As of July 1, 2018, E-Filing became mandatory in Illinois for all Civil Areas (except Quasi Criminal, Housing and Wills). The Illinois Supreme Court mandated Cook County to Utilize the Statewide Electronic Filing System (eFileIL) for Civil Case Filings in Cook County - Illinois Supreme Court Order M.R.
Persons 18 years or older may choose to represent themselves in small claims court. Regardless of your choice, your opponent has a right to be represented by an attorney. Illinois Supreme Court Rules require a corporation have an attorney if they are bringing the small claims suit.
Generally, judges hold self-represented litigants to the same standards of professional responsibility as trained attorneys. If you do not hire an attorney, you must become familiar with the statutes, case law, and procedural rules that apply to your case.
You submit court forms and other documents for your case by filing them. In Illinois, online filing (e-filing) is mandatory for most people. If you need help e-filing, you can call the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Customer Service Call Center at (312) 603-5030 or Illinois Court Help at (833) 411-1121.
Small claims court is worth it when you know you are deterring someone from potentially harming others the same way they harmed you. You may also want to help others determine whether to do business with that person or corporation in the future, as court decisions are part of the public record.
You submit court forms and other documents for your case by filing them. In Illinois, online filing (e-filing) is mandatory for most people. If you need help e-filing, you can call the Clerk of the Circuit Court's Customer Service Call Center at (312) 603-5030 or Illinois Court Help at (833) 411-1121.
5 years from the date of the incident to file a claim against someone who damaged your property, 5 years from the date of the broken contract to file a claim for breach of contract against someone with whom you have a contract with that is not in writing, and.