Court & Hearings

This Easy Form helps you ask the court to waive or reduce filing fees.

Steps to file a small claims lawsuit for $10,000 or less from the forms you need to preparing for trial.

Describes what a summons and subpoena are, how they are used and how they are different.

Learn how to properly notify someone that a lawsuit has begun by arranging for the delivery, or 'service,' of the summons, including different methods of service.

Information about time limits to bring a lawsuit in Illinois in different areas of law.

Steps to establish parentage from the forms you need to the court hearing process.

Steps to get child support from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.

Steps to file a motion to vacate a default judgment from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.

Learn what to do if you miss a court date and get a default judgment, including how to file a motion to vacate it within 30 days to avoid wage garnishment, frozen accounts, liens on property, and damage to your credit.

Advanced content for lawyers. Information on Illinois Civil Procedure, from filing a complaint to post-trial motions to enforcement of judgments.

This Easy Form helps you prove that you sent a copy of a court document to the other parties in a court case. It's called a Proof of Delivery or Proof of Service.

Definition of a lawsuit, who you can sue, and how to sue someone.

A video about how to notify the person you are suing about a complaint or petition.

Explains what venue is, where to bring a court case, and how to change venue.

Explains the statute of limitations for small claims cases

Use this form to let someone know that you are starting a lawsuit against them.

Learn about the differences between a jury trial and bench trial in civil cases.

Explains the process for getting a loved one to receive outpatient treatment for a mental illness.

A video about whether you can file your case in state or federal court.

Lists information you should think about before filing a small claims case.

Explains how remote court hearings work, how to know if you have one, and how to prepare. It also tells you what to do if you can't participate.

Explains the process of getting an order for detention and examination.

This article goes over some general guidelines for where to file a lawsuit. However, this decision can be complex and filing in the wrong court could be costly and time consuming. Talk to a lawyer first about where to file your case.

Explains the special court in Chicago designed for people without lawyers and when the lawsuit is for $3,000 or less.

Learn how to use a Citation to Discover Assets to reveal a debtor's financial status.

Steps to get a security deposit back by going to court from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.

It is very hard to get rid of a default judgment if 30 days have passed since it was entered. You will have to file a petition for relief from the judgment.

Use this form to sue for the return of your property wrongly being held by someone else.

This Easy Form helps you make forms to ask the court for permission to use an unlicensed special process server. A special process server can deliver court papers to another party in a legal case.

A video about what you need to do to start a court case against a person or a business.

Get answers to common questions about federal courts, including what cases they hear, where to file, and how to get legal help in Illinois.

This article explains the initial steps of finding, hiring, and meeting with an attorney for the first time. It also provides helpful questions to ask throughout the process.

Explains what an inpatient admission order is and how to get one for a loved one who has severe mental illness.

Going to court can be scary. Prepare by watching this video which shows each step in the process.