Maine’s PP-505 is the physician’s or psychologist’s report that a probate court relies on to decide whether an adult needs a guardian or conservator, and it must be completed by a qualified Maine-licensed clinician and filed with the petition in the County Probate Court where the case is pending. If you are the petitioner, your job is to get a blank form into the right provider’s hands early; if you are the provider, your job is to give the judge a specific, example-driven picture of what the respondent can and cannot do.
Where to Get the Blank Form
The current PP-505, revised July 1, 2019, is a downloadable PDF available from the Maine Judicial Branch forms portal at mjbportal.courts.maine.gov and from maineprobate.net under the “GC Adults” (Guardianship/Conservatorship – Adults) section. Both sources carry the same official document. Download it, send it to the evaluating provider well ahead of the hearing date, and confirm they have the correct docket number before they begin writing.
Who Can Sign the Report
Only five categories of Maine-licensed professionals may complete the PP-505:
- Licensed physician (MD or DO)
- Licensed clinical psychologist
- Registered physician assistant
- Certified psychiatric clinical nurse specialist
- Certified nurse practitioner
The evaluator must also certify that they have no conflict of interest and will not be “advantaged or disadvantaged by the Court’s decision to grant the petition.”1Maine Probate. Physicians or Psychologists Report PP-505 A provider who would be paid to serve as a care manager under the guardianship, for example, does not qualify.
What the Clinical Narrative Should Cover
The heart of the form is a three-part written assessment. The provider describes:
- The respondent’s cognitive and functional abilities and limitations in daily life
- Their mental and physical condition, including educational potential, adaptive behavior, and social skills where relevant
- Prognosis and recommended treatment, support, or habilitation
These are narrative sections, not checkboxes. A judge who has never met the respondent reads this report to understand how the person actually functions, so “patient has dementia” does little work. Concrete observations do: the respondent cannot remember to take prescribed medications, wanders from home unsupervised, or no longer recognizes close family.1Maine Probate. Physicians or Psychologists Report PP-505
Capacity Questions for a Guardianship
If the petition asks for a guardian to make personal and healthcare decisions, the provider must answer whether the respondent can:
- Choose where to live
- Decide whether to enter a hospital or other care facility
- Arrange for their own care, comfort, and basic needs
- Give or refuse consent for medical treatment and professional services
- Manage and protect their own assets and income
For each item, the provider indicates whether the respondent can do it independently, can do it with assistance, or cannot do it at all. That granularity matters because Maine law favors limited guardianship. Under Title 18-C, §5-301, a court cannot establish a full guardianship if a limited guardianship or another less restrictive alternative would meet the respondent’s needs.2Disability Rights Maine. Overprotected and Underrepresented Marking every box “incapable” without explanation invites follow-up from the court or its appointed visitor.
Capacity Questions for a Conservatorship
If the petition asks for a conservator to handle money and property, the form lists a long menu of specific financial tasks, from receiving income and paying bills to selling real estate, investing assets, borrowing money, signing contracts and leases, participating in a business, voting corporate securities, pursuing or settling legal claims, and hiring attorneys or financial advisors.1Maine Probate. Physicians or Psychologists Report PP-505 Address each one separately. Someone who can no longer manage investments or evaluate a contract may still be perfectly able to pay routine household bills, and the PP-505 is designed to capture that so the court can shape the conservator’s authority to fit.
Filing the Form
The signed PP-505 is filed with the County Probate Court as part of the petition packet. It is not a standalone filing, and there is no separate fee for the report itself. The underlying petition carries a statutory fee: $90 for guardianship, $90 for conservatorship, and $115 for a combined petition seeking both.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 18-C 1-602 – Filing and Certification Fees The petitioner usually collects the completed report from the provider and submits it with the other required forms.
What Happens Next
Once the petition and PP-505 are on file, the court sets a hearing date. The respondent must be personally served with the petition and notice of the hearing, including information about the right to attend and the right to an attorney; without proper service, the court cannot grant the petition.4Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 18-C 5-303 – Notice and Hearing In conservatorship cases, the court also appoints an independent “visitor” with training relevant to the alleged limitations, unless the respondent already has an attorney, and that visitor investigates and reports back.5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code 18-C 5-405 – Appointment and Role of Visitor
At the hearing, the judge weighs the PP-505 against the visitor’s report, family testimony, and anything the respondent chooses to say. The court must find incapacity by clear and convincing evidence before appointing a guardian or conservator. Because the PP-505 is usually the most detailed professional evaluation in the file, a specific, well-supported report is often the difference between a hearing that moves forward and one that gets continued while the court asks for more.
How to Make the Report Hold Up
Vagueness is the most common weakness in these filings. A few habits strengthen the report:
- Use concrete examples. Instead of “unable to manage finances,” describe unpaid utility bills, susceptibility to phone scams, or inability to count change.
- Separate areas of capacity. A respondent with advanced Alzheimer’s may still enjoy choosing meals while being unable to manage medication safely. Say both.
- Be honest about prognosis. If the condition is progressive and improvement is unlikely, say so. If rehabilitation could restore some function, identify which functions and over what timeframe.
- Base the opinion on a recent examination. A report built on an evaluation conducted months before filing can be challenged as outdated.
The provider’s signature and date at the bottom finalize the document, and Maine courts treat the signed report as sworn professional testimony. The clinician should be prepared to answer questions about their findings if called to the hearing.