Cook County Courts

The population of Cook County, which is about 5.2 million, constitutes about 41% of Illinois's population of approximately 12.8 million. Chicago, the state's most populous city, also serves as the county seat. Annually, an average of 491,625 cases are filed in Cook County, which include about 80,562 criminal cases, 161,064 civil matters, 22,108 family law proceedings, and 12,543 juvenile court cases. Comparatively, of the average 300,467 case dispositions recorded each year, criminal and civil cases account for about 61,984 and 158,203 disposed cases, while the family law and juvenile courts account for 14,053 and 12,036 case dispositions, respectively.

The Circuit Court of Cook County is the county's sole court. It has several Court Divisions and Municipal departmental districts, organised based on their case types and geographical boundaries. They include:

• The Chancery Divisionhears business-related cases involving corporations and partnerships
• The County Division oversees tax-related cases, such as inheritance and estate tax matters, and elections
• The Criminal Division handles felonies and misdemeanors
• The Domestic Relations Division handles family law cases, including adoption, child custody, and parentage
• The Domestic Violence Division handles criminal cases involving relationships, such as aggravated stalking and civil orders of protection
• The Law Division hears specialized commercial suits and civil cases for above $30,000 in Chicago and above $100,000 in the suburban districts
• Probate Division handles cases related to wills, estates, and guardianships
• The Pretrial Division is responsible for initial proceedings for most criminal cases
• The Traffic Division handles all traffic-related violations in Chicago
• Juvenile Justice Division adjudicates cases involving delinquent minors
• Child Protection Division hears cases involving children, including child neglect and child abuse

The six Municipal Districts of Cook County's Circuit Court oversee civil and criminal cases within their territorial limits, where their respective courthouses are located. The court divisions, on the other hand, are located in Chicago. The Cook County Circuit Court has other court locations outside the county seat in Municipal Districts. These include Skokie, Markham, Bridgeview, Maywood, and Rolling Meadows.

How To Access Cook County Court Records

Unless exempt from public access, Cook County court records may generally be inspected or copied by anyone upon request, per the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Illinois Supreme Court Rules. Sealed court records and juvenile records are typically excluded from public inspection and may only be accessed by individuals authorized by court order or by the parties to the record. Other court records restricted from the public include:

• Adoption records
• Records containing details of ongoing criminal investigations
• Court case files detailing mental health and substance abuse conditions/treatments.

In Cook County, a court record seeker is not mandated by law to provide a photo ID for searching non-confidential court records. However, a case number is generally required to retrieve any court case records.

Online

Interested persons may access limited case information of most Cook County Court records through electronic dockets online, using the Case Search portal.The case information viewed from these dockets is offered as a public service without charge, does not constitute official court records, and is, essentially, concise case summaries of old and current court proceedings. Criminal case records are, similarly, not available to the public online.

The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County maintains court records in the county. Individuals may also use re:SearchIL, the Illinois Courts case search tool, to perform statewide searches for various court records, including Cook County court records.

Interested persons may also use CourtCaseFinder to conduct court records lookups in every U.S. county, including Cook County. For federal trials held in Cook County, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) search portal may be used to electronically search for docket information and court case files.

In-Person

To request a Cook County court record in person, requesters must first determine the district in which the case was filed. Once identified, they may then visit the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office to physically inspect and copy the sought court records. In addition, the Cook County Circuit Courts typically provide computer terminals within their courthouses to facilitate in-person viewing of court records at no cost. Interested parties may also view and inspect criminal case records at the Circuit Clerk's office in the relevant district during official hours.

The Circuit Court Clerk may charge specific fees for searching and copying court records. Typical fees charged include a record search fee of $6 for each year searched, $2 to copy the first page of the record, $0.50 to copy pages 2 - 19, and $0.25 for each copy of the remaining page. Certified record copies cost $6 per copy, and additional fees may apply for records received by mail.

Old and Archived Court Records

To access old Cook County court records, interested persons may visit the Illinois State Archivesto access these records in person during business hours at:

Individuals may also use the Global Database Search service to look up specific records online, as they explore various online databases and digitized records on the Illinois State Archives website.

In addition, record seekers may visit the Archives Department of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County to access old court records during business hours. The Department houses court records dating back to the 1871 Chicago Fire.

How To File a Case in Cook County

In Cook County, individuals who wish to initiate civil lawsuits are required by law to do so electronically, per the Amended Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9. Exemptions to this rule are limited, and typically apply to persons filing sensitive cases and to self-represented plaintiffs who:

• are unable to communicate in English
• have disabilities that impede their ability to file their cases
• lack of internet/computer access

Electronic case filing is generally done through eFileIL, the Illinois Supreme Court's statewide electronic filing service.

The first step to filing a case in Cook County is to determine, by contacting the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court, the specific court division that has jurisdiction to hear the case. Subsequently, filers should follow these steps to correctly file their cases:

• Select an eFileIL service provider (EFSP) based on their specific filing needs
• Prepare the required documents to be filed, including complaint and summons forms, along with other supporting documents
• Pay the applicable filing fees to e-file the prepared court documents
• Serve a copy of the filed documents to the parties involved

Requesters should note that case filing fees in Cook County typically vary according to case type. Certain persons, however, may be eligible for fee waivers if they can prove they are indigent and unable to afford case filing fees. This process involves filing a completed Application for a Waiver of Court Fees with the Circuit Clerk's office. The judge, after reviewing their application,may then confirm their eligibility or ineligibility for a complete or partial fee waiver through an Order on the Application for a Waiver of Court Fees.

Legal Help and Self-Help Resources

Across the United States, county court systems play a crucial role in delivering access to justice. Legal help and self-help resources are foundational to this access, particularly for self-represented litigants navigating civil, family, probate, or small claims matters. These resources vary by jurisdiction but commonly include self-help centers, online portals, legal aid organizations, and court-affiliated assistance programs.

In Cook County, the following legal help and self-help resources are available to self-representing, or pro se litigants, and individuals who may lack the funds to hire an attorney:

• The Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) assists Cook County residents facing various housing issues with free legal advice and assistance
• Legal Aid Chicago assists Cook County residents living in Chicago and the suburban districts with handling various civil matters
• Cook County Law Library offers a repository of legal information to legal representatives and the public to improve access to justice
• Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender provides legal education on "Representing Yourself in Court" on its webpage
• Chicago Bar Foundation Justice Entrepreneurs Project acts as a lawyer support group within the Chicago City limits that provides mentoring and empowerment
• Chicago Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service connects interested persons facing legal challenges to experienced lawyers online or by phone

Additionally, individuals may seek state-based legal help resources, such as:

• Illinois State Bar Association is a voluntary institution committed to assisting state-based lawyers and offering public legal education
• Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) offers free education on various legal topics, provides self-help tools for creating legal documents, such as Easy Forms
• LawHelp.org - A nationwide pro bono legal resource that offers self-litigants legal advice and education online for free
• Illinois Free Legal Answers - Provides Illinoisians free legal responses from qualified attorneys through a free virtual clinic

Types of Courts in Cook County, Illinois

Cook County, which operates a unified trial court structure, is served by a single trial court, the Circuit Court of Cook County, and a federal court. This court, which is the state's largest Circuit Court, is divided into three functional departments/divisions, namely:

• County Department
• Municipal Department
• Juvenile Justice and Child Protection Department

The County Department has several court divisions, categorized according to case type. The jurisdiction, location, and contact information of each county division are outlined as follows:

Chancery Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Injunctions, class actions, mortgage foreclosures, liens, construction of wills and trusts, contracts, receiverships, dissolutions of partnerships and corporations, declaratory judgments, and creditors' rights.
• Address and Contact Information -

County Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Adoptions, annexation/deannexation of land to a tax body, civil asset forfeitures, civil mental health proceedings, elections, emancipation of minors, inheritance taxes, municipal organizations, name change proceedings, and real estate tax proceedings
• Address and Contact Information -

Criminal Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Armed robbery, expungement, assault, burglary, murder, and criminal sexual assault
• Address and Contact Information -

Domestic Relations Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Marriage and civil union dissolutions, invalidity of marriage/civil unions, legal separations, child support, parentage, allocation of parental responsibility, parenting time, and third-party visitation
• Address and Contact Information -

Domestic Violence Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Class 1, 2, 3, & 4 felonies, civil orders of protection, aggravated stalking, misdemeanors, stalking no-contact orders, and civil no-contact orders.
• Address and Contact Information -

Law Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Medical and legal malpractice, commercial litigation and intentional tort, personal injury/wrongful death, breach of contract and warranty, and motor vehicle injury
• Address and Contact Information -

Probate Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Wills and estate administrations
• Address and Contact Information -

Pretrial Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Initial appearance for criminal cases, sex offenses, and county misdemeanors, and city and county extradition proceedings
• Address and Contact Information -

Traffic Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Drag racing, reckless driving, Class A and Class B misdemeanors, driving an uninsured vehicle, failure to produce registration, and driving without a valid license or permit
• Address and Contact Information -

Juvenile Justice Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Federal, state, or county violations by delinquent minors under 18 years.
• Address and Contact Information -

Child Protection Division - Circuit Court of Cook County

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Child abuse, child dependency, private guardianship, and child neglect
• Address and Contact Information -

The Municipal Department generally comprises six geographical districts, with each exercising jurisdiction over its territory, as follows:

1st Municipal District - Chicago

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - Evictions, small claims, housing, jury and no-jury civil cases, mandatory arbitration, ordinance violations, traffic offenses, and felony preliminary hearings
• Address and Contact Information -

The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Municipal Districts exercise similar jurisdiction, but in separate county regions. They generally hear cases relating to felony initial hearings and criminal misdemeanors, housing and eviction proceedings, orders of protection, civil cases below $100,000, and ordinance/traffic enforcement, among others.

Listed below are their respective locations and contact addresses:

Cook County Circuit Court - 2nd Municipal District - Skokie

• Address and Contact Information -

Cook County Circuit Court - 3rd Municipal District - Rolling Meadows

• Address and Contact Information -

Cook County Circuit Court - 4th Municipal District - Maywood

• Address and Contact Information -

Cook County Circuit Court - 5th Municipal District -Bridgeview

• Address and Contact Information -

Cook County Circuit Court - 6th Municipal District - Markham

• Address and Contact Information -

United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois -

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - All criminal and civil cases related to federal laws or statutes, and the Constitution and affairs of the United States.
• Address and Contact Information -

United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois -

• Jurisdiction/Cases Heard - All bankruptcy-related cases
• Address and Contact Information -

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Cook County Courts