Bartholomew County Estate and Probate Records

Bartholomew County probate court records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk in Columbus, Indiana. These records cover wills, estate administrations, guardianships, adoptions, and other civil matters heard in the probate division. The county maintains a dedicated Archives Department for older probate filings, and some historical documents have been transferred to the Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis. You can search current Bartholomew County probate court records through Indiana MyCase, or you can request copies directly from the Clerk's Office by mail or in person at the Columbus courthouse.

Bartholomew County Clerk and Probate Court

Shari Lentz serves as the elected Clerk of the Bartholomew County Circuit Court. The Clerk's Office is at 234 Washington Street, Columbus, IN 47201. The main phone numbers are (812) 379-1600 and (812) 379-1605. The Archives can be reached at 812 379-1503 and is located at the same 234 Washington Street address. As the Bartholomew County website describes it, "The Clerk of the Circuit Court is an elected position authorized by Article 6, Section 2 of the Indiana Constitution and serves a four (4) year term."

The Clerk has a wide range of duties covering areas including the collection of court payments and record keeping, voter registration, child support payments, and the issuance of various licenses and certificates. For probate matters, the Clerk files all petitions, records all orders entered by the court, and maintains the permanent case file for each estate, guardianship, trust, or adoption proceeding. All probate court records in Bartholomew County are accessible to the public unless sealed by court order.

The main Bartholomew County Clerk page is at bartholomew.in.gov/clerk.html. The county home page is at bartholomew.in.gov. Both provide up-to-date contact information and links to county services. Marriage licenses in Bartholomew County are available by appointment only. Call the Clerk to schedule before visiting.

Searching Bartholomew County Probate Records Online

Indiana's statewide court records portal is the fastest way to search current Bartholomew County probate court records. The county went live on the Odyssey case management platform on December 5, 2016. Since that date, all new probate filings in Bartholomew County are indexed in the MyCase database and available at no charge. Search at public.courts.in.gov/mycase/ by entering a party name or case number. Results show the case type, parties involved, filing date, and the full docket of entries.

The Bartholomew County Archives Department also has an online catalog. The county website notes you can use the "Search Archives" menu on the county website to look up archived probate and court records. The Archives is responsible for the collection, arrangement, and cataloguing of the archived public records of the county, which includes deeds, estates, circuit court, probate, state, common plea, cemetery records, and more. This means older estate records, will books, and guardianship files that predate the current case management system may be found through the Archives before contacting the main Clerk's office.

Note: Cases filed before December 2016 may not be in MyCase. Use the Archives Department or contact the Clerk directly to retrieve older Bartholomew County probate records.

Bartholomew County Probate Records at the State Archives

In August 2017, the Bartholomew County Clerk's office transferred many old probate, civil, criminal order and other miscellaneous books to the Indiana State Archives building at 6440 E. 30th St, Indianapolis, IN 46219. Bartholomew County has older probate, criminal, civil, and miscellaneous order books stored at this site. If you are researching an estate case or will from the 19th or early 20th century, the State Archives is the best place to start.

The online catalog for the Indiana State Archives is at researchIndiana.iara.in.gov. You can search by county name and record type. Some older Bartholomew County probate records have been digitized. Others require an in-person visit or a formal research request sent by mail. Contact the Archives directly to find out what is available and how to request copies.

The Bartholomew County Archives page is at bartholomew.in.gov/archives.html. That page lists the record types held locally and how to submit a research request by mail to 234 Washington Street, Columbus, Indiana 47201, attention Archives. Archives copies cost $1 base fee plus $0.10 per copy plus mailing costs. A certified copy of a marriage record is $4.00.

Types of Probate Court Records in Bartholomew County

Bartholomew County probate court records span a wide range of case types. Estate cases make up the bulk of the probate docket. Under IC 29-1-7-1, the proper venue for probating an estate is the county where the decedent last lived. For residents of Columbus and the rest of Bartholomew County, that means filing at the Circuit Court here. Both supervised and unsupervised estate administration are available, and the court monitors each case until final distribution is complete.

Wills are a central part of probate work in Bartholomew County. When a person dies with a will, the executor files it with the Clerk to open the estate. Under IC 29-1-7-3.1, Indiana residents may also deposit their will with any Circuit Court Clerk for safekeeping before death. When the testator dies, the Clerk retrieves the deposited will and it becomes the first document filed in the new estate case. If there is no will, the estate proceeds under Indiana's intestacy statutes, and the court appoints an administrator.

Guardianship petitions in Bartholomew County go through the Circuit Court as well. These cases cover both minor children and incapacitated adults. Adoption proceedings are also heard here and generate court records that are generally sealed to protect the parties involved. Trustees who wish to register a trust in Bartholomew County may file a trust registration with the Clerk under state law.

The following probate record types are maintained by the Bartholomew County Clerk:

• Wills and will depositories
• Supervised and unsupervised estate administrations
• Guardianship petitions and annual reports
• Trust registrations
• Adoption orders and final decrees
• Marriage licenses and certificates
• Cemetery records (through the Archives)

Requesting Copies of Bartholomew County Probate Records

You can get copies of Bartholomew County probate court records by visiting the Clerk's Office at 234 Washington Street in Columbus. Staff can pull case files and print copies while you are there. If you need a certified copy, the Clerk will add the official seal and signature. Bring your case name or number to speed up the search. If you do not have the case number, the staff can search the index by name.

Mail requests for current probate records go to the Clerk at 234 Washington Street, Columbus, Indiana 47201. For archived records, address your request to the same location but note "Attn: Archives" on the envelope. Standard copy fees under Indiana law are $1.00 per page per IC 33-37-5-1 and $3.00 per document for certification per IC 33-37-5-3. Archives copies follow a slightly different rate: $1 base fee plus $0.10 per copy plus mailing costs. Probate estate filings carry an initial fee of $177 under IC 33-37-4-7.

Note: The Bartholomew County Clerk issues marriage licenses by appointment only. Contact the office before visiting to schedule your time slot.

Bartholomew County Probate Records Screenshots

The Bartholomew County Clerk page describes the Clerk's duties, services, and contact information for probate and court record access in Columbus.

The Clerk page lists office hours, phone numbers, and links to the Archives Department for older probate and estate records.

The Bartholomew County home page provides quick access to county services, including the Clerk, Circuit Court, and Archives Department for residents searching probate records.

The county site connects residents to current and historical probate court records through the Clerk's Office and the local Archives at 234 Washington Street in Columbus.

Nearby Counties

Probate court records for counties neighboring Bartholomew County are managed by each county's Circuit Court Clerk through the same Indiana court system.