Union County Probate Court Records
Union County does not have a separate probate court page in the official sources reviewed for this build. Probate jurisdiction is handled through the Union County Circuit Court and the Union County Clerk. The official Circuit Court page states that the court has jurisdiction in all criminal and civil matters for Union County, and the official Clerk page states that the clerk maintains records of filings, pleadings, evidence, judgments, orders, and decrees of the Circuit Court. For practical probate access, the local court and clerk operate together: the court hears the matter, and the clerk maintains the file and issues copies where allowed.
Probate records can cover the transfer of property after death, the admission of a will, a personal representative's authority, claims by creditors, accountings, distributions, and guardianship filings for adults or minors. A public MyCase entry may identify the case, parties, status, hearings, and some chronological case summary items. It may not include the will, every estate document, or a certified copy. The Indiana Judicial Branch request guidance says wills are not usually available online but may be available in the clerk's office if filed.
Indiana Code Title 31 is one of the state-level sources used for family and juvenile record boundaries that can affect guardianship and related Union County probate records.
That state-law context matters because guardianship and minor-related records can include information that is not handled like a routine public estate filing.
Union County Probate Contact
The main Union County probate contact is the courthouse pair named in the research: Union County Circuit Court for probate jurisdiction and Union County Clerk for the probate file, copy requests, and public access routing. The court office is on the south side of the third floor, while the clerk is on the first floor. No separate probate division office, probate judge page, or probate counter hours were located in official Union County sources.
Union County Circuit Court
Judge: Matthew Cox
26 W Union St
Liberty, IN 47353
(765) 458-5934
South side of the third floor
Union County Clerk
Clerk: Susan Ray
26 W Union St
Liberty, IN 47353
(765) 458-6121
clerk@unioncountyin.us
Union County Probate Terms
Probate filings use terms that are easy to mix up. The terms below help read Union County probate records, MyCase entries, and clerk-file documents without assuming that every person named in a file has the same role. The exact title used in an estate or guardianship depends on the petition and the court order.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- A person named in a will to carry out the will, often called a personal representative after appointment.
- Intestate
- A death without a valid will, so property passes under state law and court procedure.
- Guardianship
- A court case appointing a person to act for a minor or an adult who meets legal criteria.
- Conservatorship
- A protective arrangement for property or financial interests; Indiana probate records may use guardianship terms depending on the case type.
Search Union County Probate Cases
Public probate, estate, and guardianship case information should be searched through MyCase or the Indiana Public Access Portal. The Indiana Judicial Branch public-records materials route many court records to MyCase, while the Union County Circuit Court page points users to the Indiana State Court Administration website for court records. MyCase is free public access, but it is not the official court record. If an estate document is missing online, that does not mean the document is sealed. It may simply not be online.
- Start with MyCase or the Public Access Portal and choose a case search mode.
- Use the case number if known, or search by decedent, estate caption, personal representative, ward, or party name.
- Select Union County when the county filter is available.
- Use a probate, estate, guardianship, or related civil case type filter when shown.
- Review the chronological case summary, hearing entries, parties, and any public document links.
- Contact the Union County Clerk for certified copies, wills, non-linked estate documents, older files, and official record questions.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case Number | text | optional | Best if known. |
| Decedent / Estate Name | text | optional | Search by last name or estate caption. |
| Party Name | text | optional | Personal representative, ward, petitioner, heir, or creditor where indexed. |
| County | dropdown | optional | Select Union. |
| Case Type | dropdown | optional | Estate, guardianship, trust, or probate categories where available. |
| Filed Date Range | date | optional | Useful for older common surnames. |
| Search | button | yes | Runs the search. |
What Union County Probate Records Show
A Union County probate file may be simple or detailed. Estate administration records can include the opening petition, appointment of a personal representative, letters testamentary or letters of administration, notice to creditors, inventory, creditor claims, orders, accounting, distribution, and closing papers. Will records can include the filed will, proof of will, an order admitting the will to probate, and any will contest. Guardianship files can include a petition, order of appointment, bond, reports, accountings, and orders about the person or estate of the protected person.
Trust-related disputes may appear if filed in court. Small-estate procedures depend on current Indiana law and the facts of the estate, so the research directs users to verify the statutory amount and conditions with current Indiana Code Title 29 and the clerk before filing. MyCase may show a case number, filing date, estate or guardianship caption, decedent or ward, petitioner, personal representative, guardian, attorney of record, hearing entries, creditor claims, bonds, letters, due dates, and closing order.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case number and caption | The court file number and estate, guardianship, or trust caption. |
| Decedent, ward, or protected person | The person whose estate or protection is at issue. |
| Representative or guardian | The person appointed or seeking appointment by the court. |
| Will and letters entries | Whether a will was filed or admitted and whether authority was issued. |
| Inventory, claims, and accounting | Financial events, deadlines, claims, and reports that may be public or redacted. |
| Closing order | The entry that ends routine estate administration when approved. |
Union County Probate Fees
The official Union County sources reviewed did not publish a probate filing fee schedule or local copy fee chart for probate files. The county public-records page does state that reproduction costs may apply, and the clerk is the office to ask for certified estate or will document copy costs. Keeping the gaps visible is important because inventing a filing fee would mislead a person preparing a petition or a mailed copy request.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Probate filing fees | Fee not located in official Union County sources. |
| Certified estate or will document copy | Fee not located in official Union County sources. |
| Plain copy | Fee not located in official Union County sources. |
| Public-record reproduction | Cost of reproducing records may apply under Union County public-record guidance. |
Note: Ask the Union County Clerk for the current filing, copy, and certification cost before mailing payment.
File Union County Probate Papers
Probate work can be more than a search. The research identifies a general Union County path based on the Circuit Court and Clerk roles. A person handling an estate should first decide whether court probate is needed or whether a simplified or small-estate process may apply under Indiana law. If Union County is the correct venue, the filing is made in Union County Circuit Court through the clerk. The original will, if one exists, may have special filing rules, so ask the clerk before sending it by mail.
- Determine whether the estate needs court probate or may qualify for a simplified process.
- File the petition or application through the Union County Clerk for the Circuit Court.
- Submit the will if one exists and ask about original will handling and certified copies.
- Wait for appointment of a personal representative or guardian if the court grants the request.
- Complete notice, inventory, claim, hearing, accounting, distribution, and closing steps required by the case.
The Indiana local rules landing page is a state source for trial court and clerk local-rule routing by county.
Local rules can affect filing practice, but the Union County Clerk remains the direct office for probate copy and file-access questions.
Restricted Union County Probate Records
Probate records are not all open in the same way. Estate files and guardianship records can contain medical facts, financial account information, Social Security numbers, data about minors, treatment records, and personal identifiers. Indiana Access to Court Records Rule 5 excludes or redacts certain materials from public access. Guardianship and related family matters may also involve restricted juvenile or protected-person information. A public case entry may remain visible while a document in the file is withheld or redacted.
Historical probate research has one more local issue. The Indiana State Library Union County research guide notes a 1903 courthouse fire with water damage to some records. That does not mean every old probate file is gone, but it does mean older estate, marriage, land, and court records may need a wider search. For a missing older Union County probate record, check with the clerk and consider Indiana State Library holdings rather than relying only on MyCase.