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Warrick County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Warrick County information |
|---|---|
| Courts for estate cases | Warrick Circuit Court, Warrick Superior Court No. 1, or Warrick Superior Court No. 2, assigned under LR87-AR-7 unless a specific court is requested. |
| Clerk and filing counter | Warrick County Clerk of the Courts, Warrick County Judicial Center, One County Square, Suite 200, Boonville, IN 47601. |
| Mailing address | Warrick County Clerk of the Courts, One County Square, Suite 200, Boonville, IN 47601. |
| Phone | (812) 897-6160. |
| [email protected]. | |
| Fax | (812) 897-6400. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Central time. |
| Estate filing cost | $177, current through 2026, for a petition for probate of will and issuance of letters or a petition for letters of administration under IC 33-37-4-7 and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual. Offering a will for probate alone is treated differently under IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3). |
| Local forms | No dedicated Warrick County decedent-estate form packet is listed on the clerk page or in the current local rules. The clerk directs self-represented filers to Indiana Legal Help for forms and instructions in several case types. |
| E-filing | Attorneys are required to e-file in Warrick County. Unrepresented litigants are encouraged, but not required, to use the Indiana E-Filing System under Ind. Trial Rule 87. |
| Case search | Search public estate cases on MyCase at mycase.in.gov. Estate case identifiers include EU, ES and EM. |
| Remote appearance | Indiana Administrative Rule 14 controls remote proceedings. Ask the assigned court whether a specific estate hearing may be remote. |
| Websites | Indiana Judicial Branch Warrick County page: https://www.in.gov/courts/local/warrick-county/. Warrick County Clerk page: http://www.warrickcounty.gov/clerks-main. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Boonville, identify the decedent's probate assets, debts, heirs, will status and any property that may pass outside probate. The court assignment rule matters, but the first estate settlement decision is still practical: what assets exist, who needs notice, and whether the estate needs a personal representative.
Sunset helps families organize that picture before the courthouse step. Sunset's asset discovery searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then helps turn the results into an estate settlement plan and a Warrick County filing packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Warrick County estate matters are filed with the Warrick County Clerk of the Courts at the Judicial Center in Boonville. Warrick County is in Judicial District 26 with Gibson, Posey and Vanderburgh Counties, but probate venue is based on the decedent's domicile, not the judicial district. 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).
Warrick County has its own second judicial circuit and three courts of record in Boonville. The circuit court has original and concurrent civil jurisdiction, and Warrick's nonstandard superior courts also have original and concurrent civil jurisdiction (IC 33-28-1-2, IC 33-29-1.5-2, IC 33-33-87-1, IC 33-33-87-3). Indiana also has one elected Clerk of the Circuit Court per county who serves every court in that county, so Warrick County has one clerk counter even though estate cases can land in any of the three courts (IC 33-32-2-1, IC 33-32-2-2).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Warrick County is the correct venue. If the decedent was domiciled in Warrick County at death, the estate belongs in Warrick County under IC 29-1-7-1.
- Collect the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and any information needed to decide whether the filing should request the Circuit Court, Superior Court No. 1, Superior Court No. 2, or simply accept the LR87-AR-7 rotation.
- Prepare the petition for probate of will and issuance of letters testamentary, or the petition for letters of general administration if there is no will. Warrick County does not list a dedicated local decedent-estate form packet, so many families use an attorney or assemble the petition from Indiana practice materials.
- File with the Warrick County Clerk of the Courts at One County Square, Suite 200, in Boonville, or file electronically through the Indiana E-Filing System. Attorneys are required to e-file. Unrepresented litigants may use e-filing but are not required to do so under Ind. Trial Rule 87.
- Pay the estate filing cost when the petition seeks letters. Warrick County's clerk lists the estate, guardianship and trust category at $177, current through 2026, consistent with IC 33-37-4-7 and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual.
- Watch the court assignment. Under LR87-AR-7, ES and EU estate cases rotate in order among the Warrick Circuit Court, Warrick Superior Court No. 1 and Warrick Superior Court No. 2 unless the filer requests a specific court or a statute requires a specific court.
- After the court grants the appointment, letters testamentary or letters of general administration are attested by the clerk under the court seal and show the personal representative's authority (IC 29-1-10-4).
- Publish and serve the notice of administration as Indiana law requires, then administer the estate by gathering assets, addressing claims, preparing the inventory required by Indiana law, paying expenses and distributing property.
- If an estate issue becomes contested, plan for mediation before a contested trial. Warrick County Local Rule LR87-ADR 1.6-2 lists ES and EU estate cases among the case types that must go to mediation before contested issues are tried.
- Close the estate through the appropriate Indiana closing procedure. For unsupervised administration, the closing statement is part of the final estate settlement path under IC 29-1-7.5-4.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Warrick County
Warrick County does not list a dedicated local decedent-estate form packet on the clerk page or in the current local rules. The local rules do, however, tell you how estate cases are assigned among the three courts, and the clerk page directs self-represented filers in several case types to Indiana Legal Help for forms and instructions.
| Form source | What to know |
|---|---|
| Warrick County Clerk of the Courts | The clerk page gives the counter address, hours, contact information and fee list. It does not list a Warrick-specific decedent-estate packet. |
| Warrick County local rules | The current local rules include LR87-AR-7 for assignment of ES and EU estate cases and LR87-ADR 1.6-2 for mediation of contested estate matters. They do not include a dedicated PR00 estate form set. |
| Indiana Legal Help estate page | Indiana Legal Help provides the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000, plus estate FAQs. That affidavit is given to the asset holder when it applies, not filed as a court-opening petition. |
Local nuance
Warrick County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Three-court assignment | Warrick County estate cases do not go to a separate court named Probate Court and do not go to a Probate Division. ES and EU cases are assigned to the Circuit Court, Superior Court No. 1 and Superior Court No. 2 in seriatim order. | LR87-AR-7 |
| Filer can request a court | The local rule says the rotation applies unless the filing party requests a specific court or a statute requires a specific court. This means the court-selection question can be addressed at filing instead of waiting for the automatic rotation. | LR87-AR-7 |
| Mediation before contested trial | Before contested issues in ES and EU estate cases are tried, Warrick County requires mediation under the Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution. This matters for will contests, disputed accountings and contested property issues. | LR87-ADR 1.6-2 |
| No dedicated local probate rule family | Warrick County's current local rules do not add local bond, inventory, accounting or attorney-fee guidelines for decedent estates. Where Warrick has not added a local rule, statewide Indiana probate law controls. | Warrick County local rules |
| Central time | The clerk's posted hours and local hearing times should be treated as Central time. Warrick County is one of the Indiana counties placed in the Central time zone by federal time-zone regulation. | 49 CFR 71.5 |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Warrick County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Judicial Center in Boonville. Under LR87-AR-7, the case is assigned to the Circuit Court, Superior Court No. 1, or Superior Court No. 2 in rotation unless the spouse or the spouse's attorney requests a specific court. If the estate stays uncontested, the mediation rule should not change the basic path; if a dispute arises over the home or an account, mediation comes before a contested trial. | Sunset helps identify accounts and assets, organize the home and title questions, and assemble the Warrick County estate settlement packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | A nonresident can serve as an Indiana personal representative by filing a written acceptance, appointing an Indiana resident agent for service, and addressing bond, with possible bond discretion if unsupervised administration is granted (IC 29-1-10-1(d)). In Warrick County, the case rotates among the three courts unless a specific court is requested. Warrick County observes Central time. | Sunset lets the adult child work from outside Indiana, organize asset information, prepare the filing packet, and connect with a local probate attorney if the resident-agent or bond issue needs legal help. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | File in Boonville and consider whether to request a specific Warrick County court at filing. If the home sale is disputed by an heir or creditor, Warrick's mediation rule sends the contested issue to mediation before trial. If the sale is to pay debts or administration costs, the statewide five-month petition and seven-month letters rule may matter (IC 29-1-7-15.1(b)). | Sunset helps build the asset and property picture quickly, then connects the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale petition, any mediation, and final estate settlement steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it helps with | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Warrick County courts, Indiana Judicial Branch | Current local rules, Judicial District 26 information, case search and e-filing links. | https://www.in.gov/courts/local/warrick-county/ |
| Warrick County Clerk of the Courts | Clerk address, phone, email, hours and filing-cost list for estate, guardianship and trust cases. | http://www.warrickcounty.gov/clerks-main |
| MyCase | Statewide public case search for Warrick County estate cases by decedent name. Estate identifiers include EU, ES and EM. | https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/ |
| Indiana Legal Help, estates | Estate FAQs and the Coalition for Court Access small estate affidavit, CCA-EM-0722-5000. | https://indianalegalhelp.org/legal-topic-category/estate-2/ |
| Indiana Judicial Branch e-filing | Indiana E-Filing System information, certified provider list and user guidance. | https://www.in.gov/courts/efiling/ |
| Indiana Legal Services, Evansville office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers. The Evansville office serves Warrick County. Address: 915 Main Street, Suite 201, Evansville, IN 47708. Phone: (812) 426-1295. | https://www.indianalegalservices.org/locations/ |
When to hire an attorney
A Warrick County probate attorney is especially useful if you want to request a specific one of the three courts, if a nonresident personal representative needs a resident agent and bond plan, if real estate must be sold, or if a dispute will trigger mediation under LR87-ADR 1.6-2. Counsel also helps avoid problems with notice, claims, inventory and closing requirements. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances and institutions before you file. That gives the personal representative a clearer starting point for Warrick County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information, asset list, debts, heirs and will status into an organized filing packet for the Warrick County Clerk of the Courts in Boonville.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs a court request, a real estate sale, mediation, a resident agent, or help with bond, Sunset can connect you with a local probate attorney familiar with Indiana practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps and move from asset discovery to estate settlement without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for a Warrick County resident?
File with the Warrick County Clerk of the Courts at the Warrick County Judicial Center, One County Square, Suite 200, Boonville, IN 47601. Venue is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (IC 29-1-7-1).
Which Warrick County court will my estate case go to?
Under LR87-AR-7, ES and EU estate cases are assigned in order to the Warrick Circuit Court, Warrick Superior Court No. 1 and Warrick Superior Court No. 2 unless the filer requests a specific court or a statute requires a specific court.
Does Warrick County have a Probate Division?
No. Warrick County estate cases are handled by the Circuit Court, Superior Court No. 1 or Superior Court No. 2 under the local assignment rule. The clerk's fee list uses an estate, guardianship and trust fee category, but that does not create a separate court.
Can I e-file a Warrick County estate case?
Yes. Attorneys are required to e-file in Warrick County. Unrepresented litigants are encouraged, but not required, to use the Indiana E-Filing System under Ind. Trial Rule 87.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Warrick County?
The Warrick County clerk lists the estate, guardianship and trust category at $177, current through 2026, consistent with IC 33-37-4-7 and the Indiana Trial Court Fee Manual, when the filing seeks letters. Offering a will for probate alone is treated separately under IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3).
Are Warrick County probate cases searchable online?
Yes. Search the decedent's name on MyCase at mycase.in.gov. Public estate cases generally appear under EU, ES or EM identifiers.
Does Warrick County require mediation in probate disputes?
Yes, for contested estate issues before trial. LR87-ADR 1.6-2 lists ES and EU estate cases among the case types that must go to mediation before contested issues are tried.
Can I appear remotely for a Warrick County estate hearing?
Indiana Administrative Rule 14 allows remote non-testimonial proceedings at the court's discretion, and testimonial proceedings only for good cause or by agreement. Ask the assigned Warrick County court whether your specific hearing may be handled remotely.
Do I have to travel to Boonville if I live outside Indiana?
Not always. Attorneys file electronically, and unrepresented litigants may use e-filing. A nonresident personal representative can serve in Indiana if the statutory acceptance, resident-agent and bond requirements are addressed (IC 29-1-10-1(d)). For hearings, ask the assigned court about remote appearance under Ind. Administrative Rule 14.
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.