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Boone County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Boone County details |
|---|---|
| Court for estates | Boone Superior Court I, 307 Courthouse Square, Lebanon, IN 46052. Boone County's caseload allocation plan assigns estates, guardianships and probate matters to this court (LR06-AR01-BLR-12). |
| Filing counter | Clerk of the Circuit Court, Boone County Courthouse, 212 Courthouse Square, Lebanon, IN 46052. Indiana uses one elected Clerk of the Circuit Court for every court in the county (IC 33-32-2-1, IC 33-32-2-2). |
| Mailing address | 212 Courthouse Square, Lebanon, IN 46052. No post office box is published for the clerk or the Boone County courts. |
| Clerk phone | (765) 482-3510 for filing, copies and case records. |
| Court phone | (765) 482-0450 for Boone Superior Court I hearing questions. |
| Fax | (765) 485-0150, clerk's fax. Do not assume a filing may be faxed. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Estate opening cost | The statutory probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, lists the all-in estate total as $177 (IC 33-37-4-7). Boone County's clerk table also lists estate, trust and guardianship filings at $177. |
| Local forms | No Boone County estate packet, checklist or petition form is published. Indiana has no statewide court-approved probate form set. |
| E-filing | Estate case types can be filed through the Indiana E-Filing System. Attorneys file electronically. Unrepresented filers are encouraged, but not required, to use the system (Ind. Trial Rule 87). |
| Case search | MyCase lists public Boone County estate cases. Search by the decedent's name and look for EU, ES or EM. |
| Remote appearance | No Boone County estate-specific remote appearance rule is published. Ask Boone Superior Court I before assuming a phone or video appearance is allowed. Statewide, remote probate hearings depend on Ind. Administrative Rule 14. |
| Website | Indiana Judicial Branch Boone County page, Boone County Clerk, and Boone Superior Court I. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Boone County, identify the decedent's probate assets, debts, beneficiary designations and jointly owned property. That work determines whether a Boone Superior Court I estate case is needed, what kind of petition is prepared, and how many certified copies of letters the personal representative should request from the clerk.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then turns that asset picture into a filing plan for the Lebanon counter. That matters in Boone County because the county's written assignment rule sends estates to Boone Superior Court I, and the filing should be identified as an estate at the clerk's counter from the start.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Boone County estate matters are filed at the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Lebanon and assigned to Boone Superior Court I under the county's caseload allocation plan (LR06-AR01-BLR-12). Boone County has three courts of record in the Boone County Courthouse: the Boone Circuit Court, Boone Superior Court I and Boone Superior Court II. The superior courts are established by IC 33-33-6-2, and each superior court holds session in the Boone County Courthouse in Lebanon (IC 33-33-6-3).
Venue for probating a will and administering an estate is the Indiana county where the decedent was domiciled at death (IC 29-1-7-1). A Boone County resident's estate is therefore a Boone County matter, even though Judicial District 12 also includes Clinton, Hamilton and Tipton Counties for administrative purposes. Communities served by the Lebanon courthouse include Lebanon, Zionsville, Whitestown, Thorntown and Jamestown.
Indiana law makes the three-court setup less confusing at the counter: one elected Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as clerk for the circuit and superior courts in the county (IC 33-32-2-1). In Boone County, that means the filing counter is the clerk's office at 212 Courthouse Square, while the estate is assigned to Boone Superior Court I at 307 Courthouse Square in the same courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- Map the estate before filing. List probate assets, debts, likely creditors, beneficiary designations, jointly owned property and Boone County real estate. This is the foundation for estate settlement and for deciding whether a court estate is needed.
- Gather the core documents. Get certified death certificates, the original will if there is one, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, asset information and debt information.
- Prepare the petition. Because Boone County publishes no estate packet or local petition form, the petition is drafted rather than selected from a county form set. The filing may ask for probate of a will and issuance of letters testamentary, or for letters of general administration when there is no will.
- File with the clerk in Lebanon or through the Indiana E-Filing System. The counter is the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 212 Courthouse Square. Attorneys file through the Indiana E-Filing System, and an unrepresented filer may use it but is not required to do so (Ind. Trial Rule 87). If filing in person, tell the clerk the filing is an estate so it is assigned to Boone Superior Court I under LR06-AR01-BLR-12.
- Use the right court assignment from the start. Boone County's caseload plan sends estates to Boone Superior Court I. This matters locally because a case filed in one Boone County court cannot be moved to another of the county's courts without a written stipulation of all parties, other than defaulted parties, filed in the cause (IC 33-33-6-4).
- Pay the estate opening cost and request letters. The statutory probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, lists the all-in estate total as $177 (IC 33-37-4-7). Boone County's clerk table says the original certified copy of letters is included in that estate filing amount and each additional certified copy is $2.00.
- Follow the will rule if filing electronically. A person e-filing a copy of a will files the affidavit required by Trial Rule 87(E), keeps the original will until the estate is closed or the time to contest has passed, and files the original if the court orders it.
- Wait for the court's order and the clerk's letters. Letters testamentary or letters of general administration are the Indiana documents that prove a personal representative's authority when they are attested by the clerk and issued under the court's seal (IC 29-1-10-4).
- Give notice and handle creditor steps. Indiana requires publication of notice of estate administration and service of notice as directed by statute, with proof of publication filed with the clerk (IC 29-1-7-7). Claims are handled through the clerk in the court where the estate is being administered (IC 29-1-14-2).
- Prepare the inventory and administer the estate. Boone County has no local rule adding an estate-specific inventory filing requirement, bond default or appraisal rule. Use the statewide Indiana duties for preparing the inventory, paying allowed claims, managing assets and distributing property.
- Close the estate. Depending on the type of administration, the estate ends with a closing statement or with a final settlement process. If Boone County real estate is sold or transferred through the estate, the deed or other recordable instrument is handled at the Boone County Recorder's Office at 202 Courthouse Square, in the same courthouse.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Boone County
Boone County does not publish a local estate packet, probate checklist, petition to open an estate or estate information sheet. The clerk's downloadable forms page is for small claims matters, and Boone County's local rules do not prescribe estate appendices or local probate forms. That means the petition and supporting documents for Boone Superior Court I are drafted for the estate rather than pulled from a Boone County form packet.
Indiana also has no statewide court-approved probate form set. The one statewide estate self-help form is the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000, which is not a Boone County form and is not filed with the court. It is given to the bank or other property holder when that statewide route applies.
Court staff cannot give legal advice, and any call about a filed case will go faster if you have the cause number ready. If you are filing without a lawyer, ask the clerk what Boone Superior Court I expects with the petition and what payment methods the counter accepts.
Fees
Indiana court costs for an estate are statutory, not set county by county. The probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, lists the all-in estate total as $177 when the statutory add-on fees are collected with it (IC 33-37-4-7). Boone County's clerk table matches that figure with an estate, trust and guardianship line of $177.
| Charge | Boone County amount | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Estate, trust and guardianship filing | $177 | The clerk's table lists this amount, matching the statewide estate total in the fee manual, current through the 2026 Legislative Session (IC 33-37-4-7). |
| Certified letters | Original certified letter included, $2.00 for each additional certified letter | Ask for enough certified copies for banks, transfer agents and title companies that need proof of the personal representative's authority. |
| Copies | $0.10 per page, except orders at $1.00 per page | Use for non-certified copies from the clerk. |
| Certified pleadings | $3.00 for certification, plus $1.00 per page for copies | Use when a certified pleading is needed. |
| Sheriff service of process | $28.00 | This is charged when sheriff service is requested or required, and the fee manual is current through the 2026 Legislative Session (IC 33-37-5-15). |
Offering a will for probate by itself is treated differently from opening an estate with letters, and a closing statement for an estate described in IC 29-1-8-4 is also listed among the probate filings for which the clerk may not collect a court costs fee (IC 33-37-4-7). If you are not sure which filing you are making, ask the clerk how the filing will be treated before you pay.
Local nuance
Boone County-specific considerations
Boone County's assignment rule matters. Boone County's caseload allocation plan sends estates, guardianships and probate matters to Boone Superior Court I (LR06-AR01-BLR-12). The county has three courts of record in one courthouse, but an estate filer does not choose among them. File with the clerk at 212 Courthouse Square and identify the filing as an estate.
Transfers between the county's courts are restricted by statute. Indiana law says a case filed in the Boone Circuit Court or one of the Boone Superior Courts may not be transferred to one of the other Boone County courts except on written stipulation of all parties, other than defaulted parties, filed in the cause (IC 33-33-6-4). This does not make the process harder when you file correctly. It simply makes the local court assignment worth getting right at the start.
No local estate procedure rule adds extra Boone County steps. Boone County's local rules do not add an estate-specific inventory rule, bond default, real estate appraisal rule, attorney-fee guideline or counsel requirement. The local rule you need to know is the assignment rule. Statewide Indiana probate law supplies the administration steps.
Another Boone County judge may sit temporarily. Boone County's local rules allow a regular sitting judge of the Circuit Court, Superior Court I or Superior Court II to act as a temporary judge when the regular sitting judge of another county court is absent (LR06-AR15-BLR-9). If a different Boone County judicial officer signs an order, that does not by itself mean the estate moved to a different court.
Older estate books are not handled like current cases. Current estates start with the clerk in the Boone County Courthouse. For historical research, the clerk's genealogy page says the county's older estate, probate and will record books were donated to the Lebanon Public Library in September 2014, and the clerk publishes an index of those materials.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update | What it means for Boone County estates |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | The Indiana Supreme Court approved Boone County's amended local rules on December 23, 2025, in Supreme Court Case No. 25S-MS-366, effective January 1, 2026. | The amended caseload allocation plan includes LR06-AR01-BLR-12, the local rule assigning estates, guardianships and probate matters to Boone Superior Court I. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start at the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 212 Courthouse Square in Lebanon, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If an estate case is needed, the county's plan assigns it to Boone Superior Court I in the same courthouse (LR06-AR01-BLR-12). Ask for the certified copies of letters you need, because Boone County's clerk table includes the original certified letter in the estate filing amount and charges $2.00 for each additional certified letter. | Sunset identifies accounts and assets across more than 2,300 financial institutions, helps determine what actually belongs in the estate settlement, and assembles the packet for the Lebanon counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | An out-of-state adult child can often do much of the planning before traveling. Indiana allows an unrepresented filer to use the Indiana E-Filing System but does not require it (Ind. Trial Rule 87). Boone County publishes no post office box, so ask the clerk at (765) 482-3510 what the counter accepts by mail before relying on mail. Once a case is opened, search MyCase by the decedent's name and keep the cause number ready for calls. | Sunset finds accounts from wherever the child lives, organizes the documents, and connects the family with an Indiana attorney if a resident agent, bond question or court filing needs legal help. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the estate through the clerk in Lebanon, with assignment to Boone Superior Court I. The statewide real estate timing rule is important: a personal representative may not sell Indiana real property to pay a debt that is not a lien of record in the county, or to pay administration costs, unless the petition for administration is filed within five months after death and letters issue within seven months after death (IC 29-1-7-15.1). Boone County's recorder is at 202 Courthouse Square in the same courthouse and publishes recording requirements and common reasons documents are rejected. | Sunset helps build the asset picture and the probate packet quickly, which protects time-sensitive real estate decisions, and connects the parent to a local probate attorney for the sale and deed steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Boone County courts, Indiana Judicial Branch | The county's current local rules, Judicial District 12 information, and links for court contact, case search and e-filing. |
| Boone County Clerk's Office | The Lebanon filing counter address, clerk phone, fax, hours, fee table and local rules link. |
| Boone Superior Court I | The court assigned to Boone County estates, with its courthouse address and court phone line. |
| MyCase | Indiana's statewide public case search. Search Boone County estate cases by the decedent's name and look for EU, ES or EM. |
| Indiana Legal Help, estates | Estate self-help information, the statewide small estate affidavit, a probate FAQ, a small estate FAQ and a motion to ask to attend court by phone or computer. |
| Indiana Judicial Branch e-filing | Information about the Indiana E-Filing System, certified e-filing service providers and who is required to e-file. |
| Indiana Legal Services, Indianapolis office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers. The Indianapolis office serves Boone County and lists Monday through Friday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Free, confidential answers to civil legal questions from volunteer Indiana attorneys. |
When to hire an attorney
Boone County's local rules do not require a personal representative to have a lawyer, and the county's courts publish self-service pages for people without counsel. Court staff and judges cannot give legal advice, so an attorney is often worth it when the estate is supervised, real estate must be sold, an heir objects, creditor issues are complicated, or the personal representative lives out of state and needs a resident agent or bond guidance. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, balances and institutions before filing. That asset map helps decide whether Boone County court administration is needed and what the personal representative will need after letters issue.
Generate the probate packet. Boone County does not publish an estate packet, so Sunset helps assemble the petition, supporting information and filing checklist around the court that actually handles estates, Boone Superior Court I.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a sale of Boone County real estate, a dispute, a non-resident personal representative, a bond question or a supervised administration, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Indiana probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to start estate settlement, organize the asset picture or get matched with attorney help. Families can use Sunset to move from uncertainty to a practical filing plan for the Boone County courthouse.
Frequently asked questions
Which court handles probate in Boone County?
Boone Superior Court I handles Boone County estate matters. The local caseload allocation plan assigns estates, guardianships and probate matters to Boone Superior Court I (LR06-AR01-BLR-12). You still file at the Clerk of the Circuit Court counter at 212 Courthouse Square in Lebanon.
Where do I file to probate a will in Boone County?
File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Boone County Courthouse, 212 Courthouse Square, Lebanon, IN 46052. If the filing asks for letters or opens an estate, the case is assigned to Boone Superior Court I in the same courthouse.
When is the Boone County Clerk's Office in Lebanon open?
The clerk publishes hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. Call (765) 482-3510 before planning a trip, especially around a holiday.
Do I have to e-file an estate case in Boone County?
If you are represented by an attorney, the attorney files through the Indiana E-Filing System. If you are unrepresented, Indiana encourages e-filing but does not require it (Ind. Trial Rule 87). Ask the Boone County Clerk what paper or mail options the counter accepts before relying on them.
What does it cost to open an estate in Boone County?
The statutory probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, lists the all-in estate total as $177 (IC 33-37-4-7). Boone County's clerk table also lists estate, trust and guardianship filings at $177. If sheriff service is needed, the clerk's table lists $28.00, and the fee manual is current through the 2026 Legislative Session (IC 33-37-5-15).
Does Boone County have its own probate forms?
No Boone County estate packet, probate checklist or petition form is published. The clerk's forms page is for small claims forms. Indiana's one statewide estate self-help form, CCA-EM-0722-5000, is a small estate affidavit that is given to the asset holder, not filed with the Boone County court.
Can I look up a Boone County estate case online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase at mycase.in.gov. Boone County estate cases appear under Indiana estate identifiers such as EU, ES or EM. MyCase is useful for tracking a public case, but official court records come from the court that maintains them.
Will I have to appear in person at the courthouse in Lebanon?
Boone County does not publish a special estate remote appearance rule. Statewide, an Indiana court may hold a non-testimonial hearing remotely at the court's discretion, while a hearing with testimony is in person unless the court allows remote participation for good cause or by agreement (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). Ask Boone Superior Court I at (765) 482-0450 before assuming a phone or video appearance is allowed.
How do I get extra certified copies of letters in Boone County?
Ask the clerk when letters testamentary or letters of general administration issue. The Boone County Clerk's table says the original certified letter is included in the estate filing amount and each additional certified letter is $2.00. Different banks, transfer agents and title companies may each ask for their own certified copy.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.