Estate Planning & Probate in Bartholomew County, Indiana
There are two reasons people look up Bartholomew County probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through it. Pick the path that fits, then work from the local Circuit and Superior Courts details.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Circuit and Superior Courts, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Bartholomew County →Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Bartholomew County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Bartholomew County →The Probate Process in Bartholomew County
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 Bartholomew County, probate runs through the Circuit and Superior Courts at 234 Washington Street, Columbus. The court sits in the Judicial District 21. The same Judicial District 21 also serves Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings.
Full Bartholomew County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Bartholomew County Circuit and Superior Courts
Bartholomew County · Judicial District 21
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
How to file probate in Bartholomew County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Bartholomew County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
E-recording
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Bartholomew County · Bartholomew County Health Department, Vital Records
Phone
Office
Website
Order online
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Bartholomew County · Bartholomew County Coroner
Phone
Website
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Circuit and Superior Courts
The clerk assigns a new estate, guardianship or trust case to one of the three courts on an equal, rotating basis, so the case number names the court that hears it. All three sit at the courthouse. Each prospective ward needs a separate guardianship case.
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.
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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Indiana allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2IC § 16-36-7-30 (sample forms; not mandatory)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Indiana treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultIC 30-5-2-2, IC 30-5-2-6, IC 30-5-3-2, IC 30-5-3-3, IC 30-5-3-6, IC 30-5-4-1, IC 30-5-4-1.3, IC 30-5-4-1.5, IC 30-5-4-1.7, IC 30-5-4-2, IC 30-5-5-14.5, IC 30-5-6-1, IC 30-5-8-2, IC 30-5-8-7, IC 30-5-8-8, IC 30-5-9-9, IC 30-5-10-3, IC 30-5-11-4, IC 30-5-11-4.5Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2IC 30-5-2-2, IC 30-5-2-6, IC 30-5-3-2, IC 30-5-3-3, IC 30-5-3-6, IC 30-5-4-1, IC 30-5-4-1.3, IC 30-5-4-1.5, IC 30-5-4-1.7, IC 30-5-4-2, IC 30-5-5-14.5, IC 30-5-6-1, IC 30-5-8-2, IC 30-5-8-7, IC 30-5-8-8, IC 30-5-9-9, IC 30-5-10-3, IC 30-5-11-4, IC 30-5-11-4.5Verified Sep 18, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Indiana Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Bartholomew County.
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