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Union County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Union County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Union Circuit Court |
| Courthouse address | Union County Courthouse, 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353. The clerk is on the first floor. The Circuit Court is on the third floor, south side. |
| Mailing | Union County Clerk, Union County Courthouse, 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353 |
| Clerk phone | (765) 458-6121 |
| Court phone | (765) 458-5934 |
| Fax | (765) 458-5263 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Current public hours are not listed on the county clerk or court pages. Call the clerk before visiting. |
| Filing cost | A petition for letters carries $177 in statewide court costs under IC 33-37-4-7 and IC 33-37-5, current through the 2026 Legislative Session. If sheriff service is collected, the total can be $205, including the $28 service fee under IC 33-37-5-15, current through the 2026 Legislative Session. |
| Local forms | Union County local rules do not prescribe county probate forms or probate appendices. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Indiana E-Filing System. Unrepresented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to use the system (Ind. Trial Rule 87). |
| Case search | Search public estate cases on MyCase at https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/. |
| Remote appearance | Remote probate hearings depend on the court's permission. Non-testimonial hearings may be remote, while testimonial hearings are in person unless good cause or party agreement supports remote participation (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). |
| Websites | County site: https://www.in.gov/counties/union/. Indiana Judicial Branch local page: https://www.in.gov/courts/local/union-county/. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Union County, make a list of probate assets, nonprobate assets, debts, likely heirs or beneficiaries, and any original will. The clerk can receive the filing, but the court process depends on what property actually needs court authority.
Sunset helps families begin estate settlement by searching across more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets, then organizing what you find into the local filing path for the Union Circuit Court.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Union County estate filings are handled at the Union County Courthouse in Liberty. Union County constitutes the eighty-ninth judicial circuit, and Union County has no superior court, so the Union Circuit Court handles all cases filed in the Union County Clerk's Office (IC 33-33-81-1, LR81-AR01(E)-6).
Indiana venue is based on the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Indiana, venue can 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 jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Union County is the right venue under Indiana's domicile rule, and gather the will, death certificate information, asset list, debt list, and names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries (IC 29-1-7-1).
- Prepare the petition and proposed order for the correct Indiana estate path. Union County local rules do not prescribe county probate forms, so most pleadings are attorney-drafted or prepared for the specific case.
- If a will is being filed through the Indiana E-Filing System, file a complete copy of the will and the required affidavit about who has the original will and how it will be retained (Ind. Trial Rule 87).
- File with the Union County Clerk at the Union County Courthouse in Liberty. Attorneys use the Indiana E-Filing System. Unrepresented litigants may use the system but are not required to e-file (Ind. Trial Rule 87).
- Pay the statewide court costs that apply to the filing. A petition for letters carries $177 under IC 33-37-4-7 and IC 33-37-5, current through the 2026 Legislative Session; sheriff service can add the $28 service fee under IC 33-37-5-15, current through the 2026 Legislative Session.
- After letters testamentary or letters of general administration issue, publish notice of administration once each week for two consecutive weeks and serve required notices as Indiana law directs (IC 29-1-7-7).
- For hearing or court-date questions, call the Union Circuit Court at (765) 458-5934. Ask the court before assuming a remote appearance will be allowed (Ind. Administrative Rule 14).
- Use the letters issued under the court seal as proof of the personal representative's authority, then collect assets, handle claims, prepare the inventory required by Indiana law, distribute property, and close the estate through the proper closing statement or final settlement procedure (IC 29-1-10-4, IC 29-1-7.5-4).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Union County
Union County local rules do not prescribe county probate forms, probate appendices, a local inventory form, or a local attorney-fee guideline for estates. The court is the Union Circuit Court, and filings are made through the Union County Clerk in Liberty.
Indiana does not publish a statewide court-approved probate form set. Indiana Legal Help offers the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000, for qualifying transfers under IC 29-1-8; that affidavit is given to the bank or other holder and is not filed with the court.
Local nuance
Union County-specific considerations
Union County's local caseload rule answers the main local question directly: as the only court of record in Union County, the Union Circuit Court handles all cases filed in the Union County Clerk's Office (LR81-AR01(E)-6). For a Union County decedent, file in Liberty with the Union County Clerk.
The Wayne-Union County Caseload Equalization Plan is different. It allows the Union Circuit Court judge to sit on certain Wayne County cases, including some Wayne County estate matters, to help equalize caseloads (LR81-AR01(E)-7). It does not send Union County estate filings to Wayne County, and it does not create a shared filing counter.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from assets that pass outside the estate. If court authority is needed for Union County property, file with the Union County Clerk in Liberty for the Union Circuit Court. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title issues, and the documents needed for the estate settlement plan before you decide what must be filed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the Indiana small estate affidavit route applies under IC 29-1-8, the affidavit is presented to the asset holder rather than filed with the court. If letters are needed, the Union County filing is still made in Liberty, and a nonresident personal representative must address Indiana's resident-agent and bond rules (IC 29-1-10-1). | Sunset organizes the asset list, helps determine whether court authority is needed, and can connect you with an Indiana probate attorney if letters are required. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | File in Union County if the child was domiciled there at death. If the sale is needed to pay debts or administration costs, Indiana's real-property timing rule may matter (IC 29-1-7-15.1). | Sunset helps gather property, mortgage, tax, account, and debt information so the attorney can choose the right supervised or unsupervised estate settlement path. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Indiana Judicial Branch, Union County local page | Local rules, judicial district information, case search, e-filing links, and court statistics: https://www.in.gov/courts/local/union-county/. |
| Union County official site | County clerk and circuit court contact pages: https://www.in.gov/counties/union/. |
| Indiana Legal Help, Estate | Small estate affidavit, probate FAQ, small estate FAQ, and legal-help finder: https://indianalegalhelp.org/legal-topic-category/estate-2/. |
| Indiana Judicial Branch Self-Service Legal Center | General self-representation guidance and links to help resources. It does not provide a probate form set: https://www.in.gov/courts/selfservice/. |
| MyCase | Statewide public case search. Estate cases appear as EU, ES, or EM: https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/. |
| Indiana e-filing | Indiana E-Filing System information and certified provider list: https://www.in.gov/courts/efiling/. |
| Indiana Legal Services, Indianapolis office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers in Union County. Call (317) 631-9410 or visit https://www.indianalegalservices.org/locations/. |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Free confidential answers from volunteer Indiana attorneys for eligible users: https://indiana.freelegalanswers.org/. |
When to hire an attorney
Union County's local rules do not add a county-specific lawyer requirement for estate filings, but counsel often makes sense when there is real estate, a dispute among heirs, an insolvent estate, a nonresident personal representative, a sale deadline, or uncertainty about supervised versus unsupervised administration. Sunset connects families with a vetted Indiana probate attorney when legal advice or a court filing is needed.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across financial institutions, organizes what is found, and helps you understand which assets may need court authority in Union County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information, asset list, debts, and will details into an organized estate settlement packet for the Union Circuit Court process.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal advice, letters testamentary, letters of general administration, a real estate sale, or court representation, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Indiana probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to begin estate settlement, organize the information, or get matched with the right next step.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Union County, Indiana?
File with the Union County Clerk at the Union County Courthouse, 26 West Union Street, Liberty, IN 47353. Union County has one court of record, and the Union Circuit Court handles cases filed in the clerk's office (LR81-AR01(E)-6).
Do I have to go to Wayne County for a Union County estate?
No. The Wayne-Union County Caseload Equalization Plan lets the Union Circuit Court judge help with some Wayne County cases, but it does not move Union County estate filings to Wayne County (LR81-AR01(E)-7). A Union County estate is filed in Liberty.
Does Union County have local probate forms?
Union County local rules do not prescribe county probate forms or probate appendices. Indiana also does not publish a statewide court-approved probate form set. If you are using the Indiana Legal Help small estate affidavit under IC 29-1-8, that affidavit is given to the asset holder and is not filed with the court.
Is e-filing required for probate in Union County?
Attorneys file through the Indiana E-Filing System. Unrepresented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to use the system (Ind. Trial Rule 87). When a will is e-filed, Trial Rule 87 also requires a copy of the will and an affidavit about the original will.
What does it cost to ask for letters in Union County?
A petition for letters carries $177 in statewide court costs under IC 33-37-4-7 and IC 33-37-5, current through the 2026 Legislative Session. If sheriff service is collected, the total can be $205, including the $28 service fee under IC 33-37-5-15, current through the 2026 Legislative Session.
Can I look up a Union County estate online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase at https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/. Indiana estate cases commonly appear with EU, ES, or EM case types.
Can a Union County probate hearing be remote?
Remote appearance depends on the court's permission. Indiana courts may hold non-testimonial hearings remotely, but testimonial hearings are in person unless good cause or the parties' agreement supports remote participation (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). Call the Union Circuit Court before the hearing date.
Should I call before going to the Union County Courthouse?
Yes. The county clerk and court pages do not list current public hours. Call the Union County Clerk at (765) 458-6121 before visiting, especially if you plan to file at the counter.
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.