Probate in Cook County, Illinois
When someone who lived in Cook County dies, probate is handled by the county probate court. This page points you to that court and summarizes the Illinois rules that apply — the small-estate threshold, the key deadlines, and the instruments Illinois uses. For your own dates and numbers, use the free calculators linked below.
Where to file
Probate is filed in the county where the person who died last lived. If that was Cook County, this is the court — local forms, e-filing rules, and scheduling vary by county, so confirm with the county probate court. If they last lived in a different county of the same state, the case belongs in that county’s court instead, and one appointment there covers property across the state. If they last lived in another state, the main case belongs there, and property in Cook County generally needs a second, smaller case of its own here (commonly called ancillary probate) — an attorney can confirm which applies.
Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois — Circuit Clerk — Richard J. Daley CenterDoes this estate need full probate?
Illinois lets smaller estates skip full probate using the Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1) for estates up to $150,000.
Check your estate Source — 755 ILCS 5/25-1 ($150k personalty; raised from $100k by P.A. 104-346, eff. 8/15/2025)Key probate deadlines in Illinois
- Lodge the will with the court
- 30 days after the date of death
- File the estate inventory
- 60 days after appointment as personal representative
- Creditor-claim period closes
- 6 months after first publication of the notice to creditors (outer bar: 24 months from death)
Good to know in Illinois
- The court empowers the personal representative with Letters of Office.
- The estate closes with the Final Report.
- Illinois estate tax return due 9 months after death; $4M exemption. Administered by the Attorney General.
Other counties in Illinois
If the person who died last lived in a different county in Illinois, start with that county instead — see all Illinois counties. A few others:
Listed alphabetically, not by distance. A check marks a county with a verified court link.
Talk it through, or find a local pro
Ask the guide a question about probate in Cook County, or browse vetted probate attorneys and real-estate advisors who work in Illinois.
Selling an inherited home? Estimate the tax with the capital-gains calculator. Just getting started? Print the Illinois after-a-death checklist. Want the background? Read about how probate actually works or the small-estate route.