A basic knowledge of the Illinois court structure can be beneficial if you ever find yourself in the courtroom. All too often individuals and businesses find the need to file a lawsuit, or are at the receiving end of a lawsuit, and their lack of knowledge on how the court system works leaves them lost in the proceedings. Regardless of the circumstances that put you there, it doesn’t hurt to understand the court process.

It’s important to know that there are multiple courts in each state that handle different types of cases. Each of these courts has a judge that administer the law and case process. When considering IL local courts, keep the following in mind:

1. The Illinois local court structure has three tiers: circuit courts, the Court of Appeals and the State Supreme Court.

2. There are 23 circuit local courts in IL.

3. Factors, such as where the parties reside and the location where the parties sign a contractual agreement, determine jurisdiction for Illinois local courts.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Discover which IL local court serves your area

Five of the 23 circuit courts serve one county in Illinois. If you live in Cook County, Will County, DuPage County, Lake County or McHenry County, then your case is in the circuit court located at the county seat. For example, the county seat for Cook County is Chicago. The remaining 18 circuit courts serve two to 12 counties. It is in your best interest, before filing a case, to determine which circuit court maintains jurisdiction for your case.

I recommend: To determine which circuit court services your area, select your county from the pull-down menu on the left side of Circuit Court page on the Illinois Courts website. The Chicago local court, serving the greater Chicago metropolitan area, is the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Ascertain in which division of local courts in Illinois you should file your case

Circuit courts have various divisions for different case styles. Typically, most circuit courts maintain a circuit division, associate division, family division, probate division, small claims division and criminal division. Judges in the circuit division hear any type of case. The associate division hears all cases except criminal cases where punishment can result in a prison sentence of one year or more. The small claims division deals with civil lawsuits, but only in cases where the amount sought is under $10,000. The probate division handles estates, wills and conservatorships. The family and criminal divisions handle cases as their titles indicate.

I recommend: Search a database of court records for different types of cases in many Illinois counties on Judici. The Illinois Attorney General provides information on the small claims case process in the state of Illinois.

Serve as a jury member in Illinois local courts

To determine potential jury members for a case, the county draws names from individuals registered to vote in Illinois and those who maintain a valid driver's license or state ID. Jurors are necessary when the case goes to trial and the parties agree to have the trial heard before a jury. Attorneys for each party involved in a case ask questions of all prospective jurors and then choose those individuals that will serve as jurors for the trial based upon the answers individuals provide. Those chosen must be fair and impartial during the case and only base their decision upon the facts and evidence presented.

I recommend: Before serving as a juror, read the Juror Handbook provided by Illinois Courts. It will provide you with information on what you should expect from a trial and how you are to conduct yourself as a juror. If your local court in Illinois summons you to serve as a juror, and you are uncertain of your ability to serve, contact your local Jury Commission office. For example, if you receive a summons to serve in the Springfield local court, contact the Sangamon County 7th Judicial Circuit Court Jury Commission Office.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Regardless of how much knowledge you have of local courts in Illinois, you should hire an attorney who specializes in your specific type of case to represent you.