Court & Hearings
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
This Easy Form makes an Appearance that tells the court and the other parties that you are participating in a court case. If you want a jury to decide your case, it can also make a Jury Request.
You can use this program to e-file your Appearance and Jury Request forms. You must also e-file a Fee waiver with this program. It will help you make all the forms.
Note: E-filing with this Easy Form does not work in Cook or DuPage Counties. You can still make your forms with this program.
Learn more about filing an Appearance.This program will help you make your court forms. It will ask questions for you to answer. At the end of the program, you will get completed court forms and instructions. You can save and print them, or the program can email them to you.
Form completion time: 10 minutes to 15 minutes
You will be able to save your work in the middle of the program.
The interview and forms are in English.
Can I use this program?
Note: This program does not make an Answer form. If you need to file an Answer with your Appearance, use our Respond to a lawsuit program instead.
To use this program:
- You must be involved in a court case, and
- You do not need to file an Answer with your Appearance.
Most people will file this after receiving a Complaint or Petition and Summons to appear in court. You can also use this program if:
- You are a Plaintiff or Petitioner, and
- You are representing yourself after your lawyer withdrew from the case.
If you want to e-file your Appearance with this program, you also need:
- To make a Fee waiver with this program, and
- An email account.
What do I need first?
To complete this program, you will need to know:
- The names and addresses of the parties,
- The court case number,
- Which of the other parties have a lawyer.
You can enter how you will deliver your Appearance to other parties in the case, if you know it.
If you need to make a Fee waiver with this program, you will also need to know:
- The public benefits that you get,
- Your income in the past month,
- Your income over the past 12 months,
- Your monthly expenses, and
- The value of your belongings.
What documents will this create?
This program prepares the following forms. The forms you get will depend on your answers.
- How to File an Appearance or Request a Jury
- Appearance
- Jury Request
- Proof of Delivery
- How to Request a Fee Waiver
- Application for Waiver of Court Fees
- Winnebago County Supplement
- Order on Application for Waiver of Court Fees
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
