Muncie firm serving Delaware County and east-central Indiana, founded in 1980, with a second office in Carmel. Partners Tara M. Smalstig and David J. Karnes handle probate and estate administration for personal representatives, covering court filings, estate property and distributions, plus probate litigation and will contests.
Probate in Madison County
Probate Court Record
Madison County Circuit Court
Madison County · Judicial District 14
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
16 East Ninth Street, Suite 417, Anderson, IN 46016
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
How to file probate in Madison County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Madison County? →Settling an estate in Madison County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Madison County
Fishers firm serving Hamilton County and the broader central-Indiana region (Marion, Hancock, Boone, Madison counties) with estate administration and probate representation. Handles decedent estates, will-contest litigation, transfer-on-death deeds, and non-probate asset transfers, as well as wills and powers of attorney.
New Albany firm serving Floyd County and southern Indiana from offices in New Albany, Corydon, and Salem. Handles supervised and unsupervised estate administration, small-estate and intestate matters, creditor claims and asset distribution, and estate and trust litigation. Gary Banet also takes guardianships, elder law, and special-needs planning.
Bloomington firm guiding Monroe County and south-central Indiana families through Indiana's probate process. The team marshals and inventories assets, discharges debts, and distributes the estate to heirs, and also handles trust administration, guardianships, and will contest litigation. Partner James F. Bohrer is Board Certified as a Trust and Estate Lawyer by the Indiana State Bar Association.
Richmond solo practice run by Jeffrey T. Arnold, serving Wayne County and neighbouring east-central Indiana counties. Handles probate administration and probate litigation — documenting and distributing assets, identifying heirs, and paying estate debts — in addition to wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and will contests.
Indianapolis firm with offices in Lebanon and Chicago, founded in Lebanon in 1899. Its estate group guides personal representatives and trustees through probate and trust administration in Indiana courts, handles farmland and business-interest transfers, and represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in will contests and estate litigation.
All 9 Indiana probate litigation firms serving Madison County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Indiana
Free Indiana forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. 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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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 and Settling an Estate in Indiana
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Indiana: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Indiana.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Indiana costs an estimated $24,871IC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 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 under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Indiana, a surviving spouse takes half of the estateIC § 29-1-2-1Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationIC § 29-1-2-1(d)(1)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Indiana, creditors have 3 monthsIC 29-1-14-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.
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How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Indiana: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 daysIC 29-1-12-1, IC 29-1-7.5-3.2Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsIC 29-1-14-1, 29-1-7-7, 29-1-14-9, 29-1-14-10Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
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How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Indiana pays executors reasonable compensationIC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
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