Plan for your future to protect your assets, simplify transition, and reduce stress for your loved ones.

Estate Planning

Overview

Estate planning organizes your affairs so your wishes are followed and your family avoids unnecessary delay and expense. Core estate planning documents include a will, a durable power of attorney, a healthcare directive (advance directive), and, when appropriate, a revocable trust. These tools control who manages your finances if you’re incapacitated, who makes medical decisions, and how assets transfer at death.

Without a plan, assets may pass through probate under Indiana law, which can be time‑consuming, public, and costly for heirs. Effective planning can reduce probate exposure and limit potential family disputes. Indiana no longer levies a state estate tax, but federal estate tax rules and other consequences still make careful planning worthwhile for many families.

Services We Provide

• Wills

• Revocable Trusts

• Guardianships

• Advance Healthcare Directive

• Pet Trusts

• Power of Attorney

Our Approach

Estate planning should be practical, clear, and focused on outcomes that matter to you. We prioritize straightforward explanations, sensible options, and documents that work in real life under Indiana law. The goal is to reduce uncertainty, limit avoidable costs and delays, and make transitions easier for the people you leave behind.

  • Clarity First

    We explain options in plain english so you understand the consequences of each decision.

  • Direct access to your attorney.

    No jumping through hoops to reach your attorney - you have Matt’s personal cell.

  • Tailored to your family.

    Our plans reflect your family’s unique structure, any special situations that may exist, and are tailored to your priorities, rather than a one-size-fits-all template you might find online.

  • Clear pricing, clear expectations.

    We quote estate planning clients flat fees for work - creating predictability in your planning. No overpriced hourly rates.

Straightforward Process. Zero Guessing.

Our goal is to remove uncertainty from the legal process. From the moment you reach out, you’ll know exactly what to expect, what comes next, and who is handling your matter. No confusion. No chasing updates.

Step 1

Tell us what you need in a few quick clicks.


You provide the basics — your issue, your goals, and the best way to reach you. This helps us prepare before we ever get on a call.

Step 2

We meet to understand your situation in detail.


Once we receive and review your information, we will follow up with you to schedule a meeting over the phone to gather some more information, answer any questions you may have, and help you understand your options.

Step 3

We send you a retainer agreement.


Once you’re ready to move forward, we send a straightforward retainer agreement so we can begin representing you immediately. Clear terms, transparent pricing, and no surprises.

Step 4

You relax, and we take it from here.


We begin work on your matter while keeping you updated every step of the way, providing you with the peace of mind that you deserve.

Our Experience

Licensed Indiana Attorney Matt Shelton has experience assisting clients in Indiana with estate planning matters. During law school, Matt gained valuable experience in understanding estate planning tools while working on several projects involving several dozen complex trusts for an ultra-high net worth family. Matt wishes to bring this institutional experience to everyday Hoosiers and families to ensure they receive the highest quality of planning.

While at Shelton Law P.C., Matt has worked on several estate planning projects for clients throughout Indiana. These experiences in conjunction with Matt’s business background provide Matt with unique perspective that allows for finance focused estate planning legal advice. Instead of reactive legal advice, clients that work with Matt expect a proactive and practical plan that will protect their assets and ensure your loved ones inherit according to your wishes.

Contact us for a courtesy consultation

We will reach back out to you within 24 hours to schedule an initial consultation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at (317)-804-1495.

Estate Planning FAQs

You don’t have to, but an estate plan prevents uncertainty, reduces probate exposure, and names decision‑makers for incapacity and death. Without a plan, Indiana’s intestacy rules determine who inherits your assets - leaving it to the state to determine what happens to your possessions.

Do I need an estate plan?

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What core documents should I have for my estate?

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What is the difference between online DIY forms and your documents?

A basic, effective plan usually includes four documents: (i) a last will and testament, (ii) a durable power of attorney, (iii) a healthcare directive, and (iv) when appropriate, a revocable living trust. The will names who inherits, what they inherit, appoints an executor, and can name guardians for minors. The durable power of attorney allows for a trusted person you choose to manage your affairs when you are incapacitated. The healthcare directive records your medical wishes and names a healthcare agent to make decisions if you cannot. A revocable trust can hold assets during life and pass them outside of probate.

Does your firm do simple wills?

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Absolutely. If you only need a will for your estate, we can provide that document.

What is probate and why should I avoid it?

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Do I need a trust?

How do I choose an executor or representative of my estate?

Probate is the court‑supervised process that validates wills, pays debts, and transfers assets after death. In Indiana, probate is handled in county circuit or superior courts and can take months; unsupervised administration is common for straightforward estates, but contested or complex estates take longer. Assets that pass outside probate include jointly owned property with right of survivorship, accounts with payable‑on‑death or transfer‑on‑death designations, life insurance with beneficiaries, and properly funded trusts.

DIY forms can be a low-cost starting point for very simple situations, but they come with real limitations. Templates are generic and rarely account for state‑specific execution rules, asset‑titling quirks, or family complexities. Common problems include improperly signed or witnessed documents, trusts that are never funded, beneficiary designations that conflict with a will, and incapacity gaps that force a court proceeding. DIY is most appropriate when your estate is small, your family situation is straightforward, and you’re comfortable accepting the risk of errors.

Attorney drafted and reviewed plans are tailored to your specific situation: your exact wishes, your family dynamics, your state specific laws, and your financial situation.

You should choose someone who is trustworthy, organized, and willing to act. If a will names no executor, or the named person is unable or unwilling to serve, the probate court appoints an administrator which can delay the process.

A trust can be a great tool when your goal is to avoid probate, keep your estate private, and control how assets are managed even after incapacity or death, but it is not necessary for every household. For many Indiana residents, a well‑drafted will plus a durable power of attorney and advanced healthcare directive will cover the essentials. Trusts are most useful if you own real estate in multiple states, have assets titled only in your name, face blended‑family or special‑needs issues, want to attach strings to your gifts you leave behind, or want to speed transfers and keep matters out of probate. The main trade‑off is that a trust adds complexity and administrative steps during your lifetime in exchange for potentially faster, more controlled, private, and less court‑involved administration for your heirs.

In which counties do you provide estate planning services?

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Matt Shelton serves every single county in the state of Indiana, and is licensed appear in every state court. This includes the following counties: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, DeKalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, St. Joseph, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Starke, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, Wells, White, and Whitley.