Ford County Circuit Court Guide

Note: No online-published probate fee schedule for Ford County was located in this hardening pass (accessed 2026-07-18), so no single filing-fee number is stored. Illinois circuit clerk filing fees are flat per-case amounts set by each county board within the statutory caps of 705 ILCS 105/27.1b (probate filings are civil Schedule 2 under Ill. Sup. Ct. order M.R. 29741, capped at $266 in counties outside Cook under the statute text in force July 2026), and every decedent estate administration filing also pays the uniform statewide $100 guardianship and advocacy operations fee (705 ILCS 105/27.3f). Published all-in totals to open a decedent's estate in other Illinois counties run about $356 to $479. Item fees such as estate claim filing fees (banded by claim amount, up to $60 outside Cook) and certified copies of letters of office (up to $2 per page) also apply, and publication of the claim notice is paid to the newspaper directly. The small estate affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1) is not filed with the court and has no court fee. Verify the current amounts with the Ford County Circuit Clerk before filing.