Required for attorneysProbate filings are e-filed through eFileIL by attorneys and self-represented filers alike. An original will cannot be e-filed and is filed with the clerk on paper. A self-represented filer without home internet access, an email account, or a credit card or bank account can file on paper after filing the Certification for Exemption From E-filing. On paper: Original wills, which are filed with the clerk on paper (Ill. S. Ct. R. 9(c)(1)).
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedFilings can be completed at the front counter of Room 405, and the office asks filers to allow 30 to 45 minutes there to finish an electronic filing. A filing made through eFile can take up to three business days to reach the court system.
Self-represented filing
AllowedA case can be filed without an attorney. Multipart forms and other forms not posted online are free at the Circuit Clerk's office.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.The office takes cash, cashier's checks and money orders, and credit or debit cards for a small convenience fee. Personal checks are taken only from Sangamon County residents for minor traffic offenses.
Self-help center
Circuit Clerk's office, Room 405, Sangamon County Building, 200 South Ninth St, Springfield, IL 62701Self-help workstations at the front counter of Room 405 run legal self-help software with step-by-step instructions, and clerk's staff assist with them but give no legal advice. A public law library terminal is on the sixth floor.
Fax
1-217-747-5108
About the court
The Circuit Clerk's office is in Room 405 on the fourth floor of the Sangamon County Building, and the courtrooms are on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors.
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 Sangamon County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 200 South 9th Street, Room 405, Springfield. The court sits in the 7th Judicial Circuit. The same 7th Judicial Circuit also serves Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Morgan and Scott.
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 Sangamon County
What probate costs in Sangamon 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 200 South 9th Street, Room 405, Springfield. The court is part of the 7th Judicial Circuit.
The Circuit Court charges $284705 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 to open a probate case. 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.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court
Probate cases in Sangamon County, Illinois are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 7th Judicial Circuit.
Self-help workstations at the front counter of Room 405 run legal self-help software with step-by-step instructions, and clerk's staff assist with them but give no legal advice. A public law library terminal is on the sixth floor.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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.
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.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Sangamon County
In Illinois a death is registered locally, and in Sangamon County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Sangamon County Clerk's Office as well as by Illinois Department of Public Health - Division of Vital Records.
An applicant who is not immediate family or the informant fills out a notarized death record affidavit. An online order needs a copy of a valid, unexpired ID sent to the Clerk first.
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 Sangamon County are recorded with the County Recorder at 200 South 9th Street, Room 211, Springfield, IL 62701. Phone: 1-217-535-3150. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $64 flat, regardless of page count.
Sangamon County accepts electronic recording through ePN, Hopdox, CSC, Indecomm and Simplifile.
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 Sangamon 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.
Serves Sangamon County estates and trusts through the Springfield probate court, with a second office in Waverly reaching Morgan County. Attorneys guide executors from opening the estate through final accounting and represent heirs, executors, and trustees in will contests and trust litigation. Estate and income tax planning and business and agricultural succession round out the practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
Located directly across the street from the Morgan County Courthouse in Jacksonville, serving west central Illinois for over 35 years. Assists executors administering estates of varying complexity and litigates probate disputes for executors and aggrieved beneficiaries. Also handles estate planning and guardianships.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationConservatorshipand 2 more
Decatur firm serving Macon County and the surrounding area with wills, estates, and probate. Also handles guardianships of minors and disabled adults, covering both guardian of the person and guardian of the estate appointments, plus real estate transfers. The office does not charge for the initial estate consultation.
Springfield firm on South 8th Street formed in a 2026 consolidation of Frazier & Sabin, LLP and Gates, Wise & Schlosser, P.C., serving Sangamon County and central Illinois. Advises executors and guardians on their duties and handles probate, intestacy, minor and adult guardianships, and will contests and probate litigation, alongside wills, trusts, and powers of attorney.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationConservatorshipand 2 more
Springfield office across the street from the Sangamon County Courthouse, run by Daniel and Sarah Noll, fifth-generation lawyers in the Noll-Herndon family. Represents executors, independent administrators, and heirs through Illinois probate, and drafts wills and trusts alongside a larger personal-injury and criminal-defense practice.
Springfield firm in the heart of downtown, a few blocks from the Sangamon County Courts Complex and across the street from the U.S. District Court. Handles probate matters, estate and trust administration, and guardianship proceedings, alongside wills and trusts, Medicaid planning, and estate and gift tax issues. Founded in 1947 by Robert F. Scott and run by three generations of the Scott family.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
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.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Illinois
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.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
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.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
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.
Enter the estate value to see Illinois attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
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.
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See whether you can file probate yourself
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.
