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Decatur County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Decatur County detail |
|---|---|
| Court for estate cases | Decatur Circuit Court under LR16-AR00-1 for ES, EU and EM estate case types |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court, Decatur County Courthouse, 150 Courthouse Square, Suite/Room 244, Greensburg, IN 47240 |
| Mailing | Clerk of the Circuit Court, 150 Courthouse Square, Suite/Room 244, Greensburg, IN 47240 |
| Phone | Clerk: (812) 663-8223. Decatur Circuit Court hearing questions: (812) 663-8455 |
| Fax | (812) 662-6627 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. Call ahead if filing near closing time. |
| Court cost | $177 for a petition for probate of will and issuance of letters or a petition for letters of general administration, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, including the $120 probate costs fee and statutory add-ons under IC 33-37-4-7 and IC 33-37-5. Add $28 for sheriff service if requested, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, under IC 33-37-5-15. |
| Local forms | No Decatur County online estate packet is published. The clerk page lists other court forms, but not an estate form set. |
| E-filing | Indiana E-Filing System, or IEFS, is available statewide. Attorneys file electronically under Ind. Trial Rule 87. Unrepresented litigants are encouraged, but not required, to use IEFS. |
| Case search | MyCase, https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/. Search by the decedent's name and look for EU, ES or EM case types. |
| Remote appearance | No Decatur County probate-specific remote rule appears in the local rules. Non-testimonial hearings may be remote at the court's discretion, and testimonial hearings are in person unless the court allows remote participation for good cause or by agreement under Ind. Administrative Rule 14. |
| Websites | County clerk: https://decaturcounty.in.gov/clerk/. Indiana Judicial Branch local page: https://www.in.gov/courts/local/decatur-county/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Greensburg, build a practical inventory of the decedent's assets, debts, beneficiary designations and jointly owned property. That first pass determines whether Decatur County needs a Circuit Court estate case, whether the estate may use a small estate route, and what kind of estate settlement work is ahead.
Sunset can search across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and liabilities before the probate packet is prepared. Starting with the asset picture helps avoid filing the wrong case type or opening a Decatur County estate when a non-court transfer is enough.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Decatur County estate cases are filed at the Decatur County Courthouse in Greensburg. The county's local rule assigns ES, EU and EM estate case types to the Decatur Circuit Court, and the Circuit Court has original and concurrent civil jurisdiction under IC 33-28-1-2. Decatur County also has a standard Superior Court, but LR16-AR00-1 assigns the estate case types to the Circuit Court.
Indiana venue is based on the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Indiana, venue may be in an Indiana county where the decedent left property or where estate property later came into the county (IC 29-1-7-1). The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves the filing role for the courts in the county under IC 33-32-2-1.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Decatur County is the right venue. Use Decatur County if the decedent was domiciled there at death, or if a nonresident decedent left property there under IC 29-1-7-1.
- Choose the Decatur County case path. Estate case types ES, EU and EM are assigned to the Decatur Circuit Court by LR16-AR00-1. If a will is being offered through e-filing, Ind. Trial Rule 87(E) requires an accurate copy of the will and an affidavit about possession or deposit of the original will.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. Indiana does not provide a statewide court-approved probate form set, and Decatur County does not publish an online estate packet. The petition should fit the estate, identify the proposed personal representative, and request letters testamentary or letters of general administration when authority is needed.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 150 Courthouse Square, Suite/Room 244, Greensburg. Attorneys use IEFS under Ind. Trial Rule 87. If you are not represented by counsel, you may use IEFS or contact the clerk about filing at the courthouse counter.
- Pay the court cost for the filing that opens administration. A petition for probate of will and issuance of letters or a petition for letters of general administration is $177, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, under IC 33-37-4-7 and IC 33-37-5. If sheriff service is requested, the added service fee is $28, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, under IC 33-37-5-15. Offering a will for probate alone is treated differently under IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3).
- Handle required notice. After letters are issued, notice of administration is published once each week for two consecutive weeks, and proof of publication is filed with the clerk within 30 days after publication under IC 29-1-7-7. Known or reasonably ascertainable creditors receive notice under the Indiana notice rules.
- Ask how the Decatur Circuit Court will schedule any hearing. Decatur County local rules do not list probate hearing days. For a remote request, use the statewide rule: non-testimonial proceedings may be remote at the court's discretion, while testimonial proceedings are in person unless the court allows remote participation for good cause or by agreement under Ind. Administrative Rule 14.
- Receive authority after the court acts. Letters issued to a personal representative, attested by the clerk and under the seal of the court, are evidence of authority until superseded or revoked (IC 29-1-10-4).
- Administer and close the estate. Indiana requires the personal representative to prepare an inventory on the statutory schedule, and Decatur County local rules do not add a local probate inventory filing rule. Pay valid claims, manage property, distribute assets, and complete the closing step that fits the estate settlement, such as an unsupervised closing statement under IC 29-1-7.5-4 when available.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Decatur County
Decatur County does not publish an online estate packet, probate checklist or estate information sheet on the county clerk page. The county's local rules also do not include a LR16-PR probate form family. For most Decatur County administrations, the petition and proposed orders are drafted for the specific estate and filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court for assignment to the Decatur Circuit Court.
Indiana's statewide estate self-help form is the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000. It is not a Decatur County court form and is not filed with the Decatur Circuit Court. For deaths after June 30, 2022, it applies only if the gross probate estate, less liens, encumbrances and reasonable funeral expenses, is $100,000 or less under IC 29-1-8-1, and it is given to the bank or other holder of the asset.
Local nuance
Decatur County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Greensburg courthouse | Decatur County filings are at the courthouse in Greensburg. Do not confuse Decatur County with the city of Decatur, which is in another Indiana county. |
| Circuit Court assignment | LR16-AR00-1 assigns ES, EU and EM estate cases to the Decatur Circuit Court. |
| No local probate rule family | The current LR16 local rules do not contain a LR16-PR probate family and do not add a Decatur County inventory filing deadline, bond default, attorney-fee guideline or local counsel requirement for probate matters. |
| Earlier closing time | The clerk's published hours end at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Call before making a late-day filing trip. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Decatur County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating non-probate transfers from assets that need Decatur Circuit Court authority. If the home was co-owned with survivorship rights, the court case may focus on accounts or property held only in the decedent's name. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and beneficiary designations so the spouse can see whether a court estate is needed for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate qualifies for Indiana's small estate affidavit route for deaths after June 30, 2022, and the gross probate estate is $100,000 or less after the deductions listed in IC 29-1-8-1, the child may be able to use the affidavit with the asset holder instead of opening a Decatur County estate. If court authority is needed, the case is filed through the clerk in Greensburg and assigned to the Decatur Circuit Court. | Sunset helps gather account information and can help prepare the right packet for the route the family chooses. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Indiana real property may require a Decatur Circuit Court administration and letters for the personal representative, especially if debts or title issues must be handled. Indiana also has timing rules for using estate real property to pay certain debts and administration costs. | Sunset helps organize asset information, identify mortgage and creditor issues, and connect the parent with local probate counsel when the real estate sale needs court-supervised steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps Decatur County families | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Judicial Branch, Decatur County local page | Provides the county's local rules, court links, case search link and e-filing link. | https://www.in.gov/courts/local/decatur-county/ |
| Decatur County Clerk | Filing counter for Decatur County estate cases. Use for courthouse hours, filing logistics and clerk questions. | 150 Courthouse Square, Suite/Room 244, Greensburg, IN 47240. (812) 663-8223. [email protected]. https://decaturcounty.in.gov/clerk/ |
| MyCase | Statewide public case search for Indiana court cases, including Decatur County estate case types EU, ES and EM. | https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/ |
| Indiana Legal Help, Estate | Estate self-help information and the CCA small estate affidavit form. | https://indianalegalhelp.org/legal-topic-category/estate-2/ |
| Indiana Judicial Branch Self-Service Legal Center | General self-representation guidance. It does not provide a probate section. | https://www.in.gov/courts/selfservice/ |
| Indiana e-filing | IEFS information, certified provider list and user guidance for electronic filing. | https://www.in.gov/courts/efiling/ |
| Indiana Legal Services, Indianapolis office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers in Decatur County. Intake decides whether help is available for a particular issue. | 1200 Madison Avenue, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46225. (317) 631-9410. https://www.indianalegalservices.org/locations/ |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Online questions answered by volunteer Indiana attorneys for eligible users. | https://indiana.freelegalanswers.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and liabilities. That asset map helps families decide whether Decatur County estate settlement needs a court case or a simpler transfer route.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family intake into an organized packet for the estate path, including the local filing destination in Greensburg and the Decatur Circuit Court assignment for ES, EU and EM case types.
Find a local probate attorney. When a real estate sale, contested claim, nonresident personal representative or supervised administration makes legal help important, Sunset can connect the family with probate counsel familiar with Indiana practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps and move through estate settlement without paying Sunset for the core service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Decatur County?
File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Decatur County Courthouse, 150 Courthouse Square, Suite/Room 244, Greensburg, IN 47240. Decatur County local rule LR16-AR00-1 assigns ES, EU and EM estate case types to the Decatur Circuit Court.
Is Decatur County probate filed in the city of Decatur?
No. Decatur County's courthouse is in Greensburg. The city of Decatur is in a different Indiana county, so use Greensburg for Decatur County estate filings.
Can I e-file a Decatur County probate case?
Yes. Indiana's IEFS is available statewide. Attorneys file electronically under Ind. Trial Rule 87. Unrepresented litigants are encouraged, but not required, to use IEFS, so call the Decatur County clerk if you plan to file at the counter.
Does Decatur County have local probate forms?
Decatur County does not publish an online estate packet or local probate checklist on the county clerk page. Indiana also does not provide a statewide court-approved probate form set, other than the CCA small estate affidavit for qualifying non-court transfers.
What does it cost to open an estate in Decatur County?
A petition for probate of will and issuance of letters or a petition for letters of general administration is $177, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, under IC 33-37-4-7 and IC 33-37-5. If sheriff service is requested, add $28, current through the 2026 Legislative Session, under IC 33-37-5-15.
Can I look up a Decatur County estate online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase at https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/. Estate case types appear as EU for unsupervised, ES for supervised and EM for miscellaneous estate matters.
Does Decatur County publish probate hearing days?
Decatur County local rules do not list probate hearing days or a filing-to-hearing window. After filing, ask the clerk or the Decatur Circuit Court how the court schedules any hearing needed in the estate.
Can I appear remotely for a Decatur County probate hearing?
Decatur County local rules do not add a probate-specific remote appearance rule. Under Ind. Administrative Rule 14, a non-testimonial hearing may be remote at the court's discretion, while a testimonial hearing is in person unless the court allows remote participation for good cause or by agreement.
Do I have to travel to Greensburg if I live out of state?
Not always. Some filings can be handled through IEFS or by counsel, and some small estates use a non-court affidavit. If you are appointed as a nonresident personal representative, Indiana requires a written acceptance, a resident agent for service, and bond unless the court waives or adjusts it in an unsupervised administration under IC 29-1-10-1(d).
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.