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.
Superior Court 21-219-465-3411 · 16 Lincolnway, 5th FloorSuperior Court 2 takes half of the county's estate, guardianship and trust cases, assigned at random when the case is opened.
Clerk1-219-465-3450 · 16 Lincolnway, Suite 209The Clerk of Porter County, in the courthouse, takes estate and guardianship filings and issues the clerk's certificate on costs and claims needed to close an estate.
About the court
Porter County estate, guardianship and trust cases are assigned at random between the magistrates of Superior Court 1 and Superior Court 2, not the Circuit Court. Both courts sit in the courthouse on Lincolnway in Valparaiso.
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 Porter County, probate runs through the Superior Courts 1 and 2 at 16 Lincolnway, Suite 338, Valparaiso. The court sits in the Judicial District 2. The same Judicial District 2 also serves Benton, Jasper and Newton.
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 Porter County
What probate costs in Porter 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 and 2 at 16 Lincolnway, Suite 338, Valparaiso. The court is part of the Judicial District 2.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: An inventory is filed within 60 days of appointment in every estate, supervised or unsupervised; An estate open more than a year files an intermediate account within 30 days after each anniversary; Fees in a supervised estate or guardianship are paid only on court order, within the court's maximum fee guideline.
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 and 2
Probate cases in Porter County, Indiana are filed at the Superior Courts 1 and 2. The court sits in the Judicial District 2.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Superior Court 2, Superior Court 2 Magistrate, and 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.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
A corporate surety bond is filed before letters issue, unless an exception applies.
The bond is at least the value of the personal property plus a year's rents and profits. It may be reduced by an heir's or legatee's share, set only for creditors and taxes when the heirs ask in writing or the will waives bond, set at the court's discretion in an unsupervised estate, or replaced by restricting liquid assets at an insured institution with the institution's written acknowledgment filed.
Every estate or guardianship pleading carries the fiduciary's signature and verification and the signature of the fiduciary's attorney.
The petition to open the case gives the fiduciary's name, address, Social Security number and date of birth, and the probable value of the personal property plus a year's rents and profits. The attorney prepares the orders for every proceeding.
Closing an estate requires paid costs, released claims, the clerk's certificate and proof of tax payment.
Costs are paid and claims released before the hearing on the final account, or by the filing of the closing statement in an unsupervised estate, with the clerk's certificate filed. The federal estate tax and Indiana inheritance tax closing letters, or copies, are attached to the final report or closing statement.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Courts 1 and 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 Porter County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Porter County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Porter 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
Porter County · Porter 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 Porter County are recorded with the County Recorder at 155 Indiana Avenue, Suite 210, Valparaiso, IN 46383. Phone: 1-219-465-3465. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Porter 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 Porter County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Courts 1 and 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.
Valparaiso firm serving Porter, Lake, and LaPorte counties in northwest Indiana, in practice since 1930. Handles probating a will, distribution of assets, transfer of titles, estate and trust administration, and Date of Death Affidavits, plus guardianships and conservatorships. R. Bradley Koeppen practices in probate, real estate, and estate planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateGuardianshipand 2 more
Hebron practice in Porter County, near the Jasper County line in northwest Indiana. Attorney Brett R. Galvan, admitted in Indiana in 2015, handles probate administration, guardianships, and wills and trusts, along with health-care directives and powers of attorney.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
Michigan City firm serving LaPorte County and northwest Indiana from offices in Michigan City and Valparaiso. Handles probate administration, will contests, and trust contests, plus guardianships and Medicaid planning. Attorney Guy DiMartino has been admitted in Indiana since 1999.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 6 more
LaPorte firm whose service area includes Starke County (Knox, Hamlet, North Judson) along with LaPorte and Porter counties. Its probate practice covers admitting wills, paying the decedent's debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining assets under the will or Indiana law, plus guardianships. Offers a complimentary first consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
Northwest Indiana firm based in Schererville (Lake County), with a second office in South Bend, handling estate administration after a death as well as planning. Represents clients in contested matters including will contests and breach-of-fiduciary-duty disputes, and employs in-house accountants for estate tax planning.
Merrillville firm covering Lake and Porter County probate for Northwest Indiana families, from Gary and Hammond to Crown Point and Valparaiso. Handles supervised and unsupervised probate administration, estate inventory and distribution, personal-representative guidance, and inheritance disputes. Estate work sits alongside the firm's bankruptcy, criminal-defense, and business practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateHealthcare DirectivesPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
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.
