Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file estate, guardianship and trust cases through an Indiana certified e-filing provider. Self-represented filers may file in person or by mail with the clerk. On paper: Self-represented filers are not required to e-file.
Fax
1-765-456-2016
Departments
Clerk1-765-456-2000 · 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 202 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMThe clerk accepts new filings in every case type, including estates and guardianships, and assigns each new civil case to a court.
Superior Court I1-765-456-2200 · 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 216 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Superior Court II1-765-456-2201 · 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 304 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Superior Court IV1-765-456-2900 · 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 300 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
About the court
The local rules name no court for estates; the clerk assigns new civil cases at random to the Circuit Court or Superior Court I, II or IV, all in the Howard County Courthouse. The contact above is the Circuit Court; each Superior Court's 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 Howard County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 104 North Buckeye Street, Suite 310, Kokomo. The court sits in the Judicial District 8. Howard County shares the Judicial District 8 with Cass, Fulton and Miami.
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 Howard County
What probate costs in Howard 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 104 North Buckeye Street, Suite 310, Kokomo. The court is part of the Judicial District 8.
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 Howard County, Indiana are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the Judicial District 8.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Clerk, Superior Court I, Superior Court II, and Superior Court IV.
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 civil cases are assigned at random among four courts
The local rules name no court for estates or guardianships. The clerk assigns other new civil cases at random: about 10 percent to the Circuit Court, 28 percent each to Superior Courts I and II, and 34 percent to Superior Court IV.
Every pleading is filed with the Howard County Clerk, by e-filing or by delivering a paper copy. Attorneys must e-file; a self-represented filer may file on paper in person or by mail.
A petition to appoint a guardian comes with a proposed order
A party asking the court to appoint a guardian, set a hearing or grant a continuance furnishes a proposed order, with copies for every affected party. Papers are on white letter-size paper, double spaced; an original will may be filed as it is.
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 Howard County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Howard County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Howard County Health Department, Vital Records as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Howard County · Howard 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 Howard County are recorded with the County Recorder at 220 North Main Street, Room 330, Kokomo, IN 46901. Phone: 1-765-456-2210. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Howard County accepts electronic recording through 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 Howard 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.
Kokomo firm handling probate matters in Howard County. Work covers court-supervised administration and asset distribution, estate applications of all sizes, will contests, and creditor-claim defense, guiding executors through their fiduciary obligations. Attorneys Justin Alter and Brooke Rockey also handle Medicaid planning for long-term care.
Kokomo firm serving Howard County, established in 1966. Probate work covers administering the estate and carrying families through the probate process, alongside wills and trusts, Medicaid planning, health care directives, and powers of attorney. Four partners practice alongside the firm's personal injury, real estate, family, and business work.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateMedicaid PlanningHealthcare Directivesand 2 more
Kokomo firm serving Howard County and surrounding north-central Indiana families with probate and estate administration through the local court. Prepares and files probate petitions and wills, schedules appointment of a personal representative, and handles settling and distributing estates. Longstanding focus on farm, ranch, and agricultural-business estates.
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
Kokomo firm handling Howard County estate work, including probate estate administration, small-estate administration, and surviving-spouse administration. Attorneys James B. McIntyre and Kevin W. O'Keefe also handle trust administration, estate planning, and guardianships.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
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.
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.
