Freeman Family Funeral Home in Morristown is one of the firm's two Shelby County locations, with the other in Shelbyville; the firm purchased the Frazier Funeral Home in Morristown in 2002. Its own staff carries out cremations in the firm's private crematory. The firm also has a motorcycle hearse and horse-drawn hearses.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Shelby County, Indiana
How probate works in Shelby County: the Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1 record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Shelby County Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1
Shelby County · Judicial District 17
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Office
407 South Harrison Street, Room 206, Shelbyville, IN 46176
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
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.
Fax
1-317-392-6349
Departments
- Clerk1-317-392-6320 · 407 South Harrison Street, Room 111 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMThe Clerk of the Circuit Court takes estate, guardianship and trust filings and collects the filing fees.
- Superior Court No. 11-317-392-6350 · 407 South Harrison Street, Room 209 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PMAn estate or trust filed without a court request may be assigned at random to this court instead of the Circuit Court.
About the court
- Estates and trusts are heard in the Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1, both in the courthouse; guardianships are heard in the Circuit Court.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Shelby 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 Shelby County, probate runs through the Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1 at 407 South Harrison Street, Room 206, Shelbyville. The court sits in the Judicial District 17. Shelby County shares the Judicial District 17 with Hancock and Johnson.
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 Shelby County
What probate costs in Shelby 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 or Superior Court No. 1 at 407 South Harrison Street, Room 206, Shelbyville. The court is part of the Judicial District 17.
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 or Superior Court No. 1
Probate cases in Shelby County, Indiana are filed at the Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1. The court sits in the Judicial District 17.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Clerk and Superior Court No. 1.
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 Shelby County Self-Filing Assessment.
Shelby 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
An estate or trust is filed in the court the filer requests, Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1.
Without a request, the clerk assigns the case at random, half to each court. Guardianships are filed in the Circuit Court unless a child-welfare case for the same child is pending in Superior Court No. 1.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1: 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 Shelby County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Shelby County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Shelby County Health Department, Vital Records as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Shelby County · Shelby County Health Department, Vital Records
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-11:30 AM and 12:30 PM-5:00 PM
Office
20 West Polk Street, Suite 202, Shelbyville, IN 46176
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Fax
1-317-392-6472
Local rule
- The office holds Shelby County records from 1882 and takes no requests by phone or internet.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $20 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Shelby County · Shelby County Coroner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
25 West Polk Street, Suite 003, Shelbyville, IN 46176
Website
Cremation authorization
Signed by this office
Mail and offices
Fax
1-317-401-8575
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Shelby County
5 funeral homes and crematories in Shelby County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
Shelbyville funeral home in a brick house built in 1871, with its own private crematory, keeping arrangements, embalming and cremation in-house. It has a motorcycle hearse and horse-drawn hearses in adult and child sizes.
Shelbyville funeral home founded in 1972 and in Shelbyville since 1995, in the only facility in town originally built as a funeral home, with no steps. It also takes orders for custom monuments.
Shelbyville funeral home founded in 1935 as Murphy Funeral Home and at its present address since 1938; the building was doubled in size in 1973.
Shelbyville cemetery and crematory serving all funeral homes, opened in 2009 on ten acres with a pond and a CANA-certified crematory manager. Its gardens, lawn crypts and columbarium take cremated remains and ground burials, with sections reserved for veterans and for first responders, and it provides monuments.
Funeral homes by city: Morristown, Shelbyville
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Shelby 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 Shelby County are recorded with the County Recorder at 25 West Polk Street, Room 101, Shelbyville, IN 46176. Phone: 1-317-392-6370. Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM (closed Friday).
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Shelby County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, Indecomm and ePN.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Shelby County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM (closed Friday)
Office
25 West Polk Street, Room 101, Shelbyville, IN 46176
Website
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 Shelby 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 Shelby County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1, 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.
Shelbyville firm across the street from the Shelby County Courthouse, serving central Indiana for more than 160 years. Curt Johnson and Andrew M. Eads handle estate administration, guardianships, and Medicaid planning alongside wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives.
Columbus firm serving Bartholomew County and south-central Indiana, started in 1985. Estate and trust administration work covers probate and trust administration, intestate estates where no will can be found, and litigation over the administration of an estate. Jeff Rocker expanded the firm's estate planning practice after joining in 2005.
Greensburg firm in Decatur County, also serving Bartholomew, Franklin, Ripley, Rush and Shelby counties. Owner Bill Robbins has over 50 years in wills, trusts, estates, probate and property law, and the firm handles probate administration, family-farm preservation, special-needs planning and guardianships.
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.
Muncie firm serving Delaware County and east-central Indiana, founded in 1980, with a second office in Carmel. Partners Tara M. Smalstig and David J. Karnes handle probate and estate administration for personal representatives, covering court filings, estate property and distributions, plus probate litigation and will contests.
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)
- Shelby County Circuit Court or Superior Court No. 1, official page
- Shelby County Recorder, official page
- Shelby 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
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