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Hendricks County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Hendricks County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court for estates | Hendricks Superior Court No. 2, Room 107, first floor, Hendricks County Courthouse, 51 W. Main Street, Danville, IN 46122. Estate case types are assigned there by LR32-AR1 Rule 1. |
| Filing counter | Hendricks County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Room 104, Hendricks County Courthouse, 51 W. Main Street, Danville, IN 46122. |
| Mailing | Use the clerk's courthouse address unless the clerk gives different instructions for your filing. The clerk publishes no probate-specific post office box for estate filings. |
| Clerk phone | (317) 745-9231 for filings, case records and copies. |
| Court phone | (317) 745-9244 for Hendricks Superior Court No. 2 hearing questions. |
| Fax | (317) 745-9306, clerk's office. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed holidays. The courthouse can be entered only through the west security entrance. |
| Cost to open an estate | The probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Office of Court Services lists the total with statutory add-on fees as $177, current through the 2026 Legislative Session (IC 33-37-4-7). |
| Local forms | Yes, but limited. The clerk publishes a local Claim on Estate form for creditors, a generic motion and order form, and the statewide small estate affidavit. There is no local estate-opening packet. |
| E-filing | Indiana uses the Indiana E-Filing System. Attorneys are required to e-file. Unrepresented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to use the system (Ind. Trial Rule 87). |
| Case search | Search estate cases by the decedent's name on MyCase. Hendricks County also links the Indiana Judiciary hearing calendar for scheduled hearings. |
| Remote appearance | Hendricks County local rules do not set a probate remote-appearance practice. Indiana courts may allow remote non-testimonial hearings at the court's discretion, and testimonial hearings are remote only for good cause or by agreement (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). |
| Website | Indiana Judicial Branch, Hendricks County courts |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Hendricks County, make a practical list of the decedent's probate assets, debts, known creditors, real estate and titled property. The local court assignment is clear, but the right petition, notice plan and closing path depend on what the estate owns and owes.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families search for accounts across more than 2,300 financial institutions, organize liabilities, and turn that information into a probate packet for the Danville courthouse.
Which court handles jurisdiction
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). If the decedent was domiciled in Hendricks County, the estate is filed with the Hendricks County clerk in Danville and assigned to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2 under LR32-AR1 Rule 1.
Indiana has one elected Clerk of the Circuit Court in each county, and that clerk serves the circuit court and the superior courts (IC 33-32-2-1, IC 33-32-2-2). In Hendricks County, that one clerk's office is the filing counter for estate matters even though the case is heard in Superior Court No. 2.
Danville is the courthouse town for all of Hendricks County, including estates for residents of Brownsburg, Plainfield and Avon.
Hendricks County is the fifty-fifth judicial circuit, and its superior courts hold sessions in the Hendricks County Courthouse in Danville (IC 33-33-32-1, IC 33-33-32-3). Hendricks and Morgan Counties are in Judicial District 16 for court administration, but that district does not change the county venue rule.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the estate assets and debts. List bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, business interests, bills, taxes, funeral expenses and creditor notices before choosing a filing path. This first step keeps the estate settlement plan tied to the actual property.
- Gather the core documents. Collect the certified death certificate, the original will if there is one, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, creditor information and any documents showing who should serve as personal representative.
- Prepare the petition and a proposed order. File the petition for probate of will and issuance of letters, or the petition for letters of general administration, with a separate proposed order. Hendricks County requires each motion, petition or other request for relief to be accompanied by a proposed order on its own page and filed as its own document (LR32-AR00 Rule 4).
- File with the clerk in Danville or through the Indiana E-Filing System. File at the Hendricks County Clerk's Office, Room 104, 51 W. Main Street, Danville, or e-file if you are using the Indiana E-Filing System. Attorneys are required to e-file; unrepresented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to do so (Ind. Trial Rule 87). If you plan to file on paper or by mail without a lawyer, call the clerk first for current counter instructions.
- Use the correct local court assignment. Estate case types are assigned to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2, Room 107, under LR32-AR1 Rule 1. The clerk receives the filing; the case is heard in Superior Court No. 2.
- Pay the statutory court costs when required. The probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Office of Court Services lists the total with statutory add-on fees as $177, current through the 2026 Legislative Session (IC 33-37-4-7). Offering a will for probate alone and certain closing statements are treated differently under IC 33-37-4-7(c), so name the filing you are making when you ask the clerk what is due.
- Account for courthouse security. The courthouse can be entered only through the west security entrance. LR32-AR00 Rule 10 requires courthouse visitors to consent to security screening, including packages, briefcases and purses.
- Receive court authority before acting for the estate. After the court grants the appointment, letters testamentary or letters of general administration, attested by the clerk and under the seal of the court, are evidence of the personal representative's authority (IC 29-1-10-4).
- Publish and serve the notice of administration. Indiana requires notice of administration to be published after letters issue, and proof of publication is filed with the clerk. Notice is also served on heirs, beneficiaries and known creditors as required by Indiana law (IC 29-1-7-7).
- Prepare the inventory and manage the estate. Indiana requires a personal representative to prepare a verified inventory on the statewide clock. Hendricks County has no local probate rule that adds a filed-inventory requirement, a local bond default or a local estate appraisal rule.
- Handle hearings and close the estate. Check MyCase and the Hendricks County hearing calendar for scheduled dates. Ask Hendricks Superior Court No. 2 about any remote-appearance request. Close the estate through the appropriate Indiana closing statement or final settlement procedure after debts, expenses, distributions and required notices are handled.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Hendricks County
Hendricks County does not publish a local estate-opening packet or a probate checklist. Indiana also does not have a statewide court-approved probate form set for opening a regular estate, so the petition and supporting documents are usually drafted for the particular estate rather than selected from a single statewide packet.
The Hendricks County Clerk's Self Service Center does publish a local Claim on Estate form. That form is for a creditor filing a claim against an estate, not for a personal representative opening the estate. The case number comes from the clerk.
The clerk's Self Service Center also hosts Indiana's statewide small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000. That affidavit is not a Hendricks County estate-opening form and is not filed with the court; it is presented to the bank or other holder of property when the statewide affidavit route applies.
Hendricks County's most important local filing rule is not a probate form. LR32-AR00 Rule 4 requires every petition, motion or other request for relief to come with a separate proposed order, filed as its own document, with a complete distribution list.
Local nuance
Hendricks County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for an estate filing |
|---|---|
| Estate cases go to Superior Court No. 2 | Do not look for a separate probate division. LR32-AR1 Rule 1 assigns estate case types to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2. |
| One clerk's counter serves the courts | The Clerk of the Circuit Court receives filings for the county's courts. For an estate, go to Room 104 for filing and records, even though the case is heard in Room 107 by Superior Court No. 2. |
| Every petition needs a proposed order | LR32-AR00 Rule 4 requires each petition or request for relief to be filed with a proposed order on a separate page and as a separate document. E-filers use the filing code for a proposed order. |
| No local probate rule family | Hendricks County local rules do not add an estate-specific inventory filing rule, bond default, appraisal rule, attorney-fee guideline or counsel requirement. The Indiana Code and statewide court rules govern those topics. |
| West security entrance | The courthouse can be entered only through the west security entrance, and LR32-AR00 Rule 10 requires screening of people and carried items. |
| Real estate recording is a separate office | Estate deeds and other recordable real estate documents go to the Hendricks County Recorder's Office at 355 S. Washington Street in Danville, not to the clerk's Room 104 counter. The recorder states that deeds presented after 3:45 p.m. are transferred the next business day. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Hendricks County's current local court rules took effect, including LR32-AR1 Rule 1 and Appendix A assigning estate case types to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Hendricks County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from property that passes outside probate. If a Hendricks County estate needs to be opened, file with the clerk in Room 104 at the Danville courthouse, include the proposed order required by LR32-AR00 Rule 4, and expect assignment to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2 in Room 107. | Sunset finds accounts and assets, organizes debts and documents, and generates the estate settlement packet for the Hendricks County filing counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the statewide small estate affidavit route applies, the affidavit is presented to the property holder rather than filed at the courthouse. If administration is needed, an out-of-state personal representative can use the Indiana resident-agent and bond process, and may use the Indiana E-Filing System if filing without traveling to Danville. | Sunset helps identify whether there are enough probate assets to require administration, prepares the packet, and connects the family to an Indiana probate attorney if a resident agent or bond issue needs legal help. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the estate in Hendricks County by filing with the clerk and attaching a proposed order. Watch the statewide real-estate timing rules if the sale is needed to pay debts or administration costs. When a deed is ready for recording, the Hendricks County Recorder's Office is at 355 S. Washington Street, a different building from the courthouse. | Sunset helps assemble the asset picture quickly, build the court packet, and connect the parent with a probate attorney for the sale and recording steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Hendricks County courts, Indiana Judicial Branch | Links the current Hendricks County local court rules, judicial district information, court contact links, case search and e-filing resources. |
| Hendricks County Clerk's Office | Use the county departments page to reach the clerk's office information, including the Room 104 location, (317) 745-9231 phone number, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours, the west security entrance note, and the clerk's Self Service Center with its Claim on Estate form and the statewide small estate affidavit it hosts. |
| Hendricks County hearing calendar | Look up scheduled Hendricks County court hearings through the Indiana Judiciary's public hearing calendar. |
| MyCase | Search Hendricks County estate cases by the decedent's name. Estate case identifiers include EU, ES and EM. |
| Indiana Legal Help, estates | Provides Indiana estate self-help information, the statewide small estate affidavit, probate FAQs, small estate FAQs and a statewide motion for telephonic or virtual appearance. |
| Indiana statewide e-filing | Explains the Indiana E-Filing System, certified e-filing service providers and who is required or encouraged to e-file. |
| Indiana Legal Services, Indianapolis office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers. The Indianapolis office lists Hendricks County in its service area and posts Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. hours. |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Free, confidential answers to civil legal questions from volunteer Indiana attorneys. |
When to hire an attorney
Hendricks County local rules do not require a personal representative to have a lawyer, and LR32-AR00 Rule 4 is written to include unrepresented litigants. A probate attorney makes sense when the estate is supervised, real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, a creditor claim is disputed, or an out-of-state personal representative needs a resident agent and a bond decision. The county has a bar-run pro bono program, but its published areas of help do not include estate and trust matters, so a personal representative needing probate help will usually be looking for private counsel. Sunset connects you to a vetted Indiana probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help you identify accounts, balances and assets before you decide what to file in Hendricks County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into an organized packet for the Danville filing counter, including the petition materials and the proposed order Hendricks County requires with each request.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a home sale, a creditor dispute, a supervised administration, a resident-agent issue or a bond question, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Indiana probate attorney who practices in Indiana probate matters.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to start estate settlement, organize documents, find assets, or get matched with support for the Hendricks County probate process.
Frequently asked questions
Which court handles probate in Hendricks County?
Estate cases are assigned to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2 under LR32-AR1 Rule 1. The court is in Room 107 on the first floor of the Hendricks County Courthouse in Danville.
Where do I file to probate a will in Hendricks County?
File with the Hendricks County Clerk of the Circuit Court in Room 104 of the courthouse at 51 W. Main Street, Danville. The clerk receives the filing, and the estate case is assigned to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2.
When is the Hendricks County Clerk's Office in Danville open?
The clerk publishes Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed holidays. The courthouse can only be entered through the west security entrance, so allow time for screening.
Do I have to e-file an estate case in Hendricks County?
Attorneys are required to e-file through the Indiana E-Filing System. Unrepresented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to do so (Ind. Trial Rule 87). Hendricks County's proposed-order rule gives filing-code instructions for attorneys and unrepresented e-filers.
What happens to the original will if I e-file in Hendricks County?
Under Ind. Trial Rule 87(E), a filer who files a copy of a will for probate also files an affidavit about the original will and keeps the original until the estate is closed or the time to contest the will has expired, unless the court orders otherwise.
What does it cost to open an estate in Hendricks County?
The probate costs fee is $120, and the Indiana Office of Court Services lists the total with statutory add-on fees as $177, current through the 2026 Legislative Session (IC 33-37-4-7). The amount is statewide, not set by Hendricks County.
Does Hendricks County have its own probate forms?
Hendricks County has limited local forms. The clerk publishes a Claim on Estate form for creditors and a generic motion and order form, but it does not publish an estate-opening packet. The clerk also hosts Indiana's statewide small estate affidavit, which is given to the property holder rather than filed with the court.
Can I look up a Hendricks County estate case online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase. Estate cases appear under identifiers such as EU, ES and EM. For scheduled hearing dates, use the Hendricks County hearing calendar linked by the Indiana Judiciary.
Will I have to appear in person at the courthouse in Danville?
Possibly. Hendricks County local rules do not set a probate remote-appearance practice. Indiana courts may hold non-testimonial hearings remotely at the court's discretion, and testimonial hearings are remote only for good cause or by agreement (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). Ask Hendricks Superior Court No. 2 about your hearing.
Does Hendricks County have local court rules that affect an estate?
Yes. The most important local rules are LR32-AR1 Rule 1, which assigns estate cases to Hendricks Superior Court No. 2, LR32-AR00 Rule 4, which requires a separate proposed order with every petition or request for relief, and LR32-AR00 Rule 10, which governs courthouse security.
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.