Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file estate and guardianship cases through an Indiana certified e-filing provider. Self-represented filers may file on paper with the clerk. On paper: Self-represented filers are not required to e-file.
Clerk1-765-668-8121 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PMThe Clerk of the Circuit Court accepts estate and guardianship filings and keeps the record of wills and trust matters in probate proceedings.
Circuit Court1-765-664-5527The Circuit Court hears mental health cases; estates and guardianships go to Superior Court 1.
About the court
Grant Superior Court 1 hears estates and guardianships; filings go through the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the courthouse. Marion City Court and Gas City Court are separate courts outside the courthouse.
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 Grant County, probate runs through the Superior Court 1 at 101 East 4th Street, Marion. The court sits in the Judicial District 14. The same Judicial District 14 also serves Madison.
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 Grant County
What probate costs in Grant 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 Superior Court 1 at 101 East 4th Street, Marion. The court is part of the Judicial District 14.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Inventory within two months of appointment; Estates close within one year or file a status report; Fee disputes follow the Indiana Judicial Conference guidelines.
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 Superior Court 1
Probate cases in Grant County, Indiana are filed at the Superior Court 1. The court sits in the Judicial District 14.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Clerk and Circuit Court.
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.
Petition to open states the estate's probable value
A petition to open an estate sets out the probable value of the personal property and the estimated annual rents and profits from the estate's property.
A corporate surety bond is required unless an exception applies
The personal representative of a supervised or unsupervised estate files a corporate surety bond in an amount the court sets. No bond is required for a corporate fiduciary, or for a surviving spouse who is the sole distributee of a solvent estate; the court may reduce the bond where the will waives it, where all distributees consent in writing, or by a distributee's share.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court 1: 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 Grant County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Grant County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Grant County Health Department, Vital Records Division as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Grant County · Grant County Health Department, Vital Records Division
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 Grant County are recorded with the County Recorder at 401 South Adams Street, 3rd Floor, Marion, IN 46953. Phone: 1-765-668-6559. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Grant County accepts electronic recording through CSC and Simplifile.
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 a Grant County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court 1, 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.
Marion firm in Grant County handling probate, guardianships, and wills and estate planning, also taking cases in Allen, Blackford, Delaware, Howard, Huntington, Madison, Tipton, Wabash, and Wells counties. Guides families through the probate process and creditor claims after a death. Offers a free initial consultation on estate matters.
Marion firm (Grant County) that describes itself as the largest in the county, with attorneys carrying more than 240 years of combined experience. Its probate attorneys help family members administer a decedent's final affairs, and the litigation group takes probate and estate litigation. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and guardianships round out the estate side.
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
Kokomo firm (Howard County) run by Mark E. and Cameron P. Kuntz, serving central Indiana. Represents and guides executors through probate — creditor notification, debt settlement, asset distribution, and estate finalization — alongside will drafting and estate planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateHealthcare DirectivesPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
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.
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
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.
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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.
