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Types of Cases
- Adoptions (AD)
- Chancery (CH)
- The chancery division hears matters in equity which are filed under the following categories:
- Class actions
- Declaratory judgments
- Injunctions
- Mortgage foreclosures
- Partnership and corporate dissolutions
- The chancery division hears matters in equity which are filed under the following categories:
- Criminal Misdemeanor (CM)
- A misdemeanor is defined as a crime that is punishable by a fine and by a term of imprisonment not be served in a penitentiary and not to exceed one year; a crime that carries a less severe punishment than a felony.
- Criminal Felony (CF)
- A felony is defined as a crime that has a greater punishment imposed by statue than that imposed on a misdemeanor; a federal crime for which punishment may be death (if applicable) or imprisonment for more than one year.
- Dissolution of Marriage (D)
- We work with petitions for dissolution, the invalidity of marriage, joint simplified dissolution of marriage, custody, visitation, legal separation and all civil order of protection and post-decree issues.
- Eminent Domain (ED)
- Eminent domain is defined as the right of the government to take property from a private owner for public use by virtue of the superior dominion of its sovereignty over all lands within it’s jurisdiction.
- The 5th amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires the government to compensate the owner of property taken by eminent domain.
- Family (F)
- The family division handles cases dealing with determining paternity of children, establishing child support for children of unmarried parents, and determining custody of children.
- Law (L)
- A law case is defined as a lawsuit that is brought into court for the purpose of seeking relief from or remedy for an alleged wrong when the damages exceed $50,000.
- Forcible Entry and Detainer (LM)
- Defined as the forcible entry upon and keeping of real property without the authority of law when plaintiff is seeking up to $10,000.
- Mental Health (MH)
- A mental health case determines whether or not a defendant has a mental illness for the purposes of convicting he/she for a crime.
- Juvenile (J)
- The juvenile division has jurisdiction over all delinquent minors who, prior to their 17th birthday, have violated a federal or state law or municipal ordinance other than traffic, fishing, boating, and game law violations.
- Juvenile records are confidential and cannot be viewed by the general public. Only those individuals related to the court action may actually view the file.
- Miscellaneous Remedy (MR)
- Order of Protection (OP)
- An order of protection is issued for the protection of a person or party against another individual.
- Probate (P)
- The probate division handles the following types of cases:
- Actions arising under the Illinois Power of Attorney Act
- Administration of estates of decedents, disabled persons, minors and wards
- Claims against estates
- Contracts to make a will
- Probate and contest of wills
- Will constructions
- The probate division handles the following types of cases:
- Tax (TX)
- Small Claim (SC)
- A small claim is a claim for the recovery of money or property whose value is below $10,000.