Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file estate, guardianship and trust 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.
Self-represented filing
AllowedA personal representative or guardian of an estate needs the court's approval to proceed without a lawyer. The county publishes its probate forms and a small estate affidavit for estates under $100,000, which is not filed with the court.
Self-help center
Room 303, One Hamilton County SquareMonday-Thursday 10:00 AM-2:00 PMAn attorney staffs the Legal Self-Help Center, which helps Hamilton County residents e-file in civil cases and helps eligible self-represented filers complete Indiana Supreme Court forms. The center is not staffed on Fridays, and hours may vary in a week with a county holiday.
Clerk1-317-776-9629 · One Hamilton County Square, Suite 106 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PMThe Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps the record of every estate and guardianship case and assigns each new one to a probate court. Court filings are taken until 4 p.m.
Superior Court No. 11-317-776-9655 · One Hamilton County Square, Suite 345
Superior Court No. 21-317-776-9647 · One Hamilton County Square, Suite 384
Superior Court No. 31-317-776-9709 · One Hamilton County Square, Suite 311
About the court
Hamilton County estates, guardianships and trusts are heard by Superior Court No. 1, 2 or 3, assigned at random by the clerk when the case is filed. The phone and hours above are the clerk's; each probate court's own line is listed separately.
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 Hamilton County, probate runs through the Superior Courts 1, 2 and 3 at One Hamilton County Square, Noblesville. The court sits in the Judicial District 12. The same Judicial District 12 also serves Boone, Clinton and Tipton.
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 Hamilton County
What probate costs in Hamilton 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 Courts 1, 2 and 3 at One Hamilton County Square, Noblesville. The court is part of the Judicial District 12.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Inventory deadlines run from appointment; Estates open past a year account or explain why; Fees in a supervised estate need a court order first.
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 Courts 1, 2 and 3
Probate cases in Hamilton County, Indiana are filed at the Superior Courts 1, 2 and 3. The court sits in the Judicial District 12.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Clerk, Superior Court No. 1, Superior Court No. 2, and Superior Court No. 3.
An attorney staffs the Legal Self-Help Center, which helps Hamilton County residents e-file in civil cases and helps eligible self-represented filers complete Indiana Supreme Court forms. The center is not staffed on Fridays, and hours may vary in a week with a county holiday.
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.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
New estates are assigned at random to Superior Court No. 1, 2 or 3
The clerk assigns each new supervised, unsupervised or small estate, guardianship and trust case to Superior Court No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 on an even, random basis.
Claims are allowed or disallowed three months and fifteen days after first publication
Three months and fifteen days after the first published notice to creditors, the personal representative or the attorney examines each claim filed and allows or disallows it. Notice of the estate's opening goes by first class mail to every reasonably ascertainable creditor.
The personal representative or guardian signs the court's instructions (Forms PR00-1 to PR00-4) and files them when letters are ordered issued. Every inventory and accounting is signed under oath by the fiduciary and also signed by the fiduciary's attorney.
A lawyer is required unless the court approves otherwise
A personal representative or guardian of an estate may not proceed without a lawyer unless the court approves. Indiana residents appear before the court to qualify; nonresidents appear or file an affidavit describing their education, employment and lack of felony convictions.
A corporate surety bond is filed before letters issue
Before letters issue, the fiduciary files a corporate surety bond of at least the value of the personal property plus a year's rents and profits, or the amount the court sets. The court may reduce it where the will waives bond, where the fiduciary is an heir, or where the heirs ask in writing, may set it at its discretion in an unsupervised estate, and may accept a restricted account in place of a bond.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Courts 1, 2 and 3: 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 Hamilton County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Hamilton County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Hamilton County Health Department, Vital Records as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Hamilton County · Hamilton 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 Hamilton County are recorded with the County Recorder at 33 North 9th Street, Suite 309, Noblesville, IN 46060. Phone: 1-317-776-9618. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Hamilton 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 Hamilton County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Courts 1, 2 and 3, 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.
Indianapolis firm serving Marion, Hamilton, Boone, and Hancock Counties (Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville). Attorneys Martin Barnes and Jeffrey Cadwell handle probate and estate administration, sorting probate versus non-probate assets and walking executors through letters testamentary and creditor claims, plus creditors'-rights and asset-protection matters.
Indianapolis estate and elder-law firm serving Marion County and surrounding central-Indiana communities (Carmel, Fishers, Greenwood, Plainfield) through the local probate process. Handles will filing, estate asset identification and valuation, debt and tax settlement, executor guidance, beneficiary disputes, and trust administration. Offers a free consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Office
135 N Pennsylvania St, Suite 1100Indianapolis, IN 46204
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationGuardianshipand 3 more
Indianapolis firm guiding families through the Marion County probate process whether or not the decedent left a will. The firm's attorneys handle estate opening, administration, and asset distribution as part of a practice spanning family law and probate.
Noblesville firm serving Hamilton County and greater Indianapolis since 1975, administering estates and guiding personal representatives through probate whether or not the firm drafted the will and whether or not the decedent left one. Estate administration sits alongside guardianship and long-term-care/Medicaid planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawGuardianshipand 2 more
Anderson firm serving Madison County and central Indiana, with a second office on Crosspoint Blvd in Indianapolis. Attorney Thomas M. Beeman, a Board Certified Indiana Trust and Estate Lawyer, handles estate administration and estate litigation, representing parties in contested estate and trust disputes. Estate practice sits alongside the firm's criminal-defense and personal-injury work.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationHealthcare Directivesand 2 more
Office
3737 S Scatterfield Rd, Suite 200Anderson, IN 46013
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.
