Shawn M. Scott
Top rated Estate Planning & Probate attorney in Indianapolis, Indiana
Scott Legal Group
Practice areas: Estate Planning & Probate, Closely Held Business, Business & Corporate; view more
Licensed in Indiana since: 2004
Education: The John Marshall Law School
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2010, 2017 - 2018 Call today:
317-973-0870
Scott Legal Group
8555 River RdSuite 210
Indianapolis, IN 46240 Visit website
Shawn M. Scott is a knowledgeable and adept attorney, helping clients with a wide variety of legal matters including estate planning, probate and trust administration, and small business formation and counsel. She is the founding attorney of Scott Legal Group LLC in Indianapolis, Indiana.
After graduating in 2000 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Hanover College, Shawn attended the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois (now University of Illinois, Chicago). She received both her Juris Doctor and her LL.M., Intellectual Property in 2004 and became licensed to practice in Illinois and Indiana. Shawn became a board-certified trust and estate lawyer as certified by the Trust & Estate Specialty Board of the Indiana State Bar Association in 2017. She became a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel in 2022.
Shawn is a tour de force in her legal community, looking to maintain and improve standards within her industry according to her stringent high bar. She has served a wide variety of important roles in many legal organizations, including serving as Chair of the Probate, Trust and Real Property Section of the Indiana State Bar Association, President of the Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis, Board Member of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation and Board Member of the Estate Planning and Administration Section of the Indianapolis Bar Association. Shawn is also an advocate for cancer patients and currently serves as a Board Member of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation and is a Senior Research Advisor for the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center.
Practice areas
Estate Planning & Probate, Closely Held Business, Business/CorporateFocus areas
Business Formation and Planning, Contracts, Limited Liability Companies, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Wills
- 70% Estate Planning & Probate
- 20% Closely Held Business
- 10% Business/Corporate
First Admitted: 2004, Indiana
Professional Webpage: https://scottlegalgrp.com/person/shawn-scott/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Scott Legal Group LLC, Owner of law firm 2024- Present practicing in the areas of estate panning, probate and trust administration, closely held business formation and counsel, and business succession planning Managing attorney handling all aspects of law firm operations and legal practice, 2025
- Indianapolis Bar Foundation (2021-Present) Distinguished Fellow Indianapolis Bar Foundation designation honoring lawyers for their dedication to the law due to their long record of service, exemplary standing, and exceptional contributions to the Indianapolis legal community. Co-Chair, Planned Giving Committee (2020-2022) Board Member (2020-2022), 2025
- Estate Planning Council of Indianapolis, Member (2013-Present) President (2020-2021) Vice President (2019-2020) Treasurer (2018-2019) Board Member at Large (2016-2018), 2025
- Indiana State Bar Association (2005 – Present) Probate, Trust, and Real Property Section Chair (2019-2020) Vice-Chair, (2018-2019) Trust and Estate Specialty Board, Board Member (2018-2022) Probate Review Committee Member (2016-2022), 2025
- Indianapolis Bar Association (2005-Present) Board Member, Estate Planning and Administration Section (2019-2022), 2025
- Illinois Bar Association Member (2001-2022), 2022
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Illinois Bar
- Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel , 2022
- Board Certified Indiana Trust & Estate Lawyer from the Trust & Estate Specialty Board (TESB), 2017
Pro bono / Community Service
- Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation (2023-Present) Board Member and Patient Advocate Secretary (2024-Present), 2025
- Cancer Drug Discovery and Development Accelerator, Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center Board Member (2022-2024), 2024
- GRASP Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnership Patient Advocate Volunteer (2022), 2022
- The Children's Museum Annual Fund Council, 2006
- Humane Society of Indianapolis Legal Ambassadors, 2014
- The Children's Museum Planned Giving Council, Member, 2014
Educational Background
- Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana, B.A. in Political Science
- John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois, J.D.; LL.M., Intellectual Property, 2004
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- ISBA Senior Lawyers Section, Indiana State Bar Association, August 2025 “In every legal career, there comes a time to say hello to new beginnings and goodbye to familiar paths. As the legal profession demands both mental sharpness and consistent service, it is essential for practitioners to plan thoughtfully for the future. This program is designed for attorneys who are considering retirement or simply wish to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances, such as sudden health challenges.” , Speaker, Hello, Goodbye: Knowing When It’s Time to Leave the Work You Love, Indiana Bar Association, 2025
- 90 Hot Tips in Estate, Trust & Probate Practice, Speaker-“Well Being Trusts”, 90 Hot Tips in Estate, Trust & Probate Practice, ICLEF, 2024
- Introduction to Estate and Trust Income Tax Reporting Basis Considerations and Income Tax Planning in Estate Planning Generation Skipping and Transfer Tax – Planning and Reporting “The end goal being to equip you with the tools to effectively navigate and manage the financial intricacies of estate planning. Join Shawn Scott and Stephen Schnelker”, Faculty, Key Elements of Accounting for Estate Planning Lawyers, ICLEF, 2024
- Shawn was a speaker at the ICLEF 8th Annual Realty CLE Program in October 2020., Speaker, Estate Planning and the SECURE Act, ICLF, 2020
- Speaker at the 7th annual Reality CLE at ICLEF on October 31, 2019, speaker, Estate Planning Basics, ICLEF, 2019
- Speaker at 120 Hot Tips at ICLEF, Speaker, 5 Tips on Drafting Lifetime Trusts for Children, ICLEF, 2019
- Speaker, Retirement and Estate Planning, Purdue Cooperative Extension, 2007
- Speaker, "Addressing Complex Legal Issues You Will Deal With," Probate: Beyond the Basics, National Business Institute, 2007
- Speaker, "Ethical Considerations" and "State Inheritance Tax," Gift and Inheritance Tax: Procedure and Strategy, National Business Institute, 2008
- Speaker, Estate Workshop, Purdue Cooperative Extension, 2008
- Speaker, "Understanding the Laws of Intestacy" and "Ethical Perils in the Probate Process" and "Administration of the Estate," The Probate Process from Start to Finish for Paralegals, National Business Institute, 2009
- Author and Speaker, "Joint and Mutual Wills" and "Intestate Statutes," Basic Will drafting, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF), 2011
- Author and Speaker, "Intestacy" and "The Client Interview," Practical Tips for Estate Planning and Administration, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, 2014
- 120 Hot Tips for Probate Practice, Author and Speaker, "5 Tips on Where There is No Will", ICLEF, 2015
- Author and Speaker, "Creditors and Claims Against Non-Probate Assets," Estate and Probate Administration 101, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum (ICLEF), 2015
- 120 Hot Tips in Estate, Trust and Probate Practice for 2016, Speaker, 5 Tips on the Client Interview, ICLEF, 2016
- 120 Hot Tips in Estate, Trust and Probate Practice for 2017, Speaker, 5 Tips on Creditor Notice and Claims, ICLEF, 2017
- 120 Hot Tips in Estate, Trust and Probate Practice for 2018, Speaker, 5 Tips on Family Settlement Agreements, ICLEF, 2018
- Basic Will Drafting, Speaker, Conducting the Client Interview, ICLEF, 2018
- Speaker, Business Succession Planning from an Estate Planner's Perspective, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2019
Honors
- Super Lawyer (2020-2025) Rising Star (2010, 2017-2018) , Indiana Super Lawyer, Thompson Reuters, 2025
- Board Certified Indiana Trust and Estate Lawyer (2017-Present) Board Member (2020-2021), Trust and Estate Specialty Board, Indiana State Bar Associtation, Indiana State Bar Association, 2025
- Indianapolis Bar Association Bar Leader Series (Class XI, 2014), Indianapolis Bar Association Bar Leader, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2014
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2020 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2010, 2017 - 2018
