2026 state court fee data · Illinois

Civil Lawsuit in Illinois

Recorded at $210–$500 - the costliest civil filing we track in Illinois, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.

Filing steps ↓ About this data

Fee rank is not wait rank

Signature reading for Civil Lawsuit in Illinois: #1 on in-state fee rank among 12 Illinois filings. On this filing's state cohort, Illinois sits in the upper third of recorded max fees ($210–$500). The published step list sits near the 5-step median for this filing (5 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Civil Lawsuit in Illinois ranks #8 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 3 at $500 among 12 civil filings in Illinois; that is not the longest wait: Guardianship records 60 days on a $400 ceiling.

Civil Lawsuit figures for Illinois are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.

In-state wait inventory

Waiting periods among Illinois civil filings

Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in Illinois - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.

Compare a state record

Compare civil lawsuit with another state

Start with Illinois, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.

Focus the comparison by published maximum fee

This only narrows the same court-schedule records; it does not estimate a total filing cost.

In-state placement

Where civil lawsuit sits among Illinois filings

Of the 12 civil filings we track in Illinois, civil lawsuit ranks 1 by recorded maximum fee: the costliest civil filing we track in Illinois.

Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings

0 of 10 states publishing a waiting-period field for this filing impose one; Illinois publishes a field and records none.

The Illinois row lists 5 procedural steps against a 5-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.

Filing Fee Details

Circuit Court Law Division.

Illinois's high-band fee among states

Illinois sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $210–$500 (rank #3 of 10 by max fee).

Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →

Key Requirements

  • Complaint
  • Service
  • Discovery
  • Trial or settlement

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 1

    File Complaint

  2. 2

    Serve defendant

  3. 3

    Discovery

  4. 4

    Trial or settlement

  5. 5

    Judgment

Quick Reference

Fee stamp
HEAVY schedule band
Wait stamp
OPEN clock band
Filing Fee
$210–$500
Residency
File where cause of action occurred or where defendant resides
Waiting Period
None required
Typical Timeline
12-36 months

Official Resources

Illinois Court Website

Nearest fee-schedule peers in Illinois

Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's HEAVY stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.

Probate
HEAVY
$250–$500
6-12 months
Property Dispute
HEAVY
$250–$500
6-24 months
Eviction
STANDARD
$215–$400
Chicago: 2-4 months. Downstate: 3-6 weeks.
Guardianship
STANDARD
$250–$400
2-4 months
Court Mediation
STANDARD
$0–$350
1-2 sessions
Divorce
STANDARD
$210–$350
Uncontested: 2-4 months. Contested: 1-3 years.

Take this with you

What to do with civil lawsuit in Illinois's numbers, next.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

According to published Illinois court materials compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage. Schedule row for Civil Lawsuit in Illinois: max fee $210–$500, wait None, vintage 2026-09-01.