Indiana Co-Executors: How Is the Fee Split?

Q: Do Indiana co-executors split one fee?

There is no statutory pool to split - Ind. Code 29-1-10-13 sets no percentage or fixed amount. Co-executors can and do petition the court together for combined 'co-executors' fees,' with the court reviewing the total request under the same just-and-reasonable, abuse-of-discretion standard used for a single personal representative.

Q: Has an Indiana court reviewed a co-executors' fee request?

Yes - in In re Supervised Estate of Ronald M. Unger (Ind. Ct. App. 2009), three co-executors jointly petitioned for partial co-executors' fees of $70,000, which the Court of Appeals reversed for insufficient support in the record. This is a non-precedential memorandum decision under Indiana Appellate Rule 65(D) and cannot be cited as binding law, but it illustrates how these requests are reviewed.

Q: Can Indiana co-executors file separate fee petitions instead of a joint one?

Yes - nothing in Section 29-1-10-13 requires a joint filing, so co-executors can request compensation separately if their contributions were meaningfully different.

Quick answer: Indiana doesn't size a single commission for the estate the way percentage-based states do, so there's no fixed pool for co-executors to divide. Because Ind. Code § 29-1-10-13 ties compensation to what the court finds "just and reasonable," co-executors typically petition together for combined "co-executors' fees," and the court reviews that request — and can reduce or reject it — using the same discretionary standard it would apply to a single personal representative. Estimate a starting figure with the Indiana executor fee calculator.

A real Indiana case, with an important caveat

In re Supervised Estate of Ronald M. Unger, No. 12A02-0812-CV-01173 (Ind. Ct. App. Oct. 9, 2009): three co-executors (the decedent's sons) petitioned the Clinton Circuit Court for partial "co-executors' fees" of $70,000, plus $150,000 in attorney's fees, over the objection of the decedent's surviving spouse. The trial court granted the petition; the Court of Appeals reversed, finding the award wasn't adequately supported in the record. Important: this is a memorandum decision marked "not for publication" under Indiana Appellate Rule 65(D) — it cannot be cited as binding precedent. We reference it here only to illustrate, concretely, that (1) Indiana co-executors do petition jointly for a combined fee, and (2) appellate courts will reverse an award that isn't properly substantiated, whether requested by one personal representative or several.

Why there's no pool to divide, structurally

In Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio, a single statutory or court-approved commission is sized for the estate first, then apportioned among co-executors by contribution. Indiana skips that first step — since § 29-1-10-13 never calculates a percentage-based total to begin with, there's nothing pre-sized to split. Co-executors' compensation requests, whether filed jointly or separately, are evaluated against the same "just and reasonable" factors that would apply to one personal representative: the work performed, the skill required, and fees customary for comparable service.

Joint or separate petitions are both possible

As Unger illustrates, Indiana co-executors can file a single combined petition covering all of them. They can also, in principle, request compensation separately if their contributions were meaningfully different — nothing in § 29-1-10-13 requires a joint filing, and a court is free to approve an uneven amount reflecting who actually did the work.

Document the work, whichever way you file

Because Indiana courts have real discretion here — and, as Unger shows, can reverse an award that isn't well supported — co-executors are well served by keeping clear records of who did what, whether they end up filing one combined petition or separate ones.

Worked example

Two siblings serve as co-executors of a $350,000 Indiana estate. One handles most of the administration; the other contributes occasionally.

Co-executor	Basis	Illustrative compensation
Sibling A (primary administrator)	Most of the work; court finds greater compensation reasonable	$6,000
Sibling B (occasional support)	Limited contribution; court finds a smaller amount reasonable	$2,050

Illustrative only — both figures are independently assessed amounts, not a fixed pool split by a formula, and don't need to sum to what a single personal representative doing all the work might have been awarded.

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Indiana co-executors — frequently asked questions

Do Indiana co-executors split one fee?

There is no statutory pool to split — § 29-1-10-13 sets no percentage or fixed amount. Co-executors can and do petition the court together for combined "co-executors' fees," reviewed under the same just-and-reasonable standard used for a single personal representative.

Has an Indiana court reviewed a co-executors' fee request?

Yes — in In re Supervised Estate of Ronald M. Unger (Ind. Ct. App. 2009), three co-executors jointly petitioned for $70,000, which the Court of Appeals reversed for insufficient support. It's a non-precedential memorandum decision, but it illustrates how these requests are reviewed.

Can Indiana co-executors request an uneven split?

Yes. Because compensation is based on what the court finds just and reasonable for the work performed, there's no assumption of an equal division — a co-executor who did more can request, and be approved for, more.

Can Indiana co-executors file separate fee petitions instead of a joint one?

Yes — nothing in § 29-1-10-13 requires a joint filing, so co-executors can request compensation separately if their contributions were meaningfully different.

Why should Indiana co-executors keep detailed records of their work?

Because Indiana courts have real discretion over compensation requests and can reverse an award that isn't well supported, as illustrated by the Unger case, so clear records help substantiate whatever amount is requested.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on Ind. Code § 29-1-10-13. In re Supervised Estate of Ronald M. Unger is a non-precedential memorandum decision cited for illustration only, not as binding authority. Co-executors' compensation is assessed under the just-and-reasonable standard, whether requested jointly or separately; there is no statutory pool divided by headcount. Consult an Indiana probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-executors.