You, the plaintiff, must file a “Statement of Claim” form, available at your Clerk's office. This must be fully completed and signed to receive a pre-trial conference date. If your claim is based upon written documentation, attach a copy of the contract to the Statement of Claim form. You may file by mail or in person.
An interested person, usually a family member, files a petition with. the Probate Court asking that an "administrator" be appointed, that the Court determine the heirs, and that an estate be opened. Notice of the presentation of that petition and the hearing must be given in writing to close relatives.
Depending on the complexity of your estate, you may enter a formal or informal probate case. To enter an informal probate case, an estate must have a value of less than $100,000. During formal probate cases, there must be enough time for creditors to present their claims and executors to take inventory of all assets.
Probate is just one way to settle an estate when someone dies. And it's not always required. Illinois law allows a different and simplified procedure for handling small estates. A small estate is one with no land and less than $100,000 in total assets.
The state of Illinois does not set a specific time limit for settling an estate, but it does expect executors and probate courts to handle the process as efficiently and diligently as possible. Because of the variation in estates, the length of the process can vary from several months to several years.
In this article... In the state of Illinois, a strict statute of limitations governs the filing period for claims against an estate in probate court. Creditors have exactly two years from the date of death to file their claim.
Initiating probate without a will in Florida If your loved one had left a will, you would be required to file it in probate court within 10 days of their death. Without a will, though, there is no deadline as to how soon you need to file for probate in Florida.
People who die without a will in the state of Florida put upon their relatives the necessity of filing an Affidavit of Heirs to establish their eligibility to share in your estate.