Estate Planning for Tipton County, Indiana Property Owners

For most Tipton County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Tipton County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Circuit Court. The two tools that keep a Tipton County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Recorder, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Without a recorded beneficiary designation or a trust, Tipton County property passes through the Circuit Court — even simple Indiana probates run 6+ months and start with $177 in filing fees. Indiana also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Tipton County

A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Tipton County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Recorder during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, an Indiana transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

Create a Indiana TOD deed →Tipton County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Tipton County are recorded with the County Recorder at 101 East Jefferson Street, 2nd Floor, Tipton, IN 46072. Phone: 1-765-675-4614. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.

The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count. Recording a 2-page transfer on death deed in Tipton County comes to $35, which is $25 in recording fees plus the $10 County Auditor's real property endorsement (transfer). No transfer tax applies to a transfer on death deed.

Recording Office Record

County Recorder

Tipton County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Office

101 East Jefferson Street, 2nd Floor, Tipton, IN 46072

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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 deedNo transfer tax applies to TOD deeds

IC 36-2-7-10(c)(1)

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Tipton County

FirmTipton, IN

Church Church Hittle and Antrim

Since 1880 · Serves 5 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more

Office
118 S Independence StTipton, IN 46072

FirmKokomo, IN

Davis & MacDonald Law Firm

Serves 5 counties

Kokomo firm serving Howard County and surrounding north-central Indiana families with probate and estate administration through the local court. Prepares and files probate petitions and wills, schedules appointment of a personal representative, and handles settling and distributing estates. Longstanding focus on farm, ranch, and agricultural-business estates.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateAgricultural LawWills Trusts

Office
119 N Buckeye StKokomo, IN 46901

FirmKokomo, IN

Kuntz Law Firm

Since 1992 · Serves 5 counties

Kokomo firm (Howard County) run by Mark E. and Cameron P. Kuntz, serving central Indiana. Represents and guides executors through probate — creditor notification, debt settlement, asset distribution, and estate finalization — alongside will drafting and estate planning.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateHealthcare DirectivesPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts

Office
1542 S Dixon Rd, Suite AKokomo, IN 46902
Free consultation

FirmMarion, IN

Glickfield Law Office, LLC

Serves 10 counties

Marion firm in Grant County handling probate, guardianships, and wills and estate planning, also taking cases in Allen, Blackford, Delaware, Howard, Huntington, Madison, Tipton, Wabash, and Wells counties. Guides families through the probate process and creditor claims after a death. Offers a free initial consultation on estate matters.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipWills Trusts

Office
605 S Washington StMarion, IN 46953
Free consultation

FirmFort Wayne, IN

Gutwein Law

Serves 4 counties

Fort Wayne office of Gutwein Law, opened when Jeanne E. Longsworth brought her practice to the firm, serving Allen County. Longsworth, an attorney and CPA, concentrates on estate, probate and trust administration alongside estate planning and business succession; the firm also handles trust and estate litigation.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationBusiness Succession

Office
7030 Pointe Inverness Way, Suite 330Fort Wayne, IN 46804

FirmValparaiso, IN

Rice & Rice

Since 1972 · Serves 3 counties

Elder-law and estate firm with offices in Valparaiso, Lafayette and Granger, serving Porter, Tippecanoe and St. Joseph counties since 1972. Its trust and estate administration work covers asset inventory and valuation, paying debts, filing estate and income tax returns, and distributing to beneficiaries, and it handles testate and intestate probate and beneficiary disputes.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more

Office
100 Lincolnway, Suite 1Valparaiso, IN 46383
Free consultation
See all 20 firms serving Tipton County →

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.

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Legal Sources

Data sourced from Indiana statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Indiana

Free forms for planning your estate in Indiana: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Indiana.

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Last Will and Testament

In Indiana, a will is signed before 2IC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyIC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Codicil to a Will

In Indiana, a codicil is signed before 2IC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyIC 29-1-1-3(a)(38); IC 29-1-5-3.1Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Indiana allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2IC § 16-36-7-30 (sample forms; not mandatory)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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HIPAA Release

In Indiana, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and mental health recordsIC 16-41-8-1(b), (b)(2) (Ind. Code Title 16, Art. 41, Ch. 8); IC 16-39-2-3, IC 16-39-2-5, IC 16-39-2-9(a)(2) (Ind. Code Title 16, Art. 39, Ch. 2)Verified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases them.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Indiana treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultIC 30-5-2-2, IC 30-5-2-6, IC 30-5-3-2, IC 30-5-3-3, IC 30-5-3-6, IC 30-5-4-1, IC 30-5-4-1.3, IC 30-5-4-1.5, IC 30-5-4-1.7, IC 30-5-4-2, IC 30-5-5-14.5, IC 30-5-6-1, IC 30-5-8-2, IC 30-5-8-7, IC 30-5-8-8, IC 30-5-9-9, IC 30-5-10-3, IC 30-5-11-4, IC 30-5-11-4.5Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2IC 30-5-2-2, IC 30-5-2-6, IC 30-5-3-2, IC 30-5-3-3, IC 30-5-3-6, IC 30-5-4-1, IC 30-5-4-1.3, IC 30-5-4-1.5, IC 30-5-4-1.7, IC 30-5-4-2, IC 30-5-5-14.5, IC 30-5-6-1, IC 30-5-8-2, IC 30-5-8-7, IC 30-5-8-8, IC 30-5-9-9, IC 30-5-10-3, IC 30-5-11-4, IC 30-5-11-4.5Verified Sep 18, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Indiana, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathIC 32-17-14-1 to 32-17-14-32Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Indiana does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Vehicle Transfer on Death

Indiana allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleIC 9-17-3-9 (Transfer on death conveyance; requirements — vehicle-specific); IC 32-17-14 (Transfer on Death Property Act), applied to vehicles by IC 32-17-14-2(e) "Subject to IC 9-17-3-9(g)"Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

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Living Will

In Indiana, the living will is the Living Will DeclarationInd. Code ch. 16-36-4 (§§ 16-36-4-0.1 to 16-36-4-21)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Indiana

Free tools for planning your estate in Indiana: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Indiana and read its answer.

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Indiana, a will is signed before 2IC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredIC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Indiana recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedIC 29-1-5-5Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Indiana itself needs 2IC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredIC 29-1-5-2; IC 29-1-5-3Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Indiana, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of 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 the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Indiana runs $2,720Estimate: 10 hours at $272, Clio's Indiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,080Estimate: 15 hours at $272, Clio's Indiana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Indiana runs $945Estimate: 3 hours at $315, Clio's Indiana Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,890Estimate: 6 hours at $315, Clio's Indiana Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $24,871IC 29-1-10-13 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Indiana, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingInd. Code §§ 29-3-5-4(a)(2)–(a)(4), 29-3-5-5(a)(2), (a)(6); 29-3-3-7; 30-5-3-4(b)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Ind. Code § 1-1-4-5(a)(1), (a)(8)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Indiana takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of 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 the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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