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Mercer County, IL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Mercer County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, Mercer County |
| Filing office | Mercer County Circuit Clerk, 100 Southeast 3rd Street, 3rd floor, Aledo, IL 61231 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 175, Aledo, IL 61231 |
| Phone | (309) 582-7122, option 2. No separate probate line is posted. |
| Fax | (309) 582-7121 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., open during the lunch hour. |
| Filing fee | Administration of an estate or guardianship is listed at $384.00 on the Mercer County Circuit Clerk fee schedule headed as of July 1, 2019. Confirm the current total with the Circuit Clerk before filing. Illinois filing fees are set under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b. |
| Local forms | Mercer County does not post Mercer-specific probate forms online. Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Part 8 requires the circuit-approved probate forms, numbered p-1A through p-145, so ask the Circuit Clerk for the current set. |
| E-filing | E-filing is required in Illinois civil cases, including probate, for filers with and without a lawyer. A self-represented filer who cannot e-file may use the statewide Certification for Exemption From E-filing. An original will cannot be e-filed and must be delivered or mailed to the Circuit Clerk. |
| Case lookup | Mercer County links to Judici at https://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_search.jsp?court=IL066015J. If an estate does not appear there, contact the Circuit Clerk. |
| Remote appearance | The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit has a circuit-wide remote appearance order. For Mercer County scheduling, call the Circuit Clerk at (309) 582-7122, option 2. |
| Website | https://www.mercercountyil.org/deparments/circuit_clerk.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a filing path in Mercer County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, beneficiaries, and whether any real estate was owned in the decedent's sole name. That first inventory drives the estate settlement plan, the petition, the fee, and whether letters of office under 755 ILCS 5 will be needed.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions and helps organize accounts, real property notes, liabilities, and family information before you contact the Mercer County Circuit Clerk or an attorney. Going in with that list makes it easier to ask for the right Fourteenth Judicial Circuit forms and avoid refiling.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One courthouse serves Mercer County probate filings: the Mercer County Courthouse at 100 Southeast 3rd Street in Aledo, with the Circuit Clerk's counter on the 3rd floor. The office serves probate filings for Mercer County communities through the county's own Circuit Clerk, not through another county's filing office.
Mercer County is in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit with Rock Island, Whiteside, and Henry Counties. The circuit shares court administration, but a Mercer County estate is filed in Aledo. Illinois venue is the county of the decedent's known place of residence, then the county where the greater part of the real estate is located, then the county where the greater part of the personal estate is located (755 ILCS 5/5-1).
The jurisdiction process
- File the original will with the Mercer County Circuit Clerk immediately if you have it (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 the Circuit Clerk in Aledo.
- Use the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit approved probate forms required by Part 8(a). Mercer County does not post its own probate form set online, so ask the Circuit Clerk for the current approved forms before filing.
- E-file the petition and supporting papers through eFileIL unless you qualify for and file the Certification for Exemption From E-filing. If a will exists, the electronic filing does not replace delivery or mailing of the original will.
- Pay the Mercer County filing fee. The county schedule headed as of July 1, 2019 lists administration of an estate or guardianship at $384.00. Confirm the current total with the Circuit Clerk before filing.
- Prove heirship and ask the court to admit the will, if any, and issue letters of office under 755 ILCS 5. Letters of office issued on a will are letters testamentary, and letters of office issued without a will are letters of administration.
- The court addresses the appointment and any needed hearing. Independent administration under Article XXVIII is generally granted unless the will forbids it or an interested person objects under the Probate Act. Supervised administration is administration under the Probate Act other than Article XXVIII, and an interested person may seek termination of independent administration under 755 ILCS 5/28-4.
- After appointment, the representative takes the oath and gives bond unless the will or court process excuses a written bond (755 ILCS 5/12-2). The Circuit Clerk then issues letters of office under 755 ILCS 5 as the authority document.
- Mail required notice to heirs and legatees within 14 days after the order, with publication if an address is not stated (755 ILCS 5/6-10).
- Publish the creditor notice once each week for three successive weeks in a newspaper in the county where the estate is being administered, then file proof of publication. The claims date must be at least six months from first publication or three months from mailing or delivery, whichever is later (755 ILCS 5/18-3).
- Administer the estate, inventory assets, address claims, sell or transfer property as authorized, and track the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Part 8(j) annual report or account requirement until the estate is ready to close.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Mercer County
Illinois has no statewide standardized decedent-estate probate form set. The statewide forms that may still matter in a Mercer County estate are the Certification for Exemption From E-filing, the Fee Waiver for Civil Cases application, and the Appearance.
Mercer County does not post Mercer-specific probate petitions, orders, oaths, inventories, accounts, or small-estate templates online. Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Part 8(a) requires the circuit-approved probate forms, numbered p-1A through p-145, to be used in Mercer County, and Part 8(d) says filings not on approved forms or not following the rule may be filed only by leave of court. Ask the Mercer County Circuit Clerk for the current approved forms before drafting from scratch.
Fees
Mercer County publishes a Circuit Clerk fee schedule headed as of July 1, 2019. Because that schedule may have changed, confirm every total with the Mercer County Circuit Clerk before filing. Illinois circuit clerk filing fees are set through the county process described in 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, so there is no single statewide probate filing fee.
| Filing or service | Mercer County amount |
|---|---|
| Administration of estate or guardianship | $384.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Administration of estate of ward | $384.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Proof of heirship filed alone | $40.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Petition to sell real estate | $50.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Letters of office | $2.00, as of July 1, 2019, for the authority document issued under 755 ILCS 5 |
| Each current account | $25.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Estate claim, $150 but less than $500 | $25.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Estate claim, $500 but less than $10,000 | $40.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Estate claim, more than $10,000 | $60.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Supplemental filings, including will contest or petitions | $40.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Jury demand in probate cases, 12 person | $137.50, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Jury demand in probate cases, 6 person | $68.75, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Filing a will only | $0.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
| Construction of testamentary trust, construction of will, or will contest | $40.00, as of July 1, 2019 |
Local nuance
Mercer County-specific considerations
The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit's probate rules apply in Mercer County. Part 8(a) requires the circuit-approved probate forms, numbered p-1A through p-145, and Part 8(d) says filings that do not follow the rules or do not use approved forms may be filed only by leave of court.
Part 8(j) adds a local tracking duty for every estate in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Legal representatives must file an annual report or account. Unless the court orders otherwise, the first report or account is due by the first Monday of the month following one year from issuance of letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, and another is due on each anniversary until the estate is closed.
Part 14 sets Mercer County Circuit Clerk office hours at 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., matching the Circuit Clerk's posted public counter hours and the statement that the office is open during the lunch hour.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Persona | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the home passed by joint tenancy or a beneficiary arrangement, probate may not be needed for that property, and deed work is handled through the Mercer County Clerk and Recorder rather than the Circuit Clerk. If assets were in the decedent's sole name, file through the Mercer County Circuit Clerk, deliver or mail the original will to Aledo, and confirm the estate administration filing fee listed at $384.00 as of July 1, 2019. | Sunset helps identify accounts, beneficiary assets, debts, and title questions so the spouse can focus the estate settlement filing on property that actually needs court authority. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate can be handled without opening court administration, the small estate affidavit route under 755 ILCS 5/25-1 may avoid a Mercer County probate case. If a case is needed, many filings can be e-filed, but the original will still must be delivered or mailed to the Circuit Clerk in Aledo. Filing a will only is listed at $0.00 as of July 1, 2019. | Sunset organizes the asset list, institution contacts, and filing questions before the child calls the Mercer County Circuit Clerk about forms, e-filing, and any remote appearance. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of real estate usually requires letters of office under 755 ILCS 5. File with the Mercer County Circuit Clerk, use the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit approved forms, and confirm the $384.00 estate administration filing fee as of July 1, 2019. The Mercer schedule also lists a petition to sell real estate at $50.00 as of July 1, 2019 and letters of office at $2.00 as of July 1, 2019. | Sunset helps gather the asset picture, prepare the estate settlement packet, and connect the parent with a Mercer County probate attorney if a sale, claim, or annual report or account becomes difficult. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Mercer County Circuit Clerk | Filing office for Mercer County estates. Contact the office at 100 Southeast 3rd Street, 3rd floor, Aledo, IL 61231, P.O. Box 175, Aledo, IL 61231, (309) 582-7122 option 2, or [email protected]. |
| Mercer County Circuit Clerk fee schedule | Lists Mercer probate fees headed as of July 1, 2019, including administration of estate or guardianship at $384.00 as of July 1, 2019, claim tiers, letters of office, and filing a will only at $0.00 as of July 1, 2019. Confirm current fees with the Circuit Clerk. |
| Fourteenth Judicial Circuit local court rules | Rules for Rock Island, Mercer, Whiteside, and Henry Counties, including Part 8 probate rules and Part 14 clerk office hours. |
| Prairie State Legal Services, Moline office | Legal aid office serving Mercer County. The office is at 1515 5th Avenue, Suite 200, Moline, IL 61265, phone (309) 794-1328, toll free (800) 322-9804. Ask whether the office can help with the specific estate issue. |
| Illinois Legal Aid Online, how do I settle an estate after someone dies | Plain-language Illinois estate settlement guide for families trying to understand probate, affidavits, and representative duties. |
| Illinois Courts approved statewide standardized forms | Statewide forms every Illinois court must accept. For a Mercer County estate, the most relevant are the Certification for Exemption From E-filing, Fee Waiver for Civil Cases, and Appearance. |
| eFileIL | Statewide electronic filing system used for Illinois civil filings, including probate filings that are not original wills. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property that may affect whether a Mercer County probate case is needed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the estate settlement information families need for the Illinois probate packet, including asset lists, family details, and questions to take to the Mercer County Circuit Clerk about the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit's approved forms.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves real estate, creditor claims, disputes, or required court filings, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Illinois probate attorney serving Mercer County.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools are free for families. If attorney help is needed, the attorney explains any legal fee directly before the family decides whether to move forward.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Mercer County?
File with the Mercer County Circuit Clerk at 100 Southeast 3rd Street, 3rd floor, Aledo, IL 61231. Mail for the Circuit Clerk goes to P.O. Box 175, Aledo, IL 61231. Illinois venue starts in the county where the decedent had a known place of residence, then moves to the county with the greater part of the real estate, then to the county with the greater part of the personal estate (755 ILCS 5/5-1).
Do I have to e-file probate papers in Mercer County?
Yes. E-filing is required in Illinois civil cases, including probate, and applies to filers with and without a lawyer under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(a). A self-represented filer who cannot e-file may file the statewide Certification for Exemption From E-filing under Rule 9(d). An original will cannot be e-filed under Rule 9(c)(1), so deliver or mail it to the Mercer County Circuit Clerk.
How much does probate cost in Mercer County?
The Mercer County Circuit Clerk fee schedule headed as of July 1, 2019 lists administration of an estate or guardianship at $384.00. Confirm the current total with the Circuit Clerk before filing because Illinois counties set and publish their own circuit clerk fees under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b.
Does filing a will by itself cost anything in Mercer County?
No. The Mercer County fee schedule headed as of July 1, 2019 lists filing a will only at $0.00. If you also open an estate, the estate filing fee is separate.
Are there Mercer County probate forms online?
Mercer County does not post Mercer-specific probate forms online. Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Part 8(a) requires the circuit-approved probate forms, numbered p-1A through p-145, so ask the Mercer County Circuit Clerk for the current approved set.
Do I have to file something every year in a Mercer County estate?
Yes, if the estate remains open. Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Part 8(j) requires legal representatives of estates in the circuit to file an annual report or account. The first report or account is due, unless the court orders otherwise, by the first Monday of the month following one year from issuance of letters of office under 755 ILCS 5.
How do I look up a Mercer County probate case?
The Circuit Clerk links Mercer County case lookup through Judici at https://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_search.jsp?court=IL066015J. If the estate does not appear there, contact the Mercer County Circuit Clerk at (309) 582-7122, option 2.
Do I have to travel to Aledo for a probate hearing?
Not always. The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit has a circuit-wide remote appearance order, but Mercer County scheduling details should be arranged through the Mercer County Circuit Clerk. The original will still must be delivered or mailed because original wills cannot be e-filed.
Is the Circuit Clerk the same as the County Clerk and Recorder?
No. Probate filings go to the Mercer County Circuit Clerk. The Mercer County Clerk and Recorder handles vital records, elections, and land recording, including recording a deed after estate real estate is sold or transferred.
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.