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Bond County, IL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Bond County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court of the Third Judicial Circuit, Bond County |
| Filing office | Bond County Circuit Clerk, 200 West College Avenue, Greenville, IL 62246 |
| Mailing address | Use the courthouse address. No separate mailing address is published for the Circuit Clerk. |
| Phone | (618) 664-3208 |
| Fax | (618) 664-2257 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Filing fee | Bond County's filing-fees page, reviewed August 2026, lists a decedent's-estate total of $366.00: $266.00 Schedule 2 base fee under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, plus $95.00 Guardian Advocacy Fund and $5.00 Clerk's Operation/Administration Fund. The page states that fees are subject to change without notice. Filing a will only is listed as $0.00 on the same page reviewed August 2026. |
| Local forms | No Bond County decedent-estate probate packet is published. Illinois has no statewide standardized decedent-estate probate form set. |
| E-filing | Required for probate filings in Illinois civil cases, including self-represented filers, unless an exemption applies under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(d). An original will cannot be e-filed and must be delivered or mailed to the Circuit Clerk under Rule 9(c)(1). |
| Case search | Judici entry point for Bond County: https://www.judici.com/courts/index.jsp?court=IL003015J. If an estate case does not appear there, call the Circuit Clerk. |
| Remote appearance | The Third Judicial Circuit has adopted Rule 15 on remote appearances. For Bond County probate permission and instructions, contact the Bond County Circuit Clerk. |
| Website | https://bondcountyil.gov/circuit-clerk/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Bond County, list the assets, debts, beneficiaries, and any real estate. That first inventory determines whether the family needs letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, whether the original will must be delivered to Greenville, and whether the county's decedent-estate fee will apply.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families find accounts and assets across more than 2,300 financial institutions before they pay a court fee or ask the Bond County Circuit Clerk for next steps.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One courthouse serves Bond County probate filings: the Bond County Courthouse, through the Bond County Circuit Clerk at 200 West College Avenue in Greenville. The office serves estates with proper venue in Bond County, including residents and all Bond County communities.
Bond County is part of the Third Judicial Circuit with Madison County (705 ILCS 35/1). The counties share a circuit administration structure, but they do not share a filing counter. A Bond County estate is filed with the Bond County Circuit Clerk in Greenville, not with the Madison County Circuit Clerk.
Illinois venue is set by the Illinois Probate Act of 1975: probate or administration belongs in the county where the decedent had a known place of residence, then the county holding the greater part of the real estate, then the county holding the greater part of the personal estate (755 ILCS 5/5-1).
The jurisdiction process
- Locate the will and send the original to the Bond County Circuit Clerk. Anyone holding the will must file it with the clerk immediately after death (755 ILCS 5/6-1). A person named as executor has 30 days after learning of the appointment to open a case or decline (755 ILCS 5/6-3). The original will cannot be e-filed under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c)(1), so deliver or mail it to 200 West College Avenue, Greenville, IL 62246.
- Prepare the petition to admit the will, if there is one, and to issue letters of office under 755 ILCS 5/6-2 and 755 ILCS 5/6-8. If there is no will, the petition seeks administration under Article IX of the Probate Act.
- E-file the petition and supporting documents through Illinois's e-filing system. Bond County's e-file page links to an e-filing portal and e-filing help. If you cannot e-file, use the statewide Certification for Exemption From E-filing under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(d).
- Pay the Bond County filing fee. The county filing-fees page reviewed August 2026 lists a decedent's-estate total of $366.00, made up of a $266.00 Schedule 2 base fee under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, a $95.00 Guardian Advocacy Fund charge, and a $5.00 Clerk's Operation/Administration Fund charge. The page states that fees are subject to change without notice.
- Prove heirship and ask the court to appoint the executor or administrator. The court determines heirship under 755 ILCS 5/5-3 and issues letters of office under 755 ILCS 5 when the representative qualifies.
- Expect independent administration under Article XXVIII unless the will forbids it, an interested person objects, or the court requires supervision under the Probate Act (755 ILCS 5/28-2). An individual representative must take the oath and provide bond unless the will or the court excuses a written bond (755 ILCS 5/12-2).
- Give notice after appointment. Within 14 days after the order, the representative mails or delivers notice to heirs and legatees, with publication if an address is not stated (755 ILCS 5/6-10).
- Publish the creditor notice and file proof with the clerk. The representative publishes once each week for 3 successive weeks in a newspaper published in the county where the estate is administered, and the claims date must be at least six months from first publication or 3 months from mailing, whichever is later (755 ILCS 5/18-3).
- Administer the estate. The representative gathers assets, prepares the inventory, deals with claims, pays allowed expenses, and keeps account information needed for closing under the Probate Act.
- Close the estate. After the claims period and administration steps are complete, the representative accounts, distributes property, and seeks discharge or closes under the applicable independent administration procedure in Article XXVIII.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bond County
Bond County does not publish a local decedent-estate probate packet, probate cover sheet, petition, order, oath, inventory, account, or small-estate form on its online forms page. Illinois also has no statewide standardized decedent-estate probate form set.
The statewide forms that may still matter in a Bond County probate case are the Certification for Exemption From E-filing, the Fee Waiver for Civil Cases application, and the Appearance. Every Illinois court must accept the approved statewide standardized forms that apply to the filing.
Fees
| Fee item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Initial probate filing base fee | $266.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026 as the Schedule 2 base fee under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b. |
| Decedent's-estate total | $366.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026 as the $266.00 base fee plus $95.00 Guardian Advocacy Fund and $5.00 Clerk's Operation/Administration Fund. The page states that fees are subject to change without notice. |
| Filing a will only | $0.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
| Each account other than final account | $25.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
| Estate claim, $150 to $500 | $25.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
| Estate claim, $500 to $10,000 | $40.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
| Estate claim over $10,000 | $60.00 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
| Probate jury demand | $137.50 | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
| Certified letters of office | $2.00 per page | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. Letters of office are the Illinois authority document issued under the Probate Act, including 755 ILCS 5/6-8 for an admitted will. |
| Probate exemplification | $2.00 plus certification fee | Listed on the Bond County filing-fees page reviewed August 2026. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the home was co-owned or had a beneficiary designation, it may pass outside the estate. Assets in the decedent's sole name may require a Bond County probate filing in Greenville, with the petition e-filed and the original will delivered or mailed to the Circuit Clerk. Bond County's filing-fees page reviewed August 2026 lists the decedent's-estate total as $366.00, made up of a $266.00 Schedule 2 base fee under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, a $95.00 Guardian Advocacy Fund charge, and a $5.00 Clerk's Operation/Administration Fund charge. | Sunset helps identify accounts, beneficiary designations, and which assets may need court authority for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Many steps can be handled from outside Illinois through e-filing and phone or email contact with the Bond County Circuit Clerk. The original will still must be mailed or delivered to Greenville because original wills cannot be e-filed. For remote appearance practice, contact the Circuit Clerk at (618) 664-3208. | Sunset helps organize assets and documents before the child decides whether to use an affidavit route, e-file a petition, or ask for local attorney help. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Selling real estate usually requires court authority and letters of office under 755 ILCS 5. Bond County's fee page reviewed August 2026 lists certified letters of office at $2.00 per page. The representative must also handle creditor notice, including the six months claims window under 755 ILCS 5/18-3. | Sunset helps gather asset information, prepare for the Bond County filing, and connect the family with a probate attorney when a home sale or claim issue makes counsel important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Bond County Circuit Clerk | Filing office for Bond County estates, e-filing questions, original wills, fee questions, and letters of office under 755 ILCS 5. | 200 West College Avenue, Greenville, IL 62246. (618) 664-3208. [email protected]. https://bondcountyil.gov/circuit-clerk/ |
| Bond County filing fees | Lists the county's decedent's-estate fee build-up, claim fees, jury demand fee, certified letters fee, and related probate charges. | https://bondcountyil.gov/filing-fees/ |
| Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Western Regional Office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income people. Its Western Regional Office service area includes Bond County. Ask whether it can help with the estate issue before relying on it. | 111 East Fourth Street, Suite 330, Alton, IL. https://lincolnlegal.org/ |
| Illinois Legal Aid Online, how do I settle an estate after someone dies | Plain-language statewide guide to estate settlement steps in Illinois. | https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/how-do-i-settle-estate-after-someone-dies |
| Illinois Courts approved statewide standardized forms | Statewide forms that may apply in probate, including the Certification for Exemption From E-filing, Fee Waiver for Civil Cases, and Appearance. | https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/ |
| eFileIL | Statewide electronic filing system for Illinois court filings. | https://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/ |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is most useful in a Bond County estate settlement when the estate includes farmland or a house that must be sold, heirs disagree, a creditor files a claim, a will contest is possible, or the matter becomes contested enough to involve a probate jury demand fee, listed by Bond County at $137.50 on the fee page reviewed August 2026. Illinois also limits non-lawyers from representing another person's legal interests, so an executor or administrator should get legal advice before filing papers for anyone other than themselves. Sunset connects families to a vetted Illinois probate attorney serving Bond County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families understand what the decedent owned before they choose a Bond County probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the family, asset, debt, and will information needed for estate settlement and for a Bond County filing, including the practical step of sending the original will to the Circuit Clerk.
Find a local probate attorney. When an estate needs legal help, Sunset connects families with a vetted Illinois probate attorney who serves Bond County.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset provides estate settlement guidance at no cost to families and helps them move from asset discovery to the right next step.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Bond County?
File with the Bond County Circuit Clerk at 200 West College Avenue, Greenville, IL 62246. Illinois venue starts in the county where the decedent had a known place of residence, then moves to the county holding the greater part of the real estate, then the county holding the greater part of the personal estate (755 ILCS 5/5-1).
Is the Bond County Circuit Clerk the same as the Bond County Clerk?
No. Probate filings go to the Bond County Circuit Clerk, also called the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The Bond County Clerk is a different office and does not take probate filings.
Do I have to e-file probate papers in Bond County?
Yes. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9 requires e-filing in civil cases, including probate, for filers with and without a lawyer unless an exemption applies. A self-represented filer who cannot e-file may use the Certification for Exemption From E-filing under Rule 9(d). An original will cannot be e-filed and must be delivered or mailed to the Bond County Circuit Clerk under Rule 9(c)(1).
How much does a Bond County probate filing cost?
Bond County's filing-fees page reviewed August 2026 lists a decedent's-estate total of $366.00: $266.00 Schedule 2 base fee under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, plus $95.00 Guardian Advocacy Fund and $5.00 Clerk's Operation/Administration Fund. The page says fees are subject to change without notice, so call the Circuit Clerk before filing.
Are there local probate forms in Bond County?
Bond County does not publish a local decedent-estate probate packet on its online forms page. Illinois has no statewide standardized decedent-estate probate form set, although statewide forms such as the e-filing exemption, fee waiver, and Appearance may apply.
Can I appear remotely in a Bond County probate matter?
The Third Judicial Circuit has adopted Rule 15 on remote appearances. The current Bond County probate practice and any login instructions should be requested from the Bond County Circuit Clerk at (618) 664-3208.
How do I look up a Bond County probate case?
Use Bond County's Judici entry point at https://www.judici.com/courts/index.jsp?court=IL003015J. Judici is a private vendor. If the estate case is not listed there, call the Circuit Clerk.
Do I have to travel to Greenville to open probate?
Not for every step. E-filing is available through Illinois's e-filing system, and Bond County's site links to e-filing resources. The original will still must be delivered or mailed to the Bond County Circuit Clerk because original wills cannot be e-filed under Rule 9(c)(1).
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.