Edinburgh funeral home with a downtown arrangement office that holds services in local churches and other venues, arranges veterans' benefits for the surviving family, and sells caskets to families who have chosen another funeral home.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Johnson County, Indiana
How probate works in Johnson County: the Superior Court No. 2 record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Johnson County Superior Court No. 2
Johnson County · Judicial District 17
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
18 West Jefferson Street, Courthouse Annex North, Franklin, IN 46131
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file estate, guardianship and trust cases through an Indiana certified e-filing service 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
AllowedCourt staff cannot give legal advice or recommend an attorney. The Superior Court 2 page carries the county probate forms and adult and minor guardianship packets, and links Indiana Legal Help.
County forms
- Johnson County Probate Form 1: Application for Appointment of Personal RepresentativeThe applicant's qualifications to serve, one form for each personal representative.
- Johnson County Probate Form 5: Instructions to the Personal Representative of a Supervised EstateSigned by the personal representative and filed before letters issue in a supervised estate.
- Johnson County Probate Form 6: Instructions to the Personal Representative of an Unsupervised EstateSigned by the personal representative and filed before letters issue in an unsupervised estate.
Fax
1-317-738-5698
Departments
- Clerk1-317-346-4450 · Five East Jefferson Street · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PMThe Clerk of the Courts in the courthouse takes new filings and filing fees. Guardianship packets may be sent to the clerk by email at guardianships@johnsoncounty.in.gov, with the filing fee paid by phone.
About the court
- Probate cases are heard by Superior Court No. 2 in the Courthouse Annex North, not by the Circuit Court. Filings and fees go to the Clerk of the Courts in the courthouse at Five East Jefferson Street.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Johnson 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 Johnson County, probate runs through the Superior Court No. 2 at 18 West Jefferson Street, Courthouse Annex North, Franklin. The court sits in the Judicial District 17. Johnson County shares the Judicial District 17 with Hancock and Shelby.
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 Johnson County
What probate costs in Johnson 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 No. 2 at 18 West Jefferson Street, Courthouse Annex North, Franklin. The court is part of the Judicial District 17.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: In an unsupervised estate, an inventory certification is due within two months; A supervised estate open past a year needs an intermediate account; Fees are not paid from a supervised estate without a court order.
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 No. 2
Probate cases in Johnson County, Indiana are filed at the Superior Court No. 2. The court sits in the Judicial District 17.
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Johnson County Self-Filing Assessment.
Johnson County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
All probate cases are filed in Superior Court No. 2.
Supervised, unsupervised and miscellaneous estates, guardianships, trusts, adoptions and mental health cases go to the Johnson Superior Court No. 2.
SourceThe petition for appointment includes the applicant's qualifications and proposed letters.
The application states the applicant's address, education, employment, financial experience and any felony convictions, substantially in the form of Johnson County Probate Form 1 or within the petition to open the estate. Proposed letters are filed with the petition, and the applicant need not appear in court to qualify.
SourceThe signed Instructions to the Personal Representative are filed before letters issue.
The preferred forms are Johnson County Probate Form 5 for a supervised estate and Form 6 for an unsupervised estate.
SourceService Requirements
Inheritance tax pleadings are served on the County Assessor.
This includes a petition for determination of no tax due and any order on it.
SourceOther Requirements
Bond can be waived by the will or by consent of all heirs.
Bond is not required, at the court's discretion, where the will asks that the personal representative serve without bond or all beneficiaries or heirs consent. Liquid assets may instead be placed in a restricted account, with the bank's certification filed within 10 days of the order.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court No. 2: 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 Johnson County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Johnson County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Johnson 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
Johnson County · Johnson County Health Department, Vital Records Division
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
95 South Drake Road, Franklin, IN 46131
Website
Fax
1-317-736-5264
Local rule
- The office holds death certificates for deaths in Johnson County after 1882. Only cash is taken after 4 p.m.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $20 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Johnson County · Johnson County Coroner's Office
Mail and offices
Fax
1-317-342-2030
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Johnson County
11 funeral homes and crematories in Johnson County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
Edinburgh funeral home in Johnson County, Indiana, that is family owned and operated.
Franklin funeral home established in 1913 and in its third generation of family ownership, with two large chapels for visitation and services. It offers prearranged, prepaid funerals and coordinates worldwide shipping and out-of-town arrangements.
Franklin mortuary and memorial center founded in 2007, with a satellite location in Greenwood where families plan ceremonies held at a church or at the Franklin center.
Greenwood memory gardens and funeral home that has welcomed families since 1956 and serves Johnson County families.
Greenwood location of G.H. Herrmann Funeral Homes and Cremation Center, a firm founded in 1926 that operates its own private crematory and has its own therapy dogs. Its staff help families create a cremation plan in advance.
Funeral homes by city: Edinburgh, Franklin, Greenwood, Trafalgar, Whiteland
Cremation Services in Johnson County
8 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in Johnson County
4 listings
Burial Services in Johnson County
2 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in Johnson County
3 listings
Funeral Transport in Johnson County
1 listing
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Johnson County
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 Johnson County are recorded with the County Recorder at 86 West Court Street, Franklin, IN 46131. Phone: 1-317-346-4385. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Johnson County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Johnson County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
86 West Court Street, Franklin, IN 46131
Website
E-recording
Fees
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $25 |
| County Auditor's real property endorsement (transfer)Applies to a TOD deed | $10 |
| SDF-1 (State Form 46021) Sales Disclosure FormNot required for a TOD deed | $20 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
IC 36-2-7-10(c)(1)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Johnson County
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 Johnson County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court No. 2, 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 handling estate planning and probate administration for Marion County and central Indiana, alongside a plaintiff's civil litigation practice. Work includes wills, trusts, trust resolution, special needs trusts, and business succession, with each attorney carrying 25-plus years in estate and probate 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.
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.
Columbus firm serving Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Decatur, Johnson, and Brown counties with probate administration — filing wills with the court, securing a decedent's assets, locating beneficiaries, closing accounts, and transferring assets to heirs. Also handles estate administration and trust administration.
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.
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.
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.
Legal Sources
(10)·
- IC § 33-37-4-7(a) (as amended by P.L.106-2025); IC §§ 33-37-5-20, -21, -21.2, -25, -26, -27, -31
- IC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- IC 29-1-14-1, 29-1-7-7, 29-1-14-9, 29-1-14-10
- 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)
- IC 29-1-7-13(b) (court grants letters); IC 29-1-10-3 (clerk administers oath only)
- IC 29-1-7.5-1, IC 29-1-7.5-2, IC 29-1-7.5-3
- IC 36-2-7-10(c)(1)
- Johnson County Superior Court No. 2, official page
- Johnson County Recorder, official page
- Johnson County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
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.
Get the Answer
Hire an Indiana Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Indiana attorneys handling probate matters.
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Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
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