Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file estate and guardianship cases through an Indiana certified e-filing provider. On paper: Self-represented filers are not required to e-file.
Self-represented filing
This court requires an attorneyThe Circuit Court accepts an estate, guardianship or other probate filing only when an attorney admitted in Indiana is listed as attorney of record.
County forms
Estate ClaimA creditor's claim against a decedent's estate, with the county caption.
Clerk1-260-724-5309 · 112 South 2nd Street, Room A · clerksoffice@adamscounty.in.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMThe Clerk of the Circuit and Superior Courts takes estate and guardianship filings for the Circuit Court.
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Adams County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 112 South 2nd Street, Suite C, Decatur. The court sits in the Judicial District 9. The same Judicial District 9 also serves Huntington, Wabash and Wells.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Indiana intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Indiana estates take 9 months to 15 months to move through this process. 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 a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Adams County
What probate costs in Adams County, Indiana comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Circuit Court at 112 South 2nd Street, Suite C, Decatur. The court is part of the Judicial District 9.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Supervised estates file a verified inventory within two months of appointment; The court uses a fee guideline for attorney and personal representative fees in supervised estates.
Indiana charges $177IC § 33-37-4-7(a) (as amended by P.L.106-2025); IC §§ 33-37-5-20, -21, -21.2, -25, -26, -27, -31Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Indiana are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Indiana allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payIC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Indiana requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
Probate in Indiana typically runs 9 months to 15 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court
Probate cases in Adams County, Indiana are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the Judicial District 9.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Clerk.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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.
An Indiana attorney of record is required in every estate and guardianship.
An estate, guardianship or other probate matter is not filed unless at least one attorney admitted in Indiana is listed as attorney of record. Where an out-of-state attorney appears, an Indiana attorney must also be listed.
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Original will and any codicils, delivered to the court that has jurisdiction of the administration (IC 29-1-7-3); A certified copy of the death certificate is commonly requested by the court or by asset holders, but it is not an element of the petition under IC 29-1-7-5; Petition for probate of will and issuance of letters / petition for appointment, with the contents required by IC 29-1-7-5 (decedent, heirs, devisees/legatees, domicile, date of death, and the attorney who is to represent the personal representative)IC 29-1-7 (probate of wills & issuance of letters; petition contents IC 29-1-7-5); IC 29-1-10 (appointment & qualification of personal representatives); IC 29-1-7.5 (unsupervised administration)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Adams County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Adams County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Adams County Health Department, Vital Records as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Adams County · Adams County Health Department, Vital Records
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Adams County are recorded with the County Recorder at 313 West Jefferson Street, Suite 240, Decatur, IN 46733. Phone: 1-260-724-5343. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Adams County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Indiana allows independent administrationIC 29-1-7.5-1, IC 29-1-7.5-2, IC 29-1-7.5-3Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Indiana are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an Adams County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Decatur firm serving Adams, Allen, Wells, and Jay counties in northeastern Indiana, with a second office in Fort Wayne. Handles probate and estate administration alongside wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Scott B. Ainsworth, in practice in Decatur for over 30 years, concentrates on wills, trusts, probate, and estate planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbatePowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
Decatur firm located in the downtown across from the Adams Circuit Court, serving Adams, Wells, and Jay counties in northeast Indiana. Handles estate and guardianship administration and drafts wills, trusts, and deeds. Also carries a general civil and criminal trial-litigation practice.
Huntington firm serving Huntington County and northeast Indiana since 1899, handling estates of all sizes and all aspects of estate administration, including transferring property and dealing with taxing authorities. Of counsel Joseph K. Wiley takes estate litigation and guardianship matters, and the firm handles Medicaid and elder-law planning for nursing-home care.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 6 more
Portland solo practice in Jay County, east-central Indiana, near the Randolph, Blackford, and Adams county lines. Attorney Gregory W. LeMaster handles wills, estates, trusts, and powers of attorney alongside criminal defense and real estate work, drawing on about 20 years in practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbatePowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
Vincennes firm led by Knox County native Tanner Bouchie, frequently representing clients in Knox, Daviess, Sullivan, Greene, Pike, and Dubois counties. Handles wills, trusts and estates and guardianship arrangements for loved ones, alongside business formation, real estate, and family law. Clients book appointments online and meet remotely.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from Indiana statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Indiana
Free tools for settling an estate in Indiana: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Indiana.
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.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Indiana happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteInd. Code 30-4-1-1 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
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.
Enter the estate value to see Indiana attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
$
See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Indiana lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
