2026 state court fee data · Illinois

Probate in Illinois

Recorded at $250–$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 Probate 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 ($250–$500). The published step list sits near the 7-step median for this filing (7 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Probate 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.

Probate 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 probate 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 probate sits among Illinois filings

Of the 12 civil filings we track in Illinois, probate ranks 1 by recorded maximum fee: the costliest civil filing we track in Illinois. Neighbours: Civil Lawsuit at $500 and Property Dispute at $500.

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 7 procedural steps against a 7-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.

Filing Fee Details

Circuit Court Probate Division.

Illinois's high-band fee among states

Illinois sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $250–$500 (rank #4 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

  • Death certificate and Will
  • Petition for Probate
  • Notice to creditors
  • Inventory
  • Distribution

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 1

    File Petition in Circuit Court Probate Division

  2. 2

    Independent or supervised administration

  3. 3

    Notice to creditors

  4. 4

    Inventory assets

  5. 5

    Pay debts

  6. 6

    Distribute estate

  7. 7

    Close estate

Grounds / Eligibility

Estate administration upon death of asset owner

Quick Reference

Fee stamp
HEAVY schedule band
Wait stamp
OPEN clock band
Filing Fee
$250–$500
Residency
File in county where decedent lived
Waiting Period
None required
Typical Timeline
6-12 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.

Civil Lawsuit
HEAVY
$210–$500
12-36 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 probate 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 Probate in Illinois: max fee $250–$500, wait None, vintage 2026-09-01.