How probate works in Kankakee County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Kankakee County · 21st Judicial Circuit
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About the court
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Kankakee, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 450 East Court Street, Kankakee. The court sits in the 21st Judicial Circuit. Kankakee County shares the 21st Judicial Circuit with Iroquois.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Illinois intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Illinois estates take 9 months to 14 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 months755 ILCS 5/18-3, 5/18-10, 5/18-11, 5/18-12Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What probate costs in Kankakee County, Illinois comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Circuit Court at 450 East Court Street, Kankakee. The court is part of the 21st Judicial Circuit.
Illinois caps the clerk's filing fee for a decedent's estate at $266, or $362 in Cook County, with the amount set by each county board. The $100 guardianship and advocacy fee that counties added through June 2026 has been repealed. Most county schedules issued since then post totals from $256 to $314, and publication is paid to the newspaper directly705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(2) (Clerks of Courts Act, as last amended by P.A. 104-468, eff. 7-1-26); former 705 ILCS 105/27.3f repealed by P.A. 104-468, eff. 7-1-26Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Illinois are negotiated, typically 1.9%Modeled estimate under 755 ILCS 5/27-2 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3%Modeled estimate under 755 ILCS 5/27-2 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Illinois allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules pay755 ILCS 5/27-1 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Illinois requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under 755 ILCS 5/12-2 (bond required), 5/12-4 (security excused by will)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Illinois typically runs 9 months to 14 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate cases in Kankakee County, Illinois are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 21st Judicial Circuit.
In Illinois, informal probate is not available755 ILCS 5/6-4, 5/9-4 (court admits the will and issues letters; no registrar/clerk informal appointment)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Kankakee County Self-Filing Assessment.
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Copy of the death certificate, which the Cook County Clerk asks for when the will is filed; the Probate Act and the court rules do not require one, and a plain copy serves; Original will and any codicils, filed with the clerk on paper (755 ILCS 5/6-1 "Immediately upon the death of the testator any person who has the testator's will in his possession shall file it with the clerk of the court of the proper county"; Ill. S. Ct. R. 9(c)(1) excepts original wills from e-filing entirely — they "may not be electronically filed")755 ILCS 5/6-2, 5/6-8 (admit will & issue letters testamentary); 755 ILCS 5/9-3, 5/9-4 (letters of administration & preference); 755 ILCS 5/12-2 to 12-5 (oath & bond); 755 ILCS 5/28-2 (independent administration); 755 ILCS 5/6-13, 5/9-1 (who may act)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
In Illinois a death is registered locally, and in Kankakee County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Kankakee County Clerk's Office as well as by Illinois Department of Public Health - Division of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Kankakee County · Kankakee County Clerk's Office
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Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $14 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $8 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Kankakee County · Kankakee County Coroner's Office
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Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Kankakee County are recorded with the County Recorder at 189 East Court Street, Kankakee, IL 60901. Phone: 1-815-936-5536. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $82 flat, regardless of page count.
Kankakee County accepts electronic recording through ePN, Nationwide Title Clearing, Simplifile, CSC and Hopdox.
Recording Office Record
Kankakee County
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Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $82 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
55 ILCS 5/3-5018.2; Kankakee County Recorder Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2025; Resolution 2025-04-08-45)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Illinois allows independent administration755 ILCS 5/28-1, 5/28-2 (independent administration granted unless the will forbids it or an interested person objects)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Illinois are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Kankakee County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
FirmKankakee, IL
Kankakee general-practice firm serving Kankakee, Iroquois, and southern Will County continuously since 1978. Assists families with probating an estate after a death, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and guardianships. The three partners bring over 95 years of combined practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipWills Trusts
FirmKankakee, IL
Practices from the Executive Centre in downtown Kankakee, serving Kankakee and Iroquois counties. Represents executors and trustees through probate, trust administration, small estate affidavits, estate and trust disputes, and estate and gift tax returns. Attorneys Gregory Deck, David Baron, and Neeley Provost also handle agricultural and banking work.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
FirmLa Salle, IL
La Salle firm serving the Illinois Valley, traced to a sole practice James Eugene Malone opened in La Salle circa 1909 and formerly Herbolsheimer, Duncan, Eiten & Hintz. Handles probate administration, will and trust contests, and guardianships. John S. Duncan counsels on advanced estate tax planning, marital and bypass trusts, and estate tax return preparation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax Planningand 4 more
Solo PracticeTinley Park, IL
Tinley Park solo practice off Harlem Avenue and Interstate 80, serving clients from Will, Cook, DuPage, and Kankakee counties with more than 37 years in estate planning and probate. Advises executors on their duties and represents beneficiaries in estate disputes and probate litigation. Drafts wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, and guardianship documents.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationConservatorshipand 4 more
FirmEureka, IL
Woodford County firm based in Eureka since its founding by Don B. Pioletti Sr. in 1938, with offices in Bloomington, Peoria, Springfield, and Kankakee. Drafts wills, living and life insurance trusts, special needs trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives, and handles creditor claims, fiduciary litigation, trust contests, and guardianships.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbate LitigationConservatorshipGuardianshipand 2 more
Solo PracticeFrankfort, IL
Frankfort practice in Will County with a second Chicago location, serving Mokena, New Lenox, Tinley Park, Orland Park, Joliet, and the south suburbs. Handles estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate alongside a business, contracts, and intellectual property practice. Founder Mark Varboncouer spent more than ten years at Kirkland & Ellis.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateWills Trusts
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from Illinois statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in Illinois: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Illinois.
Settling an estate in Illinois: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 days755 ILCS 5/14-1Verified Oct 10, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 months755 ILCS 5/18-3, 5/18-10, 5/18-11, 5/18-12Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
Settling a trust in Illinois happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust Code760 ILCS 3/101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 90 days760 ILCS 3/813.1Verified Oct 10, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
In Illinois, informal probate is not available755 ILCS 5/6-4, 5/9-4 (court admits the will and issues letters; no registrar/clerk informal appointment)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Browse vetted Illinois attorneys handling probate matters.
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see Illinois attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
Enter the estate value to see whether Illinois lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
