Illinois Civil Court Records

There is one supreme court, twenty-three circuit courts, and five appellate courts in the Illinois Court System. These courts handle legal issues between individuals, corporations, and governments.

The five-district Appellate Courts hear most civil and criminal disputes in this state. On the other hand, the state's twenty-four Circuit Courts share authority with the Supreme Court to handle matters such as mandamus, revenue, restriction, and habeas corpus.

The highest court in this state is the Supreme Court, which is in the capital. This court hears all appeals from the appellate courts and, on rare occasions, appeals from the circuit courts.

Can you obtain Illinois Civil Court Records? According to the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), you can seek non-confidential court records without stating a purpose.

These records include docket details, parties' pleadings, motions, court orders, the evidence presented by both sides, and hearing transcripts.

However, certain records, such as adoption and juvenile records, have restricted public availability.

Following state law, bankruptcy records filed in Illinois are public records.

In Illinois, only federal courts hear bankruptcy proceedings. If interested, you can initiate the process by filing a motion at any state's Bankruptcy Court.

Depending on your financial status and what would help them the most, you can file for different types of bankruptcy in this state. But most people in Illinois file for one of the following types of bankruptcy:

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Also known as a reorganization plan, this Chapter 11 bankruptcy is what businesses file in Illinois to protect their assets and to keep operating.

Aside from businesses, this type of bankruptcy is open to individuals with assets and debts exceeding other bankruptcy limits.

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy can stay on a debtor's credit report for up to 10 years.

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

This form of bankruptcy focuses on getting rid of debt quickly through liquidation rather than reorganization.

People, small enterprises, and organizations can petition this type of bankruptcy to eliminate qualified unsecured debts such as hospital expenses, secured loans, and credit card debts.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy, however, does not discharge debts such as:

• Child support
• Student loans
• Alimony
• Criminal fines
• Recent taxes

Chapter 7 bankruptcy can stay on a debtor's credit report for up to 10 years in Illinois, affecting their ability to get loans.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Chapter 13 bankruptcy involves reorganizing and paying debts over three to five years.

This sort of bankruptcy is exclusive to individuals in this state. Businesses cannot declare this form of bankruptcy unless the debtor is self-employed or runs an unincorporated firm and seeks relief from personal debts.

A Chapter 13 bankruptcy can stay on a debtor's credit report for up to seven years.

Besides these, Illinois also has Chapter 9, Chapter 12, and Chapter 15 bankruptcy.

How To Find Illinois Bankruptcy Records?

If you want to find all bankruptcy records in Illinois, you can search by the court or do a general search that includes all federal courts.

To refine your search, use Case Management/Electronic Case Filing System (CM/ECF) or mail PACER a request.

To get Illinois Bankruptcy Records, you can also send a request to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Another type of record you might find in Illinois Civil Court Records is a property lien, a possessory interest in a creditor's civil claim to a debtor's assets.

State courts in Illinois control the issuing and enforcement of liens. When a creditor lays a lien on a debtor's asset, it becomes a security for the debt.

In Illinois, various sorts of liens prevail across its financial landscape. However, the following are the most common types:

Judgment Lien

Unlike other states, Illinois does not allow judgment liens on the debtor's personal property. Instead, it only files this type of lien on real estate.

After filling this lien, it will stay attached to the debtor's assets for seven years.

Mortgage Lien

A mortgage lien in Illinois lets people own homes and pay over time. When homeowners lend money to buy a home, they consent to the mortgage lien.

However, the creditor may seize the property if a homeowner refuses to fulfill mortgage payments.

UCC Lien

With this kind of lien, a creditor can legally claim a debtor's property or assets to get their money back. Any personal property, including automobiles, equipment, and more, may be subject to it and lasts until the debtor settles the payment.

After filing, UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) liens are valid for up to 30 years and are accessible to the public. If interested, you can look at these filings on the UCC search website.

In addition to these liens, the Illinois Property Lien Records also contain tax liens and mechanic's liens.

How To Check Illinois Property Lien Records?

You can go to the government office that makes or keeps the liens you want to obtain free Illinois Property Lien Records.

You can also check the property's lien status at the county recorder's office. But the county recorders cannot provide legal advice or validate legal claims made in papers.

The last option is to use online databases or archives like the Lake County e-search website and the Cook County Search Portal.

On these websites, you must subscribe to have access to lien copies. To search the property's chain of titles for existing liens, you must also give the property's 14-digit PIN.

Illinois divided civil driving violation records into petty offenses and business offenses. These offenses occur when cyclists, road users, and pedestrians break vehicle operation, traffic safety, and road usage legislation.

In the state, some examples of civil driving violation records are:

• Equipment violations
• Parking violations
• Under 25 mph over the posted speed limit
• Seatbelt violation
• Improper lane changes
• Refusal to yield
• Ignoring red lights and stop signs

These charges do not result in jail time, unlike other driving violations in this state. The state law considers petty and business offenses minor, and motorists can typically pay penalties to settle such violations.

How To Look Up Illinois Civil Driving Violation Records?

You can go to the local Driver Services Offices and ask for your driving record in Illinois. However, you must present identity credentials and pay a $12.00 service fee.

You can also check traffic records in Illinois by sending mail to the Office of the Secretary of State. To make a request, you must complete the Driving Record Abstract Request Form and direct it to the office, along with a $12 service fee.

On top of that, you can also find traffic records online, where you can print the traffic document in PDF format upon request. When using this service, the $12 service fee still applies, plus a $1 fee.

In Illinois, every case that goes to court without being settled ends with a judgment.

Legal judgment records in this state are official documents that show the rights and responsibilities of the people involved in a civil case.

The state's Code of Civil Procedure established the laws regulating judgments. The Illinois Supreme Court further sets guidelines for entering and enforcing such judgments.

Searching online is one method to find Illinois Legal Judgment Records.

Numerous Illinois trial courts distribute non-confidential court data online for free.

So, if you want to look for judgment records digitally, you can use public access systems or case lookup tools that are available on the websites of the circuit court clerks. You will often need to give a name or case number to get results.

However, the records online are not very detailed. Thus, while you may be able to see basic judgment information, you may not be able to view it thoroughly. Contacting the court clerk or visiting the courthouse is the appropriate course of action for this.

On the other hand, case parties, such as attorneys, can use re:SearchIL to look for a legal judgment record. This website lets parties view judgment details from Illinois courts that utilize e-filing systems.

When you obtain Illinois Legal Judgement Records, you can expect to see the following:

• Judgment filing date
• The names of the parties
• Judgment county and court
• The court's findings
• Case number

Small Claims Records of Illinois Civil Court Records have official details about small claims cases.

In Illinois, the Small Claims Court is a section of the Circuit Court, which is the state's trial court. This court has simple rules to help people settle small legal disputes for up to $10,000.

The following are some of the cases that Illinois Small Claims Courts handle:

• Judgment enforcement
• Breach of contract
• Asset repossession
• Torts
• Property damage
• Landlord/tenant disputes
• Personal damage

Anyone 18 or older or a business can file a small claims case in Illinois. People can go to court as Pro Se, which means they represent themselves, or they can hire an attorney. But businesses should have attorneys.

At the time of filing, jury trials are an option for the parties, but they must request one.

How To Look Up Illinois Small Claims Records?

You can look up small claims records in Illinois by contacting the Circuit Court Clerk in charge of the case.

In this state, you can request court records by mail, in person, or through the Court Clerk's office's public access terminals.

Remote access to small claims court records is available to anyone from Lake County and Cook County.

In Illinois, a divorce occurs when two spouses decide to end their union. Before filing for divorce in Illinois, both parties should be state residents for at least 90 days.

If you want more information about divorce, look at this guide. It has information about the reasons for divorce in Illinois, the citizenship requirements, and maintenance.

You can also look at this overview of essential divorce laws. This page also provides links to the full text of the statutes.

There are three kinds of Illinois Divorce Court Records, which are:

Divorce Certificates

This divorce court record has the fewest details yet is the most often sought document in this state.

In this document, you can expect a simple statement that the two people have gotten divorced, along with the time and date.

Typically, the party requesting a new marriage certificate or a name change on their driver's license is the one that asks for this record.

In Illinois, a divorce certificate is only available to the two people who got divorced, their lawyers, and the judge who handled the case.

Divorce Decrees

This divorce court document contains all the details on a divorce certificate and information regarding the decisions and deals made at the divorce hearing. Most of the time, these decisions have:

• How the debt is split between the parties (if any)
• The division of property and belongings
• If parties want to change their name
• Paying alimony and child support
• Life and health insurance ownership
• Child custody

The parties, their attorneys, and the judge can access the divorce decree in Illinois.

Divorce Records

Divorce records have the most information of the three types of papers. This document covers everything from the first two records, including all divorce trial files and documents.

Divorce records are more widely available in Illinois than divorce certificates or decrees.

How To Look Up Illinois Divorce Court Records?

The Division of Vital Records (DVH) of the state's Department of Public Health (DPH) and the circuit clerk in the county courthouse are in charge of keeping Illinois Divorce Court Records. You must present identification and the divorce date to access these court records in this jurisdiction.

Anyone can look at Illinois Divorce Court Records, but only people involved in the divorce can get certified copies.

This state charges $5 for divorce certificate verification by mail, fax, or in person. If you want to request a person, you can contact the DVH office and give them a valid photo identification.

To obtain these records by mail, you must send the DPH a completed PDF application for a divorce record file or a letter with each party's name, dates of birth, divorce date and location, and a $5 fee.

For fax requests, you must submit a letter or a PDF format of verification of dissolution of marriage/civil union record files. On the cover sheet, you should also write the names of everyone involved and the date and place of the divorce.

Probate is a court-supervised judicial process that is sometimes, but not always, necessary following a person's death. Its objective is to clarify who inherits the deceased individual's property and to ensure payment of all legal bills and taxes.

In Illinois, the following kinds of property go through the probate process:

• Property in a will
• Tenants' in-common assets (real estate, bank accounts, bonds, and stocks)
• Assets with no named beneficiary

Settling property through probate in Illinois is comparable to that in other states, but Illinois has its probate code.

In this state, the Circuit Court in the county where an individual died last usually handles the probate process.

Where can you find Illinois Probate Court Records? In this state, these records are public information. You can request a copy of these documents from the court clerk where the personal representative filed them.

Some courthouses might let you make a copy there, while others might let you ask for a copy by mail.

Identifying the record's custodian is the first step in obtaining Illinois Civil Court Records.

Per state law, court clerks are often responsible for maintaining court records.

You can go to the State Court Clerk to see Appellate Court and Supreme Court records. On the other hand, you can get Circuit Court records by visiting the Court Clerk in each county.

In Illinois, you can request access to court records in person or by mail. For a personal request, you can go to the courthouse that handled the case and ask for the form. However, Illinois courts require an application for such requests.

You can also send your requests to the Supreme Court Clerk's office, the state's central place for court records.

For a mail-in request, you can give the Court Clerk a formal request asking them to mail copies of the record to the provided address. You must include a  valid identification card and an approved, self-addressed envelope in the mail request.