Cook County, Illinois Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Cook County, Illinois are collected by the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago according to Illinois's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. With 5,267,072 residents and ranked the most populous jurisdiction in Illinois, Cook County operates within the Circuit Court (all divisions — one trial court per county) and follows both the state's base fee requirements and its own local additions.

Cook County encompasses Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, and is a global center for finance, culture, and architecture, home to iconic landmarks like the Bean and world-class museums along the lakefront. These local economic characteristics shape the types of legal proceedings filed in Cook County — from probate of estates that include commercial property or business interests near Chicago to civil disputes arising from the county's primary industries.

The Cook County Circuit Court handles the full range of case types for this community, with filing fees applying uniformly based on case type regardless of the underlying subject matter.

Cook County is known for landmarks including Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Field Museum. For residents and businesses in the areas surrounding these community anchors, knowing the applicable filing fees and court procedures in advance helps legal matters proceed efficiently at the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago.

• Filing fees in Cook County are based on Illinois's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $200–$350 (Circuit Court — Probate Division
• varies by county)
• civil complaints and appearances — $208–$337 (Circuit Court
• varies by county)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $208–$337 (Circuit Court — Domestic Relations)
• small claims filings — $73–$147 (Circuit Court small claims). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago may include additional local charges.

As one of Illinois's larger jurisdictions, Cook County may assess higher local surcharges than the state's rural counties, reflecting the greater administrative cost of operating a high-volume court in Chicago.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Cook County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in Illinois), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Cook County, request the full fee schedule from the Cook County Circuit Court clerk in Chicago before initiating the proceeding.

Illinois has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Cook County is among the jurisdictions where e-filing is more established.

For this major county, the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago likely participates in the state's e-filing system, and represented parties in civil and family matters may be required to file electronically. Contact the Cook County Circuit Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Cook County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk's window in Chicago during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Cook County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some Illinois probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Cook County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under 735 ILCS 5/5-105.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Cook County Circuit Court clerk's office in Chicago at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Cook County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in 735 ILCS 5/5-105 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Cook County Circuit Court clerk in Chicago for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Cook County Circuit Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Cook County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.