Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake)

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) is a commonly used form within Indiana. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake)

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake):

• This form pertains to the State of Indiana

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Indiana’s Form Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Indiana form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Indiana probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake), take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in IN are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Indiana.

5 reasons you should submit this form as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Indiana can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Indiana. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Indiana is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Indiana probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Indiana probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake), and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Indiana probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Indiana.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Indiana probate court office.

Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake) is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Indiana-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Indiana Form Lake County - Court Instructions For Supervised Estate (Lake) (Lake). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

FORM B. COURT’S INSTRUCTIONS TO PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SUPERVISED ESTATE STATE OF INDIANA ) IN THE LAKE CIRCUIT/SUPERIOR COURT ) SITTING AT , COUNTY OF LAKE ) LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE ) , DECEASED ) CAUSE NO. COURT’S INSTRUCTIONS TO PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SUPERVISED ESTATE Please read carefully before you date and sign. One copy of this form must be filed with the Court before your appointment as personal representative is confirmed by the Court. Keep one copy for your records. Introduction: You have been appointed as the personal representative of the estate of a deceased person. By your appointment, the Court has placed in you the highest trust that you will perform your duties in the best interests of all beneficiaries and creditors of the estate. It is important that you fully realize your duties and responsibilities. Listed below are some, but not all of them. You must be represented at all times by an attorney of record. Your attorney is required to reasonably supervise and guide your actions as personal representative unless and until that attorney is permitted by order of the Court to withdraw from representing you. Your attorney is required to notify the Court in the event that you are not timely performing or improperly performing your fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries and creditors of the estate and by signing these Instructions, you agree that the filing of that notice does not violate the attorney-client privilege. If the Court receives such notice, it will set the matter for hearing and require you to personally appear and account to the Court for all actions taken or not taken by you as personal representative. You are required to notify the Court in writing in the event that your attorney is not timely performing or improperly performing his or her duties to reasonably supervise and guide your actions as personal representative. Upon receipt of the notice, the Court will set the matter for hearing and require you and your attorney to personally appear and account to the Court for all actions taken or not taken by the attorney. The Instructions which follow are to be considered by you as Orders of the Court which require you to perform as directed. Although your attorney will file all papers with the Court, you, as personal representative, are ultimately responsible to see that the estate is properly and promptly administered, and you are personally liable for incorrect distributions, payments, or acts, as well as any unpaid taxes or costs of administration. The Court appreciates your efforts on behalf of the estate. As Personal Representative, you are required to: 1. Locate, collect and maintain all property owned by the decedent. 2. Keep motor vehicles and real estate insured and protected. 3. Immediately fill out a change of address at the post office to have the decedent’s mail forwarded to you. 4. No later than two (2) months after your appointment, have your attorney file in this Court an inventory describing all property belonging to the estate, with date of death values, and forthwith serve a copy of the inventory on all known heirs, beneficiaries or distributees of the estate. 5. Estate Checking Account. A. Open a separate checking account at an Indiana financial institution in your name “as personal representative for the estate of (the decedent).” Obtain a federal tax I.D. number for the checking account. Do not use your Social Security number or the decedent’s Social Security number. B. As a general rule, DO NOT put any of your funds or anyone else’s funds in this account. However, if circumstances warrant, you should consult your attorney prior to doing so. C. Always pay for estate expenses by checks from this account. Do not pay any expenses with cash. D. Make sure that the bank is willing to return cancelled checks or electronic versions of the checks to you. E. Keep records of all deposits including the identity of the person or entity paying the money into the estate. 6. Determine all debts that the decedent owed. Look through the decedent’s tax returns and other papers. Talk to anyone who knew the decedent’s business. Consult your attorney as to payment of debts, costs of administration, bond premiums, and funeral bills. Some debts may be unenforceable. Some may have priority over others. 7. Have your attorney provide written notice of the administration of the estate to all known creditors of the estate. 8. If the decedent owned a business or was involved in contracts which were not yet fully performed, have your attorney obtain directions from the Court as to those matters. 9. DO NOT MAKE any distribution of personal property or real estate to an heir or devisee without prior Court order. 10. NEVER borrow estate property or put it to your own personal use. 11. Prepare and file income tax returns for the tax year in which the decedent died and any returns for prior years if needed. Timely prepare and file any estate, inheritance or fiduciary tax returns and pay taxes as they come due. 12. Accounting. Indiana law requires the estate to be closed within one (1) year of your appointment as personal representative. Before the estate can be closed, you must file with the Court a final accounting of your actions as personal representative. A. Have your attorney file your final accounting, consisting of three (3) schedules, after the administration of the estate has been completed. B. The first schedule must include all assets listed on the inventory, any income and additional assets obtained during administration, and any adjustments to the inventory. C. The second schedule must be an itemized list of expenditures. Documentation for each expense shall include: (a) the payee; (b) check number or other identifying number on the instrument; (c) the amount disbursed; and, (d) if the reason for disbursement is not apparent from the description of the payee, a description of the reason for the disbursement sufficient to substantiate the reason for the disbursement as part of the administration of the estate. Cancelled checks or facsimile copies of paid checks for each expenditure must be attached as evidence of payment. D. The third schedule must be a recapitulation indicating the remaining estate property after subtracting expenditures. A proposed distribution must be furnished to all interested parties, including heirs. 13. After the Court approves your final account, make distribution to the proper people and file a supplemental report with the Court, attaching receipts. 14. Notify the Court and your attorney of any change in your address or telephone number. 15. NEVER pay yourself or your attorney any fees from assets of the estate without a prior Court Order, unless your attorney confirms to you that the law or local court rules allow you to reimburse yourself from estate assets for necessary expenses that you previously paid with your personal funds. 16. Keep a record of the time you spend working on the estate. You are entitled to a reasonable fee, unless you waive a fee. Time records will help the Court determine your fee. 17. Always contact your attorney for advice if you are unsure as to any act as personal representative. Have your attorney counsel you in relation to the estate and explain anything that you do not fully understand. 18. Do not sell an estate asset without prior Court Order unless the Will, in very specific terms, authorizes the sale without court order. Consult your attorney about this. I acknowledge that I have carefully and completely read the above instructions and received a copy for my records. I agree to properly carry out my duties. Dated this _________day of _______________________, 20 _____. _________________________________ ___________________________________ Signature, Personal Representative Signature, Personal Representative _______________________________ ___________________________________ Print, Personal Representative Print, Personal Representative I acknowledge that I have carefully and completely discussed the above instructions with my client before this form was signed and believe that he or she is fully aware of and capable of performing the duties required of a personal representative of a supervised estate. _______________________________ ___________________________________ Signature, Attorney Signature, Attorney _______________________________ ___________________________________ Print, Attorney Print, Attorney