Court & Hearings

If you are unhappy with the outcome of a case, you may want to file a civil appeal. The forms listed below are for civil appeals to the Illinois Appellate Court. There are different forms for filing an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court. Learn more about civil appeals in Illinois. 

Notice of Appeal

The Notice of Appeal is the form you file to start an appeal of a trial court order or judgment. This form tells the trial court, the appellate court, and the other party that you are appealing a court decision and explains what you want the appellate court to do about it. Illinois courts have three levels. The trial court, appellate court, and supreme court. The appellate court reviews the trial court, and the supreme court reviews the appellate court. Learn when to file a Notice of Appeal. 

Use our Notice of Appeal Easy Form program to fill out the forms you need. 

Request for Preparation for Record on Appeal

As part of your appeal, you must request the preparation of the record on appeal. The record on appeal is a collection of pleadings, orders, motions, transcripts, evidence, and other court documents from the trial court case. 

You must file the Request for Preparation of Record on Appeal with the trial court clerk within 14 days after you filed the Notice of Appeal (above).

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file your Request for Preparation of Record on Appeal on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. You may use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Request for Report of Proceedings on Appeal (Transcript)

The Report of Proceedings (Transcripts) is a written record of everything said during a hearing or trial, including statements from the judge, parties, witnesses, and lawyers. This is different from the record on appeal mentioned above because the record on appeal includes pleadings, but the transcript does not. The appellate court needs this transcript to decide if the trial court’s decision was correct.

You must deliver the Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts) to the court reporter as soon as possible. You must attach a copy of the Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts) to your Docketing Statement (below) when you file it.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file a Request for Report of Proceedings (Transcripts) on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. You may use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms. 

Bystander's Report or Agreed Statement of Facts on Appeal

A Bystander's Report and An Agreed Statement of Facts are used to explain to the appellate court what happened at the trial court. If there was no audio or video recording of what happened in the trial court and no court reporter, you can make this report based on what you and others remember happened.

The 49-day period to file the Bystander's Report or Agreed Statement of Facts starts on the day after you filed the Notice of Appeal.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file your Bystander’s Report or Agreed Statement of Facts on Appeal on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. You may use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Docketing Statement on Appeal

A Docketing Statement is a short summary of the case you are appealing. It lets the appellate court and everyone involved know that you (the “appellant”) have started the appeal process.

Every civil appeal must have a Docketing Statement. The deadline to file the Docketing Statement is 14 days after you file the Notice of Appeal.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file your Docketing Statement on Appeal (Civil) on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. You may use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Appearance

The Appearance is a form filed by the person responding to the appeal (the "appellee") that tells the court and the other parties that you are participating in the appeal. 

If you are the person who filed the appeal (the "appellant"), you do not need to file an Appearance if you have already filed a Docketing Statement. 

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file your Appearance on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. You may use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Appellant’s Brief

The “appellant” is the person appealing a case. An appellant brief is how you tell the appellate court why you think the trial court should not have ruled against you and why the appellate court should change that decision.

The Appellant's Brief is generally filed within 35 days after the record on appeal is filed. However, in some cases, this deadline is shorter. 

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines for filing your Appellant's Brief on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. You may use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Appellee’s Brief

The “appellee” is the person responding to the appeal. An appellee brief tells the appellate court why the trial court was correct in deciding in your favor. Use this form to answer an appeal and to respond to the appellant’s brief.

The Appellee's Brief must be filed within 35 days after the due date for the Appellant's Brief.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file your Appellee's Brief on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. Use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Appellant’s Reply Brief

Use this form if you filed the appeal and want to respond to the other party's brief (“Appellee’s Brief”). The Appellant's Reply Brief must be filed within 14 days after the due date for Appellee's Brief.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file an Appellant’s Reply Brief on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. Use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Appellate Motion

An appellate motion is used to ask the appellate court to do something related to your case. Both appellants and appellees can use this form.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file an Appellate Motion on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. Use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Learn more about Filing a motion in Illinois Appellate Court.

Petition for Rehearing on Appeal

A Petition for Rehearing is used to ask the appellate court for a new hearing. It tells the court what it overlooked or misunderstood in its decision. If the appellate court rules against you, you may use this form. You must file within 21 days after the appellate court decision.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file a Petition for Rehearing on Appeal on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. Use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

See our step-by-step guide on Petitioning the appellate court for a rehearing.

Fee Waiver - Appellate Court

There may be court fees associated with filing your appeal. If you cannot pay the court fees in your appeal, use our Fee Waiver - Appellate Court Easy Form program to fill out the forms to ask the court to waive or reduce your filing fees.

E-filing exemption - Appellate Court

In Illinois, e-filing is the required filing method for the courts. Instead of filing paper forms, you must send your documents from a computer.

Some people may be exempt from the e-filing requirement. Learn more about e-filing in Illinois and whether you qualify for a Certificate of Exemption from E-filing in Appellate Court. 

Notice of Change of Address

A Notice of Change of Address is a form you file to update your contact information. You should file this form if your address changes after you filed an Appearance or a Docketing Statement, so the court and the other parties know how to reach you.

Find the instructions, forms, and deadlines to file a Notice of Change of Address on the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website. Use Adobe Reader to fill in the PDF forms.

Are you looking for forms to begin a criminal appeal?

Visit the Illinois Courts Standardized State Forms website to find the forms to begin a criminal appeal.

You are also encouraged to contact the Office of the State Appellate Defender.