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Pulaski County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Pulaski Circuit Court or Pulaski County Superior Court. Under LR66-AR-01(E)(6)(D), civil case types not otherwise assigned may be filed in either court at the filing party's discretion. |
| Clerk | Pulaski County Clerk of Courts, Room 018, Winamac courthouse. |
| Mailing | Call the clerk before mailing estate papers, because the local materials do not provide a separate estate mailing address. |
| Phone | Clerk of Courts: (574) 946-3313. Secondary clerk number: (574) 526-9330. |
| Fax | Clerk fax: (574) 946-4953. |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. |
| Court costs | A petition for letters testamentary or letters of general administration is $177, current through 2026, under IC 33-37. Offering a will for probate alone is listed as a no court-costs filing under IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3). |
| Local forms | Pulaski County does not publish a county estate packet, estate cover sheet, estate checklist, or local probate form on the clerk page or in the LR66 local rules. |
| E-filing | Indiana's IEFS is available statewide. Attorneys file through the IEFS; unrepresented litigants are encouraged but not required to use it under Ind. Trial Rule 87. |
| Case search | Search public estate cases on MyCase at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. Estate cases commonly use EU, ES, or EM case type labels. |
| Remote appearance | Pulaski County local rules do not add a probate-specific remote hearing rule. Remote probate hearings follow Ind. Administrative Rule 14. |
| Websites | Indiana Judicial Branch local page: www.in.gov/courts/local/pulaski-county/. Pulaski Clerk of Courts page: pulaskionline.org/department/clerk-of-courts/. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Pulaski County court, list the decedent's assets, debts, account holders, beneficiaries, real estate, vehicles, and likely creditors. The right estate settlement path depends on what actually needs court authority, not just whether there is a will.
Sunset can help you build that asset picture first, including asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, so you know whether a Pulaski County estate needs letters, a small estate affidavit, a deed or sale step, or another local filing strategy.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Pulaski County probate filings are made in Winamac through the Clerk of Courts. Pulaski County is served by both the Pulaski Circuit Court and the Pulaski County Superior Court, and the county's caseload allocation rule places unlisted civil case types in either court at the filing party's discretion. The Clerk of the Circuit Court serves as clerk for both courts under IC 33-32-2-1.
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 (IC 29-1-7-1).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the assets and the needed authority. Decide whether Pulaski County court authority is needed for accounts, real estate, vehicles, creditor claims, or a sale. If no administration is needed, a statewide small estate affidavit may be enough for qualifying personal property under IC 29-1-8.
- Prepare the opening papers. Indiana does not publish a statewide probate packet for full estates, and Pulaski County does not publish a county estate packet or estate cover sheet. A petition commonly asks the court to probate a will, appoint a personal representative, and issue letters testamentary or letters of general administration.
- Choose the Pulaski court for filing. Under LR66-AR-01(E)(6)(D), estate cases fall in the civil category that may be filed in either the Pulaski Circuit Court or the Pulaski County Superior Court, at the filing party's discretion. The clerk's office handles estate filings for both courts.
- File through the clerk or the IEFS. Attorneys file electronically through the IEFS. If you are unrepresented, Ind. Trial Rule 87 encourages electronic filing but does not require it, so call the Pulaski County Clerk of Courts before relying on a counter or mail option.
- Pay the court costs if the filing asks to open an estate. A petition for letters testamentary or letters of general administration is $177, current through 2026, under IC 33-37. If sheriff service is requested, an additional $28 may apply, current through 2026, under IC 33-37-5-15.
- Handle notice after letters issue. Indiana requires published notice of estate administration and service on required persons and known or reasonably ascertainable creditors as directed by IC 29-1-7-7. Creditor claim deadlines run from the first published notice and the date of death under IC 29-1-14-1.
- Follow the assigned court's hearing instructions. Pulaski County local rules do not set a probate hearing day or a filing-to-hearing interval. If the court sets a hearing, follow the notice from the Pulaski Circuit Court or Pulaski County Superior Court.
- Request remote appearance only when appropriate. Non-testimonial hearings may be remote at the court's discretion, while testimonial hearings are generally in person unless good cause or party agreement supports remote participation (Ind. Administrative Rule 14).
- Use the letters to administer the estate. Once issued, letters attested by the clerk and under court seal are evidence of the personal representative's authority until superseded or revoked (IC 29-1-10-4).
- Close the estate. In an unsupervised estate, the personal representative closes by filing a closing statement no earlier than three months after the first published creditor notice if the statutory requirements are met (IC 29-1-7.5-4). In a supervised estate, follow the court's orders for final settlement.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Pulaski County
Pulaski County does not publish a county estate packet, estate cover sheet, estate checklist, or local probate form on the clerk page or in the county's LR66 local rules. The county's local rules also do not prescribe estate-specific appendices, inventory forms, bond forms, or supervised-estate attorney-fee guidelines.
Indiana also does not have a statewide court-approved form set for opening a full estate. The statewide estate form that does exist is the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000, which is used for qualifying transfers under IC 29-1-8 and is presented to the holder of the property rather than filed with the Pulaski County court.
Local nuance
Pulaski County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Estate cases may be filed in either court | Pulaski County's LR66-AR-01(E)(6)(D) allows civil case types not otherwise assigned to be filed in either Circuit Court or Superior Court at the filing party's discretion. Estates are not listed in the rule's specific assignments for criminal, juvenile, paternity, or small claims matters. |
| One clerk handles both courts | The Pulaski County Clerk of Courts processes estates and guardianships, along with civil, criminal, juvenile, adoption, small claims, and infraction matters. |
| No PR-series local probate rule | The current Pulaski County local rules do not add a probate-specific inventory deadline, bond default, estate-form requirement, or attorney-fee guideline. |
| Street-number directions should be checked before visiting | The local materials point readers to the clerk in Room 018 at the Winamac courthouse. Call the clerk before visiting if you need current street-number directions. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Pulaski County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by checking how the home is titled and whether any Pulaski County assets require court authority. If letters are needed, the estate may be filed through the clerk in either the Pulaski Circuit Court or the Pulaski County Superior Court under LR66-AR-01(E)(6)(D). | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and title questions before you choose a filing path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the gross probate estate qualifies under IC 29-1-8 for a death after June 30, 2022, the $100,000 small estate affidavit route may avoid opening a Pulaski County estate. If court authority is needed, Indiana allows a nonresident personal representative to serve if statutory acceptance, resident-agent, and bond requirements are addressed (IC 29-1-10-1(d)). | Sunset helps decide whether the affidavit path is enough and can generate an organized packet for a Pulaski County filing if letters are needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home must be sold through the estate, the case can be opened in either Pulaski court through the clerk. If a sale is needed to pay debts or administration costs, pay attention to Indiana's five-month petition and seven-month letters rule for certain real-property sales (IC 29-1-7-15.1(b)). | Sunset helps collect the asset list, flag deadlines, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when a real estate sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Judicial Branch Pulaski County page | Links to Pulaski County local rules, court contacts, case search, e-filing, and court statistics. | www.in.gov/courts/local/pulaski-county/ |
| Pulaski County Clerk of Courts | Local clerk office that processes estates and guardianships in Pulaski County. | Room 018, Winamac courthouse. Phone: (574) 946-3313. Email: [email protected]. |
| Indiana Legal Help, Estate | Plain-language estate information, Probate FAQ, Small Estate FAQ, and the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit CCA-EM-0722-5000. | indianalegalhelp.org/legal-topic-category/estate-2/ |
| MyCase | Statewide public case search for Indiana courts, including public estate cases labeled EU, ES, or EM. | public.courts.in.gov/mycase/ |
| Indiana e-filing | IEFS information, provider list, user guides, and statewide e-filing resources. | www.in.gov/courts/efiling/ |
| Indiana Legal Services, South Bend office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers. Pulaski County is served by the South Bend office. | 227 South Main Street, Suite 200, South Bend, IN 46601. Phone: (574) 234-8121. |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Online questions answered by volunteer Indiana attorneys for eligible users. | indiana.freelegalanswers.org |
When to hire an attorney
A Pulaski County probate attorney is especially useful when the estate owns real estate, creditors are active, family members disagree, the proposed personal representative lives outside Indiana, or the filing needs supervised administration. Pulaski County local rules do not add an estate-specific counsel requirement, but the court can still expect filings and notices to follow Indiana probate procedure. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a practical inventory of bank accounts, investments, insurance, real estate, vehicles, debts, and recurring bills before choosing a Pulaski County estate settlement path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family intake into an organized probate packet that can be reviewed by counsel or used to prepare the Pulaski County filing for letters testamentary or letters of general administration.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Pulaski County estate involves a home sale, creditor dispute, nonresident personal representative, or supervised administration, Sunset can connect the family with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset supports families through estate settlement at no cost to the family, from asset discovery through attorney connection and document organization.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Pulaski County?
File through the Pulaski County Clerk of Courts in Winamac. Under LR66-AR-01(E)(6)(D), estate cases may be filed in either the Pulaski Circuit Court or the Pulaski County Superior Court, at the filing party's discretion.
Which Pulaski County court will hear the estate?
Pulaski County has both a Circuit Court and a Superior Court. The county's caseload allocation rule assigns some case types to specific courts, but estates are not in those specific categories, so an estate filing may start in either court and may be transferred if allowed by statute, trial rule, or workload needs.
Can I e-file a Pulaski County probate case?
Yes. Indiana's IEFS is available for estate case types. Attorneys file electronically through the IEFS. If you are filing without a lawyer, Ind. Trial Rule 87 says unrepresented litigants are encouraged but not required to use the IEFS.
Does Pulaski County have local probate forms?
Pulaski County does not publish a county estate packet, estate cover sheet, estate checklist, or local probate form on the clerk page or in the LR66 local rules. For full estate administration, expect to prepare Indiana probate pleadings rather than fill out a county packet.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Pulaski County?
A petition for letters testamentary or letters of general administration is $177, current through 2026, under IC 33-37. If sheriff service is requested, an additional $28 may apply, current through 2026, under IC 33-37-5-15. Offering a will for probate alone is listed as a no court-costs filing under IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3).
Can I look up a Pulaski County estate online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase at public.courts.in.gov/mycase. Public Indiana estate cases commonly appear with EU, ES, or EM case type labels.
Will Pulaski County let me attend a probate hearing remotely?
Pulaski County local rules do not set a separate probate remote-hearing procedure. Indiana's rule allows non-testimonial hearings to be remote at the court's discretion, while testimonial hearings are generally in person unless good cause or the parties' agreement supports remote participation (Ind. Administrative Rule 14).
Do I have to travel to Winamac to start probate?
If you have a lawyer, the lawyer will use the IEFS. If you are unrepresented, call the Pulaski County Clerk of Courts before you travel or mail anything, because the clerk can tell you the current counter and filing instructions for estate papers.
What if the Pulaski County estate is small?
For deaths after June 30, 2022, Indiana's small estate affidavit route may be available when the gross probate estate, reduced as described in IC 29-1-8, is $100,000 or less. The affidavit is presented to the bank or holder of the property, not filed as a Pulaski County court case.
How long will a Pulaski County probate hearing take to get scheduled?
The Pulaski County local rules do not set a probate hearing day or a filing-to-hearing interval. After filing, follow the notice or order from the Pulaski Circuit Court or Pulaski County Superior Court assigned to the case.
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.