UPDATED: Are You Using the Right Court Forms? ATJ Commission Releases Several Form Updates

It’s time to check and see if you’re using the correct court forms. Over the past several weeks, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission) has announced updates to several court forms, as part of its annual review or in response to law or rule changes.

And, due to the Court’s recent website update, the web addresses for all court forms have changed. Make sure to check any form links on your website to ensure they’re directing users to the correct place.

Please implement these updated forms immediately and discontinue the use of the previous versions. Information on the form updates is below.

Comprehensive Suite updates

Due to comprehensive updates, links to the landing pages for the form suites (rather than links to each individual form), are included below.

All forms in the suites listed have generally been updated.

• Civil Procedure
  1. Answer/Response – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/circuit-forms/answer-response
  2. Appearance – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/circuit-forms/forms-appearance
  3. Interpreter Request – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/interpreter-request
  4. Motion & Motion to Continue – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/circuit-forms/circuit-forms-motion
  5. Motion to Appoint Special Process Server – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/motion-to-appoint-special-process-server
  6. Proof of Delivery – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/proof-of-delivery
  7. Summons – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/summons
  8. Fee Waiver – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/fee-waiver-civil
• Criminal Procedure
  1. Certificate of Good Conduct – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/good-conduct
  2. Adult Expungement – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/expungement-sealing
  3. Fee/Assessment Waiver for Criminal Cases – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/forms-approved-forms-circuit-court/fee-assessments-waiver-criminal
• Appellate
  1. Notice of Appeal – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/approved-statewide-forms-appellate-forms/notice-of-appeal/
  2. Docketing Statement – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/approved-statewide-forms-appellate-forms/docketing-statement
  3. Request for Preparation of Record on Appeal – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/forms/approved-forms/approved-statewide-forms-appellate-forms/request-for-prepartion-of-record-on-appeal
  4. Fee Waiver – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/appellate-forms/feewaiver
• Supreme Court
  1. Fee Waiver – https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/supreme-court-forms/supreme-court-fee-waiver

Order of Protection suite

The ATJ Commission published 10 updated forms in the Order of Protection suite. The updates are largely formatting, making the paragraph numbers in the petition and orders follow the remedy numbers in the IDVA. The revised forms can be found here and include the following:

1. Getting Started Petition for Order of Protection
2. How To Ask for an Order of Protection
3. Petition for Order of Protection
4. Additional Incidents of Abuse
5. Additional Case Information
6. Confidential Name & Location of the School or Daycare
7. Affidavit of Parenting Time Supervisor
8. Emergency Order of Protection
9. Order of Protection
10. Summons (Protective Orders)

Small Claims Complaint suite

The ATJ Commission has announced updates to four court forms in the Small Claims Complaint suite. The updated forms include:

1. Getting Started Small Claims Complaint
2. How to File & Serve a Small Claims Complaint & Small Claims Summons
3. Small Claims Complaint
4. Small Claims Summons

Cook County Criminal and/or Traffic Court Assessments suite

The ATJ Commission published a new form suite to be used for assessment waivers in criminal and/or traffic cases in Cook County only. These forms are based on the Public Act signed Friday by Governor J.B. Pritzker amending the Criminal Traffic Assessment Act.

The new suite is located here under the Fee/Assessment Waiver for Criminal Cases section with the title Cook County Criminal and/or Traffic Court Assessments. The suite includes the following forms:

1. Getting Started: Application for Waiver of Criminal and/or Traffic Court Assessments in Cook County
2. How to Ask the Judge to Waive Criminal and/or Traffic Court Assessments in Cook County
3. Application for Waiver of Criminal and/or Traffic Court Assessments for Use in Cook County Only
4. Order for Waiver of Criminal and/or Traffic Court Assessments for Use in Cook County Only

Best practices for transitioning forms 

The ATJ Commission shared best practices for transitioning forms. These include:

• Be sure to post links to the fillable forms from the Supreme Court’s new website (https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/) to make sure they direct users to the most up-to-date forms.
• Print forms for court users on-demand to save printing costs until all updates are made.
• Email Israel Putnam, Senior Program Manager, Forms at the AOIC (iputnam@illinoiscourts.gov) to check for any court form updates before printing large orders.

The ATJ Commission notes there are still several court forms across various areas of law that will be updated shortly.

A version of this article was originally published on August 26, 2021. 

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Related links:

• General landing page for all approved Supreme Court forms