Schererville firm serving Lake County and Northwest Indiana (St. John, Dyer, Munster). Handles probate administration and estate settlement, adult guardianships, and elder-law/Medicaid matters, with attention to probate-avoidance review. More than 25 years of estate practice, and a free two-hour estate planning consultation.
Schererville is in Lake County.
Probate in Lake County
Probate Court Record
Lake County Circuit Court
Lake County · Judicial District 1
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Office
2293 North Main Street, Courtroom B203, Crown Point, IN 46307
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
How to file probate in Lake County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Lake County? →Settling an estate in Lake County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Indiana
Free forms for planning your estate in Indiana: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Indiana.
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Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Indiana, a pour-over will is signed before 2IC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Indiana, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Indiana does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In Indiana, a will is signed before 2IC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyIC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Indiana
Free tools for planning your estate in Indiana: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Indiana and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Indiana, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under IC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%Modeled estimate under IC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Indiana runs $2,720Estimate: 10 hours at $272, Clio's Indiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,080Estimate: 15 hours at $272, Clio's Indiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Indiana authorizes transfer on death deedsIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Indiana automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceIC 29-1-5-8; IC 30-4-2-15; IC 32-17-14-23; IC 32-17-14-2(c); IC 32-17-14-2.5Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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