Illinois allows "independent administration" (sometimes called unsupervised or informal probate), which lets the executor handle most estate decisions without ongoing court approval. The executor still files the will, inventories assets, and reports to the court, but doesn't need a hearing for routine actions like paying bills or selling assets. Independent administration typically saves both time and attorney fees compared to supervised probate.

Estate planning attorneys in Illinois average $334 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,002–$2,004 for a simple individual will and $3,680–$5,520 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.

Illinois has a generous small-estate threshold of $150,000. Estates under that line can use the Small Estate Affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case — most families can handle it without an attorney. For estates above the threshold, formal probate generally benefits from counsel because of the procedural overhead, even when nothing is contested. The Illinois probate calculator estimates total costs based on estate value.

In Illinois, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; estates near or above the Illinois estate tax threshold; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.