Lake County, IL Probate Information

Lake County adds several local court-management duties on top of the statewide duties of an executor or administrator. Every decedent estate must file an annual status report, and a supervised estate must file an annual accounting. If the required report or accounting is not filed, the case can be placed on a citation call.

Local rule 5-3.06 requires annual reports or accounts to continue until the estate is closed. Local rule 5-3.13 says closing will not be authorized unless receipts or other proof of distribution are on file, a verified final report has been filed, costs and claims have been handled, and applicable taxes have been paid or provided for, or the estate is not subject to death taxes.

Lake also has local rules for safe deposit boxes, claim calls, vouchers, fee petitions and jury demands in probate matters. If a decedent had a safe deposit box, local rule 5-3.05 requires the representative to identify the box and prepare an itemized statement of its contents.

Illinois does not provide a Supreme Court approved decedent-estate packet for admitting a will, opening an estate, inventory, accounting or closing. Lake County fills that gap with local probate forms through the Circuit Clerk.

The Clerk's forms page says that when a state court form exists, the local version is discontinued and the state court form must be used. For probate-specific decedent-estate documents, use the Lake County forms.

Publication is paid to the newspaper, not to the Clerk.

1. Before filing, gather the will, asset information, debts, heirs, legatees and title information. If only an original will is being deposited, the filing is $0.00, effective October 1, 2025, and is handled under 755 ILCS 5/6-1.
2. At filing, the Clerk stamps an initial case management conference date in probate decedent-estate and guardianship cases. Local rule 5-2.11 says that date is about 75 days from filing, but the standing order says it is not the date to open the estate or hold a hearing.
3. After the petition is filed, call the Probate Division at 847-377-3260 to schedule the opening date. The Clerk says all dates must be called in and cannot be set online.
4. Seven days before the opening or closing date, the required package must be physically received by the judge. In contested matters, physical courtesy copies of pleadings and notices of motion are also required seven days before the court date.
5. Twenty-four hours before the court date, proposed orders are uploaded through the eCourt portal one time only. Morning-call orders are submitted and uploaded by 2:00 p.m. the same day.
6. For decedent estates, openings and closings are called in C-303 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:50 a.m. Routine decedent-estate motions are at 9:00 a.m. on those same days.
7. Creditor notice follows 755 ILCS 5/18-3. The claim date must be not less than 6 months from first publication or 3 months from mailing or delivery, whichever is later.
8. Annual Lake County status reports or accountings continue until the estate closes. If a required report or accounting is missed, the case can appear on a citation call on the first Tuesday of the month at 9:00 a.m.

Lake County publishes its own Small Estate Affidavit form under 755 ILCS 5/25-1. The local point is practical: the affidavit is not filed with the Lake County Circuit Clerk to open a probate case. It is presented to the bank, transfer agent or other holder of personal property.

Lake's form also names the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Lake County, Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, as the default agent for service of process if the affiant does not name another agent. The affidavit cannot transfer real estate.