File a Case with the Circuit Court

How To File a Case with the Brown County Circuit Court

E-File

As part of Indiana's statewide e-filing project, several e-filing service providers (EFSP) are made available to attorneys and litigants. When you choose a provider and needCourthouse help with e-filing, you should always start by seeking training and support from the provider you select. However, the self-help information and training available from the providers applies to their software and may not be Indiana-specific. Attorneys are required to e-file cases, which include providing service of process.

Pro Se Filings (Latin for "in one's own behalf")

Pro Se litigants are encouraged to utilize the e-filing capabilities located on the State of Indiana's e-filing user guide webpage. Find court forms at the Indiana Legal Help website and fill out the forms before bringing them into the Clerk's Office to file the documents for the court's consideration. If a Pro Se petitioner is filing in person with hard copies, refer to the following: 

Filing Requirements and Reminders

  • Be prepared to pay the filing fee (see below for more details).
  • All pleadings and exhibits must be on 8.5"-by-11" single sided paper
  • The cause number must be listed on each document submitted for court's review
  • An  Appearance Form is required for any new filing. Make sure the case type information is complete. 
  • Each case type has additional required basic forms for case initiation.
  • Any requested copies of case filings will be charged at $1 per page.

What Clerk Staff CAN DO

  • We can provide you with a telephone number of local lawyer referral services.
  • We can explain and answer questions about how the court works.
  • We can provide you general information about court rules, procedures and practices.
  • We can provide you information from your case file, including information as to when your next court hearing is.
  • We can provide a copy of the small claims manual and court forms that are available and instructions on how to complete them. 
  • We can review your papers for completeness by checking for signatures, notarization, correct county name, and correct case number.

What the Clerk staff CANNOT DO

  • We cannot provide legal advice or legal interpretations. Only a lawyer can give you legal advice. Staff can answer questions that call for factual information—these are generally questions that start with “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” or “how.” They cannot answer questions that call for an opinion about what you should do—these are generally questions that start with “should,” or “whether.” For example, court staff can explain court rules and procedure, but they cannot suggest which of several available procedures you should follow.
  • We cannot advise you whether or not you should bring your case to court or give you an opinion about what will happen if you bring your case to court.
  • We cannot advise you what to say in court.
  • We cannot let you talk to the judge outside court. We also cannot talk to the judge for you about your case.
  • We cannot fill out a form for you or tell you what words to use in your court papers.
  • We cannot sign an order or change an order signed by the judge. We cannot explain the meaning of a court order to you.
  • We cannot provide any guidance or interpretation of the Parenting Time Guidelines for you.

Filing Fees (subject to change per the State Board of Accounts' instruction)

  • Adoption: $157
  • Change in venue/transfer to Indiana County: same as cost to file new case
  • Civil collection: $157 - add $10 per defendant
  • Civil plenary: $157 - add $10 per defendant 
  • Civil tort: $157 - add $10 per defendant 
  • Deferral Program: $192.50 - contact the prosecutor's office to see if you are eligible
  • Domestic relations: $177
  • Estate: $177 (supervised or unsupervised administration)
  • Guardianship: $177
  • Hardship license: $157
  • Infraction fees (not including fine amount): $135 - PLUS fine amount (varies per violation)
  • Juvenile paternity: $196 (if filed by private counsel)
  • Juvenile miscellaneous or termination: $176
  • Miscellaneous civil: $157
  • Mortgage foreclosure: $157
  • Name change: $157
  • Protective order: $0 
  • Reciprocal support: $157
  • Sheriff Service: $28
  • Small Claims (including Evictions): $87 - add $10 per defendant plus sheriff service fee
  • Trust: $177

Civil Case Types

  • OV: Local Ordinance Violation
  • CT: Civil Tort
  • PL: Civil Plenary
  • CC: Civil Collection
  • MF: Mortgage Foreclosure
  • MI: Miscellaneous (Civil cases other than those specifically identified, such as change of name, appointment of appraisers, marriage waivers, etc.)
  • CB: Court Business Record (Court orders that refer to non-case matters such as the appointment of judge pro tem, drawing the jury, etc.)
  • RS: Reciprocal Support
  • SC: Small Claim
  • DC: Domestic Relations with Children
  • DN: Domestic Relations No Children
  • MH: Mental Health
  • XP: Expungement Petition (for petitions filed under I.C. 35-38-9)
  • AD: Adoption
  • ES: Estate, Supervised
  • EU: Estate, Unsupervised
  • EM: Estate, Miscellaneous
  • GU: Guardianship
  • TR: Trust
  • JC: Juvenile CHINS
  • JD: Juvenile Delinquency
  • JS: Juvenile Status
  • JT: Juvenile Termination of Parental Rights
  • JP: Juvenile Paternity
  • JM: Juvenile Miscellaneous
  • PO: Order of Protection
  • TS: Application for Judgment in a Tax Sale
  • TP: Verified Petition for Issuance of a Tax Deed
  • PC: Post Conviction Relief Petition

Criminal Case Types

  • CM: Criminal Misdemeanor
  • F1: Level 1 Felony
  • F2: Level 2 Felony
  • F3: Level 3 Felony
  • F4: Level 4 Felony
  • F5: Level 5 Felony
  • F6: Level 6 Felony
  • IF: Infraction
  • MC: Miscellaneous Criminal
  • MR: Murder

Protection Order IC §34-6-2-121.6 

A protective order is a civil injunction used to protect an individual from someone who has abused, stalked, or harassed another individual. To obtain a protective order, file a petition in civil court where you live or where the offender lives. This civil matter is separate from any related criminal case that may be going on. The order attempts to stop a certain type of behavior from happening in the future or happening again.

If you are the victim of domestic or sexual violence, or if you believe you or your children are in danger of being harmed by someone in your life, there is help available. Throughout the state of Indiana, hundreds of trained advocates work every day to help victims find safety, and in many situations a protection order can be a useful tool. Start by reading this online resource. 

Find a victim advocate in your area or call their 24-hour statewide hotline at 1-800-332-7385.