Maine appeal & supersedeas bonds.
Secure the stay while you appeal.
Maine is unusual: an appeal generally operates as an automatic stay, and no supersedeas bond is required just to hold off collection. But a trial court that has ordered immediate execution can require you to give bond in an amount it fixes. It is underwritten, not flat-rated; we size, underwrite, and quote it.
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How much does a Maine appeal & supersedeas bond cost?
It is underwritten. The carrier’s base rate is 2% of the bond amount; the underwriter sets your premium from the amount, your credit and any collateral.
Built for the post-judgment clock.
An appeal bond only helps if it is approved and filed before the other side can execute. Here is the whole process:
Tell us the judgment
Send the judgment amount, the parties, the court, and any order setting (or expecting) a bond. That is what underwriting sizes the penal sum from — usually the judgment plus accrued interest and costs.
A specialist underwrites & quotes
A surety specialist reviews the file and returns a quote, along with any collateral or financial requirement. Larger penal sums are more likely to be collateralized; we tell you that up front, not after you commit.
Execute & file for the court’s approval
We issue the bond on the form the court accepts, with the surety’s power of attorney attached, so it can be presented to the trial court for approval and the stay can take effect.
How an appeal bond works, and what to have ready.
Why the court asks for it
You lost at trial and want to appeal without paying the judgment first. An appeal bond, also called a supersedeas bond, asks the court to pause collection while the appeal runs.
Who it protects
The party who won. If the appeal fails, they are paid what the judgment awarded, with the interest and costs the court's rules add, up to the bond amount.
If there is a claim
The surety pays a valid claim and you repay the surety. Because the bond can equal the whole judgment, sureties often ask for collateral on large amounts.
Have these ready
- The judgment you are appealing, with the court and case number
- The bond amount the court or its rules require
- Your notice of appeal, or the date you will file it
- Financial statements for the person or business appealing
- Any collateral you can offer, such as cash or a letter of credit
- Your attorney's name and contact details
What it is and who needs it.
How the appeal stay works in Maine
A supersedeas bond (often just called an appeal bond) is the security an appellant posts to suspend — “supersede” — enforcement of a judgment while the appeal runs.
Maine handles this differently from most states. Under M.R. Civ. P. 62(e), taking an appeal generally operates as a stay of execution during the appeal, and no supersedeas bond is required as a condition of that stay. So in the ordinary case you may not need a bond at all.
The bond comes into play around the edges: under Rule 62(c), if the court has ordered immediate execution, it can — on a showing of good cause — order the party against whom execution was sought to give bond in an amount the court fixes, conditioned on satisfying the damages for delay, interest, and costs if the appeal is not taken, is dismissed, or the judgment is affirmed. When the court asks for that security, this is the bond, and the penal sum tracks the judgment plus the interest and costs that accrue during the appeal.
You need this bond if you’re
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A court bond answers to the court and the party its order protects: if the judgment or order the bond secures is not satisfied, that party can claim against it, up to the penal sum the court set.
The surety pays a valid claim after the court rules, and you repay the surety. A court bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
Term and renewal are set in the underwriter's quote; a court bond usually runs until the case or appeal it secures is resolved.
Keep the bond in force for as long as the obligation behind it runs.
How to file it
Execute & file for the court’s approval. We issue the bond on the form the court accepts, with the surety’s power of attorney attached, so it can be presented to the trial court for approval and the stay can take effect.
What sets the price
Court bonds are underwritten. The carrier's base rate for this bond is 2% of the bond amount; the underwriter sets your final premium from the amount the court sets, your credit and any collateral.
Start with the judgment and the order.
These are the actual underwriting fields — the judgment, the parties, the court, and your business. Submit once and a surety specialist responds in about one business day with a quote and any collateral requirement. No charge until the bond is issued.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Maine bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Secure the stay before collection starts.
Send the judgment and the court’s order. A surety specialist underwrites it and returns a quote — typically within one business day. No charge until the bond is issued.