Vevay funeral home in a house the firm bought in 1936, serving families of Switzerland County; an addition holds a larger chapel, a kitchen lounge and an elevator.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Switzerland County, Indiana
How probate works in Switzerland County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Switzerland County Circuit Court
Switzerland County · Judicial District 22
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
212 West Main Street, Vevay, IN 47043
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. A self-represented filer either e-files or brings the paperwork to the clerk's office. On paper: Self-represented filers are not required to e-file.
Fax
1-812-427-4433
Departments
- Clerk1-812-427-4415 · clerk@switzerland.in.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PMThe Circuit Court Clerk keeps the court's records, takes filings and collects court costs for the county's one court.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Switzerland 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 Switzerland County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 212 West Main Street, Vevay. The court sits in the Judicial District 22. Switzerland County shares the Judicial District 22 with Dearborn, Jefferson, Ohio and Ripley.
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 Switzerland County
What probate costs in Switzerland 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 212 West Main Street, Vevay. The court is part of the Judicial District 22.
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 Switzerland County, Indiana are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the Judicial District 22.
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 Switzerland County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
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 Switzerland County
In Indiana a death is registered locally, and in Switzerland County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Switzerland County Health Department, Vital Records as well as by Indiana Department of Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Switzerland County · Switzerland County Health Department, Vital Records
Phone
Office
1190 West Main Street, Suite 300, Vevay, IN 47043
Website
P.O. Box 14
Vevay, IN 47043
Fax
1-812-427-0235
Local rule
- The office holds records of events in Switzerland County from 1882.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $13 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Switzerland County · Switzerland County Coroner
Phone
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Switzerland County
1 funeral home or crematory in Switzerland County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
Funeral homes by city: Vevay
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Switzerland 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 Switzerland County are recorded with the County Recorder at 212 West Main Street, Vevay, IN 47043. Phone: 1-812-427-4460. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Switzerland County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN, Simplifile and Indecomm.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Switzerland County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
212 West Main Street, Vevay, IN 47043
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 Switzerland 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 Switzerland 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.
Jefferson County solo practice in Madison led by Mary Beth Mock, in practice locally for over 30 years. The firm assists clients responsible for settling an estate, guiding Indiana and out-of-state clients through estate administration and the probate process, alongside estate planning and powers of attorney.
Solo general practice of Lane A. Siekman in Rising Sun, Ohio County, in far southeast Indiana. Its Wills and Estates practice covers estate administration — identifying, valuing, maintaining and distributing a decedent's property, through probate court where required — alongside wills, trusts and beneficiary designations.
Madison firm (One W. 6th Street, Jefferson County), formerly Alcorn Sage Schwartz & Magrath, serving southeast Indiana and northern Kentucky since 1976. Estate work covers wills, trusts, healthcare directives, elder-care planning, probate planning and estate tax concerns. By-appointment offices in Columbus, Lawrenceburg and Louisville, Kentucky.
Vincennes firm led by Knox County native Tanner Bouchie, frequently representing clients in Knox, Daviess, Sullivan, Greene, Pike, and Dubois counties. Handles wills, trusts and estates and guardianship arrangements for loved ones, alongside business formation, real estate, and family law. Clients book appointments online and meet remotely.
New Albany firm serving Floyd County and southern Indiana from offices in New Albany, Corydon, and Salem. Handles supervised and unsupervised estate administration, small-estate and intestate matters, creditor claims and asset distribution, and estate and trust litigation. Gary Banet also takes guardianships, elder law, and special-needs planning.
Bloomington firm guiding Monroe County and south-central Indiana families through Indiana's probate process. The team marshals and inventories assets, discharges debts, and distributes the estate to heirs, and also handles trust administration, guardianships, and will contest litigation. Partner James F. Bohrer is Board Certified as a Trust and Estate Lawyer by the Indiana State Bar Association.
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)
- Switzerland County Circuit Court, official page
- Switzerland County Recorder, official page
- Switzerland 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.
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