Probate Records in Dearborn County

Dearborn County probate court records are filed and maintained at the Dearborn County Courthouse at 165 Mary Street in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The Circuit Court has exclusive probate jurisdiction in Dearborn County, handling estate administrations, guardianship petitions, adoption cases, trust filings, and will deposits. All these records are kept by the county clerk and are available to the public. You can search Dearborn County probate court records through the Indiana MyCase portal online, or visit the clerk's office in Lawrenceburg to review files, get certified copies, or submit a written records request by mail.

Dearborn County Clerk of Courts

County Clerk Wendy Beatty manages the Dearborn County Clerk of Courts at 165 Mary Street in Lawrenceburg. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The clerk's office provides a wide range of services related to Dearborn County probate court records and other court functions. You can reach the office by phone at 812-537-8867 or 812-537-8837, or by fax at 812-532-2021.

As documented on the county website, the Dearborn County Clerk of Courts provides the following services for the Circuit Court: marriage license processing, public access support for genealogy and archive research, court record access, and computer terminal access. For the Superior Court, the office handles traffic fine payments, protective order processing, and small claims filing. The email for records inquiries is joles@dearborncounty.in.gov.

For online payments of court fees in Dearborn County, use the payment portal at pay.paygov.us. For Dearborn County probate records online, use the Indiana MyCase portal described below.

Circuit Court Exclusive Probate Jurisdiction

One important fact about Dearborn County: the Circuit Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all probate matters. As stated by the county, "The Circuit Court has exclusive jurisdiction in all probate matters, including estates, guardianships, adoptions, and trusts." This means all Dearborn County probate court records are in the Circuit Court's docket, not the Superior Courts. The Circuit Court also has exclusive jurisdiction over all juvenile matters.

This structure means that when you search for Dearborn County probate records, you should filter your search to Circuit Court cases. In the MyCase system, you can select the court when doing a search. All wills, estates, guardianships, and trust proceedings for Dearborn County residents go through the Circuit Court in Lawrenceburg. For cases involving property records that may relate to an estate, the Dearborn County Recorder's Office uses Doxpop for property records going back to 2000.

Note: Dearborn County's Circuit Court probate jurisdiction covers estates, guardianships, adoptions, and trusts. The Superior Courts handle traffic, small claims, and other non-probate matters.

Searching Dearborn County Probate Records

Dearborn County joined Indiana's Odyssey case management system in July 2017. The MyCase portal covers Dearborn County probate court records from that date onward. Search by name or case number to find estate filings, guardianship cases, adoption records, and trust proceedings in Dearborn County.

For Dearborn County probate records before July 2017, contact the clerk's office at 165 Mary Street in Lawrenceburg. Staff can search paper indexes for older estate files and pull records on request. When mailing a request, include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return copies. This is a specific Dearborn County requirement noted by the clerk's office for mail requests.

The county also offers public access computer terminals at the clerk's office. These terminals let you search Dearborn County court records on-site without needing your own device. The clerk's website describes this service as part of the genealogy and archive research support provided to the public. This can be useful for in-depth research into Dearborn County probate court records across multiple cases or time periods.

Dearborn County Probate Record Types

All probate matters in Dearborn County fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Circuit Court in Lawrenceburg. This includes the full range of estate administration, guardianship, and trust proceedings that make up Indiana probate law.

Dearborn County probate court records include:

• Supervised estate administration
• Unsupervised estate administration
• Guardianship proceedings for minors and incapacitated adults
• Adoption cases (Circuit Court jurisdiction)
• Trust proceedings brought before the court
• Marriage licenses (issued by the clerk)

Under IC 29-1-7-1, probate venue is in the county of the decedent's last residence, which means Dearborn County residents' estate cases are all in Lawrenceburg. The will depository function under IC 29-1-7-3.1 means original wills can be filed for safekeeping with the Dearborn County Clerk before death, where they remain sealed until probate begins.

Copy Fees for Dearborn County Probate Records

Dearborn County follows Indiana's standard court record fee structure. Copies cost $1 per page under IC 33-37-5-1. Certified copies carry an additional $3 per certification under IC 33-37-5-3. These fees apply to all Dearborn County probate court records you request, whether in person, by mail, or through the court system.

For filing new probate cases in Dearborn County, the standard estate filing fee is around $177, though exact amounts vary by case type. Call 812-537-8867 to confirm current fees before filing. If you need to submit payment for mail requests, use a check or money order payable to the Dearborn County Clerk. The clerk's office also accepts online payments through the paygov.us portal for some fee types.

For property records related to an estate, the Dearborn County Recorder uses Doxpop, which provides online access to Dearborn County property records back to 2000. This can be useful when researching real estate assets that are part of a Dearborn County probate estate.

Genealogy and Historical Records Access

Dearborn County's clerk office explicitly supports genealogy and archive research as part of its public access services. If you are researching family history through old estate records, the clerk's office in Lawrenceburg can help. Staff have experience with genealogical requests and can point you to the right records and indexes for older Dearborn County probate court records.

For records older than those in the digital system, the Indiana Archives and Records Administration at researchIndiana.iara.in.gov holds some older Indiana county records that may include Dearborn County probate filings from earlier periods. The state archives can tell you what is available and how to access it. Pairing a state archive search with an in-person visit to the Lawrenceburg courthouse gives the most complete view of older Dearborn County probate records.

Dearborn County Probate Records Online Resource

Since the Dearborn County website returns errors when accessed directly, the primary online resource for Dearborn County probate court records is the Indiana courts portal. The MyCase portal at public.courts.in.gov/mycase/ is the tool for searching Dearborn County probate records online, shown here.

This portal covers Dearborn County Circuit Court cases from July 2017 forward, including all probate filings such as estates, guardianships, adoptions, and trust proceedings in Dearborn County.

Nearby Counties

Dearborn County is in southeastern Indiana along the Ohio border. These neighboring counties handle their own probate court records through their respective clerk offices.