (207) 778-6539

City of Houlton
21 Water St.
Houlton, ME 04730
Telephone: (207) 532-7111

Knox County
P.O. Box 546
Rockland, ME 04841-0546
Telephone: (207) 594-0304

Town of Machias
Town Office
P.O. Box 418
Machias, ME 04654-0418
Telephone: (207) 255-6621

City of Portland
389 Congress St., Room 203
Portland, ME 04101-4151
Telephone: (207) 874-8617

Town of Skowhegan
90 Water St.
Skowhegan, ME 04976
Telephone: (207) 474-6900

City of South Paris
33 Market Square
South Paris, ME 04281
Telephone: (207) 743-2501

Town of Wiscasset
P.O. Box 328
Wiscasset, ME 04578-0328
Telephone: (207) 882-8200

Visiting Maine County Courthouses are great options to have to find the court record(s) you want. However, going this route may take quite a while. For time-efficient, hassle-free searching, give online court record search service providers a try!