Illinois Probate Court Finder
For detailed information about the probate court procedures in your county, including relevant forms, fees, and contact information, please enter your ZIP code or select your county. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the probate court in your area.
Illinois Probate Courts
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Cook County Probate Court
County Seat: (Chicago) FIPS: 17031 - pop.5,275,541 -
DuPage County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wheaton) FIPS: 17043 - pop.932,877 -
Lake County Probate Court
County Seat: (Waukegan) FIPS: 17097 - pop.714,342 -
Will County Probate Court
County Seat: (Joliet) FIPS: 17197 - pop.696,355 -
Kane County Probate Court
County Seat: (Geneva) FIPS: 17089 - pop.516,522 -
McHenry County Probate Court
County Seat: (Woodstock) FIPS: 17111 - pop.310,229 -
Winnebago County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rockford) FIPS: 17201 - pop.285,350 -
Madison County Probate Court
County Seat: (Edwardsville) FIPS: 17119 - pop.265,859 -
Saint Clair County Probate Court
County Seat: (Belleville) FIPS: 17163 - pop.257,400 -
Champaign County Probate Court
County Seat: (Urbana) FIPS: 17019 - pop.205,865 -
Sangamon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Springfield) FIPS: 17167 - pop.196,343 -
Peoria County Probate Court
County Seat: (Peoria) FIPS: 17143 - pop.181,830 -
McLean County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bloomington) FIPS: 17113 - pop.170,954 -
Rock Island County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rock Island) FIPS: 17161 - pop.144,672 -
Kendall County Probate Court
County Seat: (Yorkville) FIPS: 17093 - pop.131,869 -
Tazewell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pekin) FIPS: 17179 - pop.131,343 -
La Salle County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ottawa) FIPS: 17099 - pop.109,658 -
Kankakee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kankakee) FIPS: 17091 - pop.107,502 -
Macon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Decatur) FIPS: 17115 - pop.103,998 -
DeKalb County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sycamore) FIPS: 17037 - pop.100,420 -
Vermilion County Probate Court
County Seat: (Danville) FIPS: 17183 - pop.74,188 -
Williamson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marion) FIPS: 17199 - pop.67,153 -
Adams County Probate Court
County Seat: (Quincy) FIPS: 17001 - pop.65,737 -
Whiteside County Probate Court
County Seat: (Morrison) FIPS: 17195 - pop.55,691 -
Boone County Probate Court
County Seat: (Belvidere) FIPS: 17007 - pop.53,448 -
Jackson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Murphysboro) FIPS: 17077 - pop.52,974 -
Grundy County Probate Court
County Seat: (Morris) FIPS: 17063 - pop.52,533 -
Ogle County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oregon) FIPS: 17141 - pop.51,788 -
Knox County Probate Court
County Seat: (Galesburg) FIPS: 17095 - pop.49,967 -
Henry County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cambridge) FIPS: 17073 - pop.49,284 -
Coles County Probate Court
County Seat: (Charleston) FIPS: 17029 - pop.46,863 -
Macoupin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carlinville) FIPS: 17117 - pop.44,967 -
Stephenson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Freeport) FIPS: 17177 - pop.44,630 -
Woodford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Eureka) FIPS: 17203 - pop.38,467 -
Franklin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Benton) FIPS: 17055 - pop.37,804 -
Marion County Probate Court
County Seat: (Salem) FIPS: 17121 - pop.37,729 -
Jefferson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mount Vernon) FIPS: 17081 - pop.37,113 -
Clinton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carlyle) FIPS: 17027 - pop.36,899 -
Livingston County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pontiac) FIPS: 17105 - pop.35,815 -
Monroe County Probate Court
County Seat: (Waterloo) FIPS: 17133 - pop.34,962 -
Effingham County Probate Court
County Seat: (Effingham) FIPS: 17049 - pop.34,668 -
Lee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dixon) FIPS: 17103 - pop.34,145 -
Christian County Probate Court
County Seat: (Taylorville) FIPS: 17021 - pop.34,032 -
Fulton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lewistown) FIPS: 17057 - pop.33,609 -
Bureau County Probate Court
County Seat: (Princeton) FIPS: 17011 - pop.33,244 -
Morgan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jacksonville) FIPS: 17137 - pop.32,915 -
Randolph County Probate Court
County Seat: (Chester) FIPS: 17157 - pop.30,163 -
Montgomery County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hillsboro) FIPS: 17135 - pop.28,288 -
Logan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lincoln) FIPS: 17107 - pop.27,987 -
McDonough County Probate Court
County Seat: (Macomb) FIPS: 17109 - pop.27,238 -
Iroquois County Probate Court
County Seat: (Watseka) FIPS: 17075 - pop.27,077 -
Saline County Probate Court
County Seat: (Harrisburg) FIPS: 17165 - pop.23,768 -
Jo Daviess County Probate Court
County Seat: (Galena) FIPS: 17085 - pop.22,035 -
Jersey County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jerseyville) FIPS: 17083 - pop.21,512 -
Fayette County Probate Court
County Seat: (Vandalia) FIPS: 17051 - pop.21,488 -
Shelby County Probate Court
County Seat: (Shelbyville) FIPS: 17173 - pop.20,990 -
Perry County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pinckneyville) FIPS: 17145 - pop.20,945 -
Douglas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tuscola) FIPS: 17041 - pop.19,740 -
Crawford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Robinson) FIPS: 17033 - pop.18,679 -
Hancock County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carthage) FIPS: 17067 - pop.17,620 -
Union County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jonesboro) FIPS: 17181 - pop.17,244 -
Edgar County Probate Court
County Seat: (Paris) FIPS: 17045 - pop.16,866 -
Warren County Probate Court
County Seat: (Monmouth) FIPS: 17187 - pop.16,835 -
Bond County Probate Court
County Seat: (Greenville) FIPS: 17005 - pop.16,725 -
Piatt County Probate Court
County Seat: (Monticello) FIPS: 17147 - pop.16,673 -
Wayne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fairfield) FIPS: 17191 - pop.16,179 -
Richland County Probate Court
County Seat: (Olney) FIPS: 17159 - pop.15,813 -
Carroll County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mount Carroll) FIPS: 17015 - pop.15,702 -
Mercer County Probate Court
County Seat: (Aledo) FIPS: 17131 - pop.15,699 -
DeWitt County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clinton) FIPS: 17039 - pop.15,516 -
Clark County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marshall) FIPS: 17023 - pop.15,455 -
Lawrence County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lawrenceville) FIPS: 17101 - pop.15,280 -
Pike County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pittsfield) FIPS: 17149 - pop.14,739 -
Moultrie County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sullivan) FIPS: 17139 - pop.14,526 -
Massac County Probate Court
County Seat: (Metropolis) FIPS: 17127 - pop.14,169 -
White County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carmi) FIPS: 17193 - pop.13,877 -
Washington County Probate Court
County Seat: (Nashville) FIPS: 17189 - pop.13,761 -
Ford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Paxton) FIPS: 17053 - pop.13,534 -
Johnson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Vienna) FIPS: 17087 - pop.13,308 -
Clay County Probate Court
County Seat: (Louisville) FIPS: 17025 - pop.13,288 -
Mason County Probate Court
County Seat: (Havana) FIPS: 17125 - pop.13,086 -
Cass County Probate Court
County Seat: (Virginia) FIPS: 17017 - pop.13,042 -
Menard County Probate Court
County Seat: (Petersburg) FIPS: 17129 - pop.12,297 -
Greene County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carrollton) FIPS: 17061 - pop.11,985 -
Marshall County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lacon) FIPS: 17123 - pop.11,742 -
Wabash County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mount Carmel) FIPS: 17185 - pop.11,361 -
Cumberland County Probate Court
County Seat: (Toledo) FIPS: 17035 - pop.10,450 -
Jasper County Probate Court
County Seat: (Newton) FIPS: 17079 - pop.9,287 -
Hamilton County Probate Court
County Seat: (McLeansboro) FIPS: 17065 - pop.7,993 -
Schuyler County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rushville) FIPS: 17169 - pop.6,902 -
Henderson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oquawka) FIPS: 17071 - pop.6,387 -
Edwards County Probate Court
County Seat: (Albion) FIPS: 17047 - pop.6,245 -
Brown County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mount Sterling) FIPS: 17009 - pop.6,244 -
Putnam County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hennepin) FIPS: 17155 - pop.5,637 -
Stark County Probate Court
County Seat: (Toulon) FIPS: 17175 - pop.5,400 -
Alexander County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cairo) FIPS: 17003 - pop.5,240 -
Pulaski County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mound City) FIPS: 17153 - pop.5,193 -
Scott County Probate Court
County Seat: (Winchester) FIPS: 17171 - pop.4,949 -
Gallatin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Shawneetown) FIPS: 17059 - pop.4,946 -
Calhoun County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hardin) FIPS: 17013 - pop.4,437 -
Pope County Probate Court
County Seat: (Golconda) FIPS: 17151 - pop.3,763 -
Hardin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Elizabethtown) FIPS: 17069 - pop.3,649
How Illinois Probate Courts Work
What Is Probate?
Probate refers to the legal process through which a deceased person's will is validated by a court. This process ensures that the deceased's assets are distributed according to their wishes as stated in the will, after any debts and taxes are paid.
What Are Probate Courts?
Probate courts, which are specialized judicial bodies, oversee these proceedings.
They also handle matters related to:
- estate administration,
- guardianships, and conservatorships
- when a will is not present
- or in cases of dispute.
It's important to note that the specific procedures and requirements of probate courts can vary significantly from one county to another across the United States. This variation is due to differences in state laws and local court rules. As a result, engaging with a probate court in one jurisdiction might be quite different from doing so in another.
Also, every state has simplified procedures for dealing with small estates... and most estates end up being "small," and most estates do not require the full probate process, especially if the deceased person owned property in one or more of the ways described below.
Types of Property That Does NOT Pass Through Probate Court
Many types of property are designed to bypass the probate process, allowing for a more streamlined transfer of assets upon someone's death. These include:
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Jointly Owned Property: Assets owned in joint tenancy with the right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety automatically pass to the surviving owner without the need for probate. This is common with real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles owned jointly by two or more individuals.
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Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Accounts: Financial accounts and securities that are designated as payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) can be transferred directly to the named beneficiary upon the account holder's death. This designation allows these assets to skip probate.
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Retirement Accounts and Life Insurance Policies: Funds from retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and the proceeds from life insurance policies, when a beneficiary is named outside of the will, do not go through probate. These assets go directly to the beneficiaries named in the policies or account documents.
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Living Trusts: Property held in a living trust is another major category that avoids probate. The trust owns the assets, and upon the death of the individual who created the trust (the grantor), the property is transferred according to the terms of the trust, without the need for probate intervention.
These mechanisms are designed to simplify the transfer of assets, reduce the time and cost associated with probate, and ensure privacy since probate is a public process. Understanding which assets fall into these categories can be crucial for estate planning and ensuring a smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries.