Menard County Circuit Court Guide

Note: The Menard County Circuit Clerk's posted fee schedule (effective April 15, 2017) lists a $212 filing fee for a probate estate of a decedent ($152 for estates not exceeding $15,000), estate claim fees of $25 ($150 to $499), $40 ($500 to $9,999), and $60 ($10,000 or more), $10 to file a will without administration, and a $137.50 probate jury demand. That posted schedule predates the July 1, 2019 statewide restructuring of circuit clerk civil fees under P.A. 100-987, so the $212 figure is not stored as the current filing fee; confirm the current decedent estate filing fee with the Circuit Clerk before filing. Illinois circuit clerk civil filing fees, including probate case filing fees, are set by county ordinance within the statutory maximums of 705 ILCS 105/27.1b (Clerks of Courts Act; civil Schedule 2 filing fees are capped at $266 outside Cook County), a $100 guardianship and advocacy operations fee under 705 ILCS 105/27.3f also applies to decedent estate administration filings, and Illinois charges no separate probate tax. The small estate affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1) is presented directly to banks and other asset holders, not filed with the court, so it has no court filing fee. Newspaper publication of the claim notice is paid directly to the newspaper.