• Parenting Programs and Resources
• Crisis and Helplines
• Legal Help
• Free Online Legal Tools and Self-Help
• Books by Maine Judges and Lawyers

Parenting Programs and Resources

Maine Court listing of Parenting Programs offered throughout the state.

As of December 2015, these programs include:

• Kids First
  York, Biddeford, Portland, Topsham, Farmington, Lewiston, Norway, South Paris, Augusta, Waterville, Skowhegan and Belfast.
• ParentWorks (Home Counselors) 
  Rockland and Lincoln County
• For Kids’ Sake 
  82 Columbia St, Bangor, ME 04401   Phone: (207) 942-9329
  Bangor and Ellsworth
• Moving Forward (CTC of Aroostook)
  454 Houlton Rd, Easton, ME 04740   Phone: (207) 488-6657
  Presque Isle 

What Kids Want Parents to Know about Separation and Divorce: Kids First (and other books recommended by Kids First)

A Guide to Making Child-Centered Parenting Time Decisions: Maine District Court

Kids First recommended reading list for kids

Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce, Elizabeth Marquardt

The Co-Parenting Survival Guide: Letting Go of Conflict After a Difficult Divorce, by Elizabeth Thayer and Jeffrey Zimmerman

The California Courts post a longer book list here.

Crisis and HelpLines

Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence: 24-Hour Helpline: 1-866-834-HELP

Children’s Advocacy Centers for victims of child sexual abuse: 1-800-871-7741

Maine Behavioral Healthcare: Serving Maine’s 11 southern counties

Maine Crisis Line: 1.888.568.1112 Voice/TTY.

 2-1-1 Maine: Statewide referral service for a wide range of social services

Maine Consumers for Affordable Health Care lists health resources, including free clinics and sliding fee clinics around the state.

Legal Help

Most courts in Maine host Courthouse Assistance Projects [CHAPs]. These are offered by lawyers and others who are trained in Maine child support laws and calculations. Some offer legal advice, as well. Go here to get a schedule.

The CHAPs are for people with low incomes. If you don’t qualify, you may want to contact the Maine Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service. They help people find lawyers; they charge a small referral fee.

Maine Child Support: Division of Support Enforcement & Recovery helps parents collect child support.

Free Online Legal Information and Self-Help

Divorce and Parental Rights in Maine: Pine Tree Legal’s step-by-step divorce guide. It includes more about child support and other details about how the court process works in Maine.

Automated Child Support Worksheet: Use this automated worksheet to estimate what your child support will be. Pine Tree Legal attempts to use the same formulas that the Maine Courts use. But remember, only the Maine Court (or DHHS) can make and enforce this decision.

Maine Courts’ Divorce with Children Information

More Pine Tree Legal Family Law topics: Scroll down to "Family Law."

Books by Maine Judges and Lawyers

Do Your Divorce Right: Straight Talk from Family Court Judges, by Judges Andrew Horton & John David Kennedy  (Tower Publishing).  Two Maine judges wrote this book for people who aren’t lawyers. “Divorce is one of the most significant life changing experiences a person will ever live through. However, it is a process, not an event. The process goes on long after the legal aspects of the divorce are complete. The process operates on at least four levels – legal, emotional, financial, spiritual.”

Divorce in Maine: The Legal Process, Your Rights, and What to Expect, by Dana E. Prescott, Esq. and Neil D. Jamieson, Jr.  Two Maine attorneys understand your need to know. They answer not only the questions on your mind but also those you may not have thought to ask.