LaPorte firm whose service area includes Starke County (Knox, Hamlet, North Judson) along with LaPorte and Porter counties. Its probate practice covers admitting wills, paying the decedent's debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining assets under the will or Indiana law, plus guardianships. Offers a complimentary first consultation.
Probate in Porter County
Probate Court Record
Porter County Superior Courts 1 and 2
Porter County · Judicial District 2
Phone
Office
16 Lincolnway, Suite 338, Valparaiso, IN 46383
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
How to file probate in Porter County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Porter County? →Settling an estate in Porter County →
Probate Firms Serving Porter County
Northwest Indiana firm based in Schererville (Lake County), with a second office in South Bend, handling estate administration after a death as well as planning. Represents clients in contested matters including will contests and breach-of-fiduciary-duty disputes, and employs in-house accountants for estate tax planning.
Merrillville firm covering Lake and Porter County probate for Northwest Indiana families, from Gary and Hammond to Crown Point and Valparaiso. Handles supervised and unsupervised probate administration, estate inventory and distribution, personal-representative guidance, and inheritance disputes. Estate work sits alongside the firm's bankruptcy, criminal-defense, and business practice.
Crown Point firm serving Lake and Porter counties with an estate-planning and elder-law focus. The practice handles probate and trust administration alongside wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, and Medicaid/nursing-home planning.
Solo Mishawaka practice concentrated in St. Joseph County probate and estate administration, covering probate of wills, appointment of personal representatives, trusts, and guardianships. Timothy Kalamaros advises executors and trustees carrying out an estate plan and sorts out estate disputes in court as needed. Serves South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger, and 13 more northern-Indiana counties.
Central Indiana firm established in 1880, with a Tipton office and six more in Noblesville, Fishers, Westfield, Zionsville, Crown Point, and Fort Wayne. Its Trust and Probate Administration group sees estates through the court process, pays taxes and debts, and navigates Indiana intestate succession where there is no valid will. Sarah J. Randall and Jack G. Hittle lead the estate work.
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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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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Do I Need Probate?
In Indiana, estates valued at $100,000IC 29-1-8-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Small Estate AffidavitIC 29-1-8-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 45 daysIC 29-1-8-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.
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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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Can I Self-File Probate?
Indiana has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not availableIC 29-1-7-13(b) (court grants letters); IC 29-1-10-3 (clerk administers oath only)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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