Indiana Executor & Trustee Checklist
You've been named executor or trustee in Indiana — and probably handed no instructions. This is the ordered list of what to do, in the sequence Indiana expects it, with the deadlines and terminology that are specific to this state. Work down it, check things off, and nothing important slips.
- Who administers the estate
- Personal Representative (executor with a will; administrator intestate)
- Court
- Circuit Court or Superior Court (both have probate jurisdiction; varies by county)
- Appointment document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Creditor claim window
- 3 months after first publication (absolute outer bar: 9 months after death regardless of notice)
- Inventory deadline
- Within 2 months
- Trustee notice deadline
- Indiana did NOT adopt the UTC
- State death tax
- None
If you're the Executor / Personal Representative
The probate track — administering the estate through the Circuit Court or Superior Court (both have probate jurisdiction; varies by county).
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This is the document that proves you have authority to act as Personal Representative (executor with a will; administrator intestate).
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Publish once each week for 2 consecutive weeks; proof filed within 30 days (IC §29-1-7-7). Directly served known creditors get the later of 3 months or 2 months after service.
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Within 2 months (60 days) of appointment (IC §29-1-12-1); in unsupervised administration furnished on request, not routinely filed.
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The Notice of Administration (§29-1-7-7) must be served on heirs, devisees, and legatees. No UPC 30-day information notice.
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Get an EIN for the estate from the IRS (free at irs.gov, ~10 minutes) — the estate is its own taxpayer and you'll need it before a bank will open an account.
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Open a dedicated estate bank account — every dollar in or out flows through it; commingling estate money with your own is the fastest way to get into trouble.
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Keep receipts and records of every transaction and decision — not just what you did, but why; your final accounting is built from this and it's your protection if a choice is ever questioned.
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Pay valid claims and taxes before distributing anything, in the statutory order — paying family first can leave you personally liable. None — Indiana repealed its inheritance tax (deaths after Dec 31, 2012) and has no estate tax.
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Collect a signed receipt or release from every beneficiary when you distribute.
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Unsupervised administration closes on a verified closing statement (IC §29-1-7.5-4) — effective if no objection within 3 months. Supervised administration requires a court-approved final account.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
If you're the Trustee
The trust track — administering a trust outside of probate.
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Locate and read the entire trust document, including any amendments and restatements — your powers, limits, and timelines live there.
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Indiana did NOT adopt the UTC — no fixed 60-day rule. Under the Indiana Trust Code the trustee must keep beneficiaries reasonably informed / inform within a reasonable time (IC §30-4-3-6).
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Publish once each week for 2 consecutive weeks; proof filed within 30 days (IC §29-1-7-7). Directly served known creditors get the later of 3 months or 2 months after service.
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Get an EIN for the trust from the IRS — the trust becomes irrevocable at death and files its own returns from that point.
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Retitle and gather the trust assets; hunt down anything never moved into the trust — it may need probate.
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Keep trust assets separate from your own, always — separate accounts, separate records, no exceptions.
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Document every decision, valuation, and distribution as you go.
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Account to the beneficiaries at least annually and at termination.
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Distribute according to the terms of the trust and collect signed receipts and releases.
Good to know in Indiana
Small Estate Affidavit up to $100,000 of gross probate personal property (deaths after June 30, 2022) (IC §29-1-8-1); 45-day waiting period after death.
Unsupervised administration closes on a verified closing statement (IC §29-1-7.5-4) — effective if no objection within 3 months. Supervised administration requires a court-approved final account.
Unsupervised administration is the common low-court-involvement default. 9-month absolute claim bar from date of death. No death taxes since the 2013 inheritance-tax repeal.
Sources — investigate further
The steps above are drawn from Indiana's own statutes and courts. To dig deeper:
We'll email you a copy so it's always one click away. No spam — just the checklist and the occasional estate-settlement tip.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and county practice varies. When in doubt, talk to a probate attorney licensed in the relevant state.