Illinois Court Summary

The Illinois trial court system consists of Circuit Courts and The Court of Claims.

Illinois has a unified trial court system with Circuit Courts exercising general jurisdiction over most cases. Certain cases involving the State of Illinois are heard by the Court of Claims.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in Illinois

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in Illinois.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Circuit Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Circuit Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions	$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the Circuit Courts$
Domestic Relations	Circuit Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Circuit Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Circuit Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Circuit Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Note: Some courts in Illinois are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:

The Court of Claims

Illinois Courts Summary