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Putnam County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Putnam County information |
|---|---|
| Court for estate cases | Putnam Circuit Court. Putnam local rule LR67-2 assigns probate, trust, guardianship and adoption matters to the Circuit Court. |
| Clerk and filing counter | Clerk of the Circuit Court, Putnam County Courthouse, One Courthouse Square, 2nd floor, Greencastle, IN 46135. |
| Mailing address | Putnam County Courthouse, One Courthouse Square, Greencastle, IN 46135. Call the clerk before mailing an original will or time sensitive paper. |
| Clerk phone | (765) 653-2648 for filing questions. |
| Circuit Court phone | (765) 653-5315 for hearing and court calendar questions. |
| Fax | No fax number is published for the clerk. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. Call ahead to confirm current counter hours before you go. |
| Estate petition cost | $177 under IC 33-37, current through the 2026 Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual. Sheriff service can make the total $205 when the $28 service fee applies under IC 33-37-5-15. |
| Local probate forms | No Putnam County estate-opening packet, cover sheet or estate checklist is published. Guardianship annual report forms are available at the Circuit Court. |
| E-filing | Indiana estate case types may be filed through the IEFS. Attorneys generally file electronically under Ind. Trial Rule 87. Unrepresented litigants are encouraged, but not required, to use the IEFS. |
| Case search | Use MyCase at mycase.in.gov. Putnam County estate cases appear as EU, ES or EM. |
| Remote appearance | Indiana allows remote non-testimonial hearings at the court's discretion, and testimonial hearings only for good cause or agreement under Ind. Administrative Rule 14. Ask the Putnam Circuit Court about the setting in your case. |
| Court website | Indiana Judicial Branch Putnam County page and Putnam County clerk page. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file, make a practical inventory of the decedent's assets, debts, jointly owned property, beneficiary accounts and real estate. Putnam County requires the opening petition to state probable estate assets and values so the Circuit Court can set bond under LR67-36, and the local inventory rule makes early asset work especially important.
Sunset's estate settlement process includes asset discovery across more than 2,300 institutions, so families can identify accounts before choosing a Putnam County filing path or deciding whether the small estate affidavit route may be enough.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Putnam County Courthouse in Greencastle serves the entire county. Putnam County is in Judicial District 19 with Clay, Sullivan and Vigo counties, but that district is administrative and does not decide venue.
Indiana venue for probating a will or administering an estate is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was domiciled in Putnam County, the estate belongs in Putnam County even if the death happened somewhere else (IC 29-1-7-1).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct filing path. If court administration is needed, prepare the petition for probate of will and issuance of letters testamentary, or the petition for letters of general administration. Indiana has no statewide court-approved estate-opening packet, and Putnam County does not publish a local estate packet.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Putnam County Courthouse, One Courthouse Square, 2nd floor, Greencastle. Putnam local rule LR67-2 assigns estate cases to the Putnam Circuit Court.
- Pay the estate petition cost if the filing requires one. A petition for letters generally carries $177 under IC 33-37, current through the 2026 Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual. If sheriff service is requested, the total can include the $28 service fee under IC 33-37-5-15.
- Include the local information the court needs at opening. Under LR67-36, petitions to open an estate must state the probable estate assets and values, including personal property and estimated annual rents and profits, so the court can decide bond.
- Handle required notice. Putnam local rule LR67-35 requires adequate proof of publication or written notice by U.S. mail before the matter is brought to the court when notice is required.
- Ask how the hearing will be set. The Circuit Court can answer calendar questions at (765) 653-5315. Indiana remote hearing rules depend on whether testimony will be taken and on the court's order in the case (Ind. Administrative Rule 14).
- After the court appoints the personal representative, obtain the issued letters. Indiana letters testamentary or letters of general administration are evidence of the personal representative's authority while the appointment remains in effect (IC 29-1-10-1, IC 29-1-10-4).
- Administer the estate under Putnam County's local rules. File the inventory within 60 days of opening under LR67-PR00-37, obtain appraisals when local rules require them, pay valid debts, distribute assets and close the estate. If the estate cannot close within one year, LR67-PR00-39 requires an intermediate account within 30 days after the year ends and every six months after that.
Executor duties
| Local duty | What Putnam County requires |
|---|---|
| State assets and values at opening | LR67-36 requires petitions to open an estate to state probable assets and values, including personal property and estimated annual rents and profits, so the court can set bond. |
| File the inventory | LR67-PR00-37 requires the fiduciary to file an inventory in all estates within 60 days of opening. |
| Use appraisals for supervised sales | LR67-PR00-38 requires a written appraisal with a supervised estate petition to sell real estate. LR67-PR00-40 requires an appraisal for supervised sales of personal property unless the sale is by public auction or the value is readily ascertainable. |
| Do not pay supervised estate fees without an order | LR67-PR00-41 says fiduciary and attorney fees may not be paid from a supervised estate or guardianship without a prior written court order. |
| Account if the estate stays open | LR67-PR00-39 requires an intermediate account if the estate cannot close within one year, with follow-up accounts every six months. |
| Meet Putnam's unsupervised estate rule | LR67-45 says no petition for an unsupervised estate will be granted unless all heirs consent. The personal representative must still prepare an inventory for inspection. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Putnam County
Putnam County does not publish an estate-opening probate packet, estate cover sheet, estate checklist or prescribed estate-opening form on the county clerk page or in the Putnam local rules. The local rules mention guardianship annual report forms available at the Circuit Court, but they do not create a Putnam County estate petition packet.
Indiana's statewide self-help estate form is the small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000, from Indiana Legal Help. That form is used outside court and is given to the bank or other holder of property, not filed with the Putnam County clerk.
Fees
| Local fee issue | Putnam County rule |
|---|---|
| Supervised estate attorney and fiduciary fees | LR67-PR00-41 requires a prior written court order before attorney or fiduciary fees are paid from a supervised estate or guardianship. The rule says fees must be just and reasonable, and it does not set a fixed percentage schedule. |
| Unsupervised estate fees | LR67-PR00-41 says fees in unsupervised estates are, absent exceptional circumstances, not determined or authorized by the court. |
Local nuance
Putnam County-specific considerations
| Issue | Putnam County rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Which court hears estates | LR67-2 assigns probate, trust and guardianship matters to the Putnam Circuit Court. | You file with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, but the estate is assigned to the Circuit Court rather than the Superior Court. |
| Unsupervised administration | LR67-45 says no petition for an unsupervised estate will be granted unless all heirs consent. | Family agreement is a Putnam County gatekeeping issue for this estate settlement path. |
| Inventory | LR67-PR00-37 requires an inventory to be filed in all estates within 60 days of opening. | Do not assume the inventory is only kept privately in Putnam County. |
| Estate open longer than one year | LR67-PR00-39 requires an intermediate account within 30 days after the year expires and every six months after that. | The personal representative and attorney may have to appear in person if the rule is not followed. |
| Real estate in a supervised estate | LR67-PR00-38 requires a written appraisal with the petition to sell real estate. | A home sale can require appraisal work before the court will act. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Localized path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from jointly owned or beneficiary assets. If an estate must be opened, file at the Putnam County Courthouse clerk's counter in Greencastle, and expect assignment to the Putnam Circuit Court. If asking for unsupervised administration, Putnam's LR67-45 requires all heirs to consent. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues so the spouse can decide whether a court estate settlement is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate can use Indiana's small estate affidavit route, the affidavit is presented to the holder of property and is not filed with the clerk. If court administration is needed, a nonresident personal representative may serve by filing a written acceptance, appointing an Indiana resident agent and addressing bond under IC 29-1-10-1(d). Putnam's LR67-36 requires probable asset values for bond. | Sunset organizes institution searches and document tasks so an out-of-state child knows what to handle by mail, electronically or with local counsel. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | File in Putnam County if the child was domiciled there at death. If the estate is supervised and the home must be sold, LR67-PR00-38 requires a written appraisal with the petition to sell real estate. If the sale is to pay debts or administration costs, watch the statewide five month petition and seven month letters timing rule in IC 29-1-7-15.1(b). | Sunset helps gather asset, debt and property information and can connect the family with a local probate attorney when the home sale needs court approval. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Judicial Branch Putnam County page | Local rules, e-filing, case search links and court information for Putnam County. | Putnam County courts |
| Putnam County clerk | Local clerk information for filings at the courthouse in Greencastle. | Putnam County clerk |
| Indiana Legal Help, Estate | Small estate affidavit CCA-EM-0722-5000, Probate FAQ and Small Estate FAQ. | Indiana Legal Help estate resources |
| MyCase | Statewide public case search for Putnam County estate cases listed as EU, ES or EM. | MyCase |
| Indiana e-filing | IEFS information, provider list and user guidance. | Indiana e-filing |
| Indiana Legal Services, Bloomington office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers. The Bloomington office serves Putnam County. Call (812) 339-7668. | Indiana Legal Services locations |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Online questions answered by volunteer Indiana attorneys for eligible users. | Indiana Free Legal Answers |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, debts and other assets so the Putnam County petition and inventory are built from a complete picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized estate settlement packet for attorney review or filing preparation, including the local Putnam County details that affect bond, inventory and real estate sales.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs court strategy, a supervised sale, contested heir consent or help appearing in the Putnam Circuit Court, Sunset can connect the family with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize probate tasks, track documents and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Putnam County?
File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Putnam County Courthouse, One Courthouse Square, 2nd floor, Greencastle, IN 46135. Putnam local rule LR67-2 assigns probate matters to the Putnam Circuit Court.
Does the Putnam Circuit Court or Putnam Superior Court hear estate cases?
The Putnam Circuit Court hears estate cases. LR67-2 assigns probate, trust and guardianship matters to the Circuit Court, and the Putnam County clerk page lists guardianship and estates under the Circuit Court.
Does Putnam County have its own probate forms?
Putnam County does not publish an estate-opening packet, estate cover sheet or estate checklist. Indiana Legal Help publishes the small estate affidavit CCA-EM-0722-5000, but that form is given to the property holder and is not filed with the court.
What does Putnam County require for an unsupervised estate?
Putnam local rule LR67-45 says no petition for an unsupervised estate will be granted unless all heirs consent. The personal representative must still prepare an inventory for inspection.
Is there an inventory deadline in a Putnam County estate?
Yes. Putnam local rule LR67-PR00-37 requires the fiduciary to file an inventory in all estates within 60 days of opening.
What happens if a Putnam County estate cannot close within a year?
Under LR67-PR00-39, an intermediate account must be filed within 30 days after the year expires and every six months after that. The filing must explain why the estate cannot close, give an estimated closing date and propose partial distribution where possible.
Can I look up a Putnam County estate case online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase at mycase.in.gov. Estate cases appear as EU, ES or EM.
Do I have to travel to Greencastle for a Putnam County probate hearing?
It depends on the hearing. Indiana courts may hold non-testimonial hearings remotely at the court's discretion, while testimonial hearings are in person unless there is good cause or party agreement under Ind. Administrative Rule 14. Call the Putnam Circuit Court at (765) 653-5315 to ask how your hearing will be handled.
What court costs apply to an estate petition in Putnam County?
A petition for letters generally carries $177 under IC 33-37, current through the 2026 Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual. If sheriff service is requested, the total can include the $28 service fee under IC 33-37-5-15.
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.