Search Mishawaka Probate Court Records

Mishawaka probate court records are filed and maintained through St. Joseph County, not the City of Mishawaka. St. Joseph County operates Indiana's only dedicated standalone Probate Court, which is located at the Juvenile Justice Center in South Bend. Wills, estate administrations, guardianship petitions, and trust proceedings for Mishawaka residents are all handled there. You can search Mishawaka probate records online through Indiana's free MyCase portal. For certified copies or documents not available digitally, contact the St. Joseph County Probate Court directly or visit the courthouse in South Bend.

Which Court Handles Mishawaka Probate

Mishawaka is in St. Joseph County. All probate matters for the city are handled at the county level. St. Joseph County has something rare: it is the only county in Indiana with a dedicated Probate Court. That is separate from the Circuit Court and Superior Courts that handle other case types. So when you file an estate or guardianship for a Mishawaka resident, it goes to the St. Joseph County Probate Court, not any city office.

The Mishawaka City Clerk does not handle probate records at all. That office keeps city ordinances, council minutes, and other municipal records. For any probate matter, wills, estates, trusts, or guardianships, you need the county probate court in South Bend. This is true even if the person lived in Mishawaka their entire life.

St. Joseph County Probate Court Contact

The St. Joseph County Probate Court is physically located at the Juvenile Justice Center, not the main courthouse. This is a common source of confusion for first-time filers. Make sure you go to the right building.

• Probate Court Address: Juvenile Justice Center, 1000 S. Michigan Street, South Bend, IN 46601
• County Clerk Address: 101 S Main St, Room 225, South Bend, IN 46601
• Phone: (574) 235-9635
• Probate Clerk Direct Line: (574) 235-9635 Ext. 7045
• Email: probateclerks@sjcindiana.gov
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Amy Rolfes serves as the St. Joseph County Clerk of the Circuit Court. The probate clerk staff can help you pull case files, request copies of wills, or check on the status of an open estate. If you are not sure whether a case exists, they can search by name or case number. You can also ask about deposited wills, which are wills filed before death for safekeeping. Those are not public records until the person dies, but the office can confirm whether one exists.

Search Mishawaka Probate Records Online

The easiest way to find probate cases linked to Mishawaka is through Indiana's MyCase portal. This free public search tool covers cases across all 92 counties. You can search by the decedent's name, a guardian's name, or a case number if you have it.

MyCase shows case summaries, party names, docket entries, and hearing dates. Some documents are viewable directly through the portal, though not all filings are available digitally. If you find a case but cannot access the documents, contact the probate clerk's office at (574) 235-9635 to request copies. Older cases from before the Odyssey system went live may require an in-person visit to review microfilm or paper indexes.

For historical probate records from Mishawaka and St. Joseph County, the Indiana State Archives holds older estate files. These records can be especially useful for genealogy research. The archives are located in Indianapolis at 6440 E. 30th Street.

Types of Probate Records in Mishawaka

Probate records in Indiana cover a wide range of legal matters that arise after a person dies or when someone needs court protection. Here are the main categories you can access through the St. Joseph County Probate Court:

• Wills and testaments: Formal documents directing how a person's assets are distributed
• Estate administration: Both supervised and unsupervised estate proceedings, including inventory and accounting records
• Guardianships: Court-appointed protection for minors or adults who cannot manage their own affairs
• Conservatorships: Financial management arrangements for protected persons
• Trust filings: Some trust-related petitions and modifications heard in probate court
• Adoption records: These are confidential under Indiana law and not publicly accessible

Indiana Code Title 29 governs most of these matters. IC 29-1-7-1 sets probate venue based on where the decedent lived, which is why a Mishawaka resident's estate goes to St. Joseph County. The statute is clear on this point. If someone lived in Mishawaka, their estate is filed there regardless of where family members live.

Probate Filing Fees in Mishawaka Cases

Indiana sets standard probate filing fees by statute. The total comes to $177 for most estate openings. This breaks down across several mandatory court fees as outlined under IC 33-37-4-7:

The base Probate Costs Fee is $120. On top of that, you pay a $20 Automated Record Keeping Fee, $20 for Judicial Salaries, $5 for Court Administration, $5 for Document Storage, $5 for Public Defense Administration, $1 for Judicial Insurance Adjustment, and $1 for Pro Bono Legal Services. That totals $177. This fee covers opening the estate. Additional fees may apply for specific motions or amended filings.

Copy fees are set by IC 33-37-5-1 at $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost an additional $3.00 per document under IC 33-37-5-3, making a single certified page $4.00. You can pay court fees online through Indiana's court payment portal.

How to Get Copies of Mishawaka Probate Records

There are three main ways to get copies of probate records from St. Joseph County.

In person: Visit the Probate Court at 1000 S. Michigan Street in South Bend. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring payment (cash, check, or card) and any case identifying information you have. Staff can pull files while you wait for smaller requests.

By mail: Send a written request to the St. Joseph County Clerk at 101 S Main St, Room 225, South Bend, IN 46601. Include the decedent's full name, approximate year of death or case filing, the documents you need, and payment or a note asking for a fee quote first. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing times vary.

Online: After finding a case on MyCase, you can request document copies directly through the clerk's office. Some documents are viewable in MyCase without any request. For those that are not, contact the probate clerk at probateclerks@sjcindiana.gov.

The St. Joseph County Probate Court website at sjcindiana.gov has current filing forms and procedural guides. The county recorder's office at (574) 235-9525 can help with related property records tied to estates.

The MyCase portal screenshot below shows the public search interface that covers all Indiana counties including St. Joseph County's probate cases.

The Indiana MyCase portal provides free public access to St. Joseph County probate cases filed in Mishawaka and all of Indiana.

Search results include case numbers, party names, hearing dates, and links to available documents for St. Joseph County estates.

For full St. Joseph County probate court information, visit our St. Joseph County probate records page.

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