Evansville estate and probate attorney serving Vanderburgh County and nearby Newburgh, Mount Vernon, and Princeton. Bradley J. Salmon counsels on probate and non-probate assets and litigates contested estates: will and trust contests, breach of fiduciary duty, claims against estates, and guardianship disputes. Nearly 40 years in practice.
Estate Planning for Warrick County, Indiana Property Owners
For most Warrick 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.
For a Warrick County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Circuit and Superior Courts. The two tools that keep a Warrick 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.
Skipping this planning step means the Circuit and Superior Courts decides who receives the property: a simple Indiana probate takes 6+ months and opens with $177 in court 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 Warrick County
A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Warrick 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.
Where to Record Property Documents
Deeds and other real property documents for Warrick County are recorded with the County Recorder at 1 County Square, Suite 230, Boonville, IN 47601. Phone: 1-812-897-6165. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $25 flat, regardless of page count. A 2-page transfer on death deed costs $35 to record in Warrick County, 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.
Warrick County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Warrick County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
1 County Square, Suite 230, Boonville, IN 47601
Website
E-recording
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
Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Warrick County
Evansville firm practicing since 1952, administering wills and trusts across Vanderburgh, Gibson, Posey, and Warrick counties. Handles the full arc of estate and trust administration: inventory and valuation of assets, selling or partitioning real property, paying debts, distributing inheritances, filing tax returns, and filing reports with the probate court and the State of Indiana.
Jasper and Evansville practice serving southern Indiana, led by John Collins, a Board Certified Indiana Trust and Estate Lawyer since 2013. Work covers estate and trust administration -- representing personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries -- plus will and trust contests, creditor claims against estates, elder law and Medicaid planning, and farm and business succession.
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.
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.
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
(2)·
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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Free
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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Free
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 Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
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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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Indiana Estate Planning Articles
Estate planning articles for Indiana.
