Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file estate and guardianship cases through an Indiana certified e-filing provider. On paper: Self-represented filers are not required to e-file.
Self-represented filing
This court requires an attorneyEvery personal representative and guardian of an estate must be represented by an attorney of record at all times. The court posts its probate rules and forms on the Court D08 page.
Self-help center
Room C045, 4th floor (left from the elevator lobby)Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM and 2:00 PM-4:00 PM; Friday 8:30 AM-noonThe Legal Resource Center offers legal information, court-approved forms and referrals for people representing themselves. It is staffed by court navigators who are not attorneys and do not give advice.
Clerk1-317-327-4740 · clerkpublic@indy.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PMThe Clerk of the Circuit Court takes estate filings at the Community Justice Campus. A will can be deposited with the clerk before death, on paper only, for a $25 fee.
About the court
Estates, guardianships, adoptions and mental health cases are heard by Marion Superior Court 8, the Probate Division, at the Community Justice Campus. Estate case numbers carry the court code 49D08.
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 Marion County, probate runs through the Superior Court 8, Probate Division at 675 Justice Way, Indianapolis. The court sits in the Judicial District 13.
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 Marion County
What probate costs in Marion 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 8, Probate Division at 675 Justice Way, Indianapolis. The court is part of the Judicial District 13.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: An inventory is due within two months of appointment and is served on the known heirs and beneficiaries; Fees in a supervised estate are paid only by court order, half at the inheritance tax stage and half when the final account is approved.
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 8, Probate Division
Probate cases in Marion County, Indiana are filed at the Superior Court 8, Probate Division. The court sits in the Judicial District 13.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Clerk.
The Legal Resource Center offers legal information, court-approved forms and referrals for people representing themselves. It is staffed by court navigators who are not attorneys and do not give advice.
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
The petition to open an estate comes with the proposed personal representative's application, the original will, and proposed letters.
The application (Form 401.1-A) states the proposed personal representative's residence, background, financial experience and any felony convictions. A lost will is offered with a copy and a Proof of Lost Will and Affidavit.
An estate is closed within one year of appointment or the personal representative petitions for more time.
A supervised estate shows good cause with an intermediate account filed within 30 days after the year ends. An unsupervised estate files its closing statement within a year, and the court does not enter an order approving it.
The court's signed instructions to the personal representative are filed before appointment.
The personal representative and the attorney sign the court's instructions for a supervised or unsupervised estate, and no substitute form is accepted.
A corporate surety bond is required in every estate, supervised or unsupervised, unless an exception applies.
No bond is required where a corporate banking fiduciary serves, or in a solvent estate where the surviving spouse is personal representative and sole distributee. Where a will waives bond or all distributees consent, the court still sets a bond to protect creditors and taxing authorities.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court 8, Probate Division: 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 Marion County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Marion County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Marion County Public Health Department, Vital Records as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Marion County · Marion County Public Health Department, Vital Records
Vital Records - Mail Service
Marion County Public Health Department
3838 North Rural Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205-2930
Fax
1-317-221-2411
Local rule
The office holds Marion County records only and issues death certificates for deaths in Marion County, from 1872. An applicant in person needs current, valid identification; expired and temporary IDs are not accepted.
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 Marion County are recorded with the County Recorder at 200 East Washington Street, Suite T-741, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Phone: 1-317-327-4020. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $35 flat, regardless of page count.
Marion County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN, Indecomm 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 Marion County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court 8, Probate Division, 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 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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planningand 5 more
Office
7550 S Meridian St, Suite C-1Indianapolis, IN 46217
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
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.
