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Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Probate Division · checked 2026-10-21
Probate court fees in Cook County, Illinois
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Probate Division charges $479 to open a decedent's estate (filing fee, decedent's estate), whatever the estate is worth. The schedule is dated October 1, 2025.
- 1$100,000 estate $479
- 2Fee basis Flat fee
- 3Small-estate filing Not listed
- 4Items in schedule 9
One fee at every estate size
Cook County's schedule does not move with the size of the estate: a $25,000 estate and a $1,000,000 estate both pay $479 to start. Of the 10 county schedules here, 9 ask for less to open an estate and 0 ask for more.
Every estate charge in the Cook County schedule
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Independent administration (intestate), filing fee | $479 |
| Supervised administration (intestate), filing fee | $479 |
| Summary administration, filing fee | $479 |
| Letters of administration to collect, filing fee | $479 |
| Proof of heirship (miscellaneous probate action), filing fee | $479 |
| Independent executor (will), filing fee | $479 |
| Supervised executor (will), filing fee | $479 |
| Will annexed, independent or supervised, filing fee | $479 |
| Appearance fee listed beside each decedent-estate case type | $250 |
The schedule lists every decedent-estate case type, with or without a will, at the same $479 filing fee and $250 appearance fee; it does not scale with the size of the estate.
The schedule lists no fee for the Illinois small estate affidavit, which is handed to the asset holder rather than filed as a case.
Source: Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Probate Division Fee Schedule (form CCP-0607), read on the county's official site and last checked 2026-10-21. The amounts run from $250 to $479 across the 9 lines listed here.
The small-estate route in Cook County
Illinois's simplified procedure is the small estate affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1, for estates within $150,000, measured as the personal estate passing by will or intestacy, not counting motor vehicles registered with the Secretary of State. The affidavit is handed to the bank or other holder rather than filed, and Cook County's schedule lists no fee for it. Check the Illinois limit.
How long an estate stays open in Cook County
Whatever the county charges, the estate cannot safely close before Illinois's creditor claim period ends: 6 months from first publication of the notice to creditors under 755 ILCS 5/18-3(a). For a death on January 15, 2026 with that event 45 days later, the period would end on September 1, 2026. The Illinois probate timeline works the dates through.
Illinois counties compared
Cook County is the only Illinois county schedule on this site so far.
Illinois has no single statewide probate fee on this site: filing charges are set and published county by county, which is why the county schedule is the figure to use.
Where to file in Cook County
Estates of people who lived in Cook County are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Probate Division (Chicago). The official page linked above lists the current charges; the clerk's office can confirm the total before filing and explain fee waivers for people who cannot pay. Publication of notice, certified copies, bonds and appraisals are charged separately.
Related: all county schedules · state fee schedules · probate court fees compared.
Court fees only, read from the county's published schedule on 2026-10-21. Not legal advice; Probate Clock does not refer anyone to lawyers. Fees change, often each January; confirm with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Probate Division before filing.