Process service and court filing in Cook County, Illinois
9 Cook County courthouses
- E-filing required
- Mandatory (most case types) (e-filing mandatory statewide for civil cases since July 1, 2018; Cook County excepts quasi-criminal, housing, and wills; exemptions available for self-represented litigants)
- E-filing system
- Odyssey eFileIL (Tyler Technologies), Illinois statewide e-filing system; users file through an approved EFSP
- E-filing portal
- Court e-filing page
- New civil complaint fee
- $388.00 (civil action over $15,000, Schedule 1); $379.00 ($2,500.01–$15,000); $287.00 ($2,500 or less), tiered under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b
- Small claims fee
- $287.00 (small claims up to $2,500); $379.00 (over $2,500 up to $10,000 cap); respondent appearance fee $0 for cases $2,500 or less, $250.00 above
- Family law petition fee
- $388.00 (Petition for Dissolution of Marriage; respondent appearance fee $250.00), schedule CCDR-0703, effective 1/1/2022
- Fee schedule
- Court fee schedule
- Case lookup
- Court case search
Court information from 1Court, our partner company, verified July 26, 2026. Cook County court information on 1Court
What we do and how fast
Nationwide Legal supports law firms across Cook County, Illinois with full litigation support across the Chicago metro. Our team handles process service, court filing, e-filing, court reporting, subpoenas, and records retrieval at the Daley Center, the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, and the Dirksen federal building. Named operators on every order, photographic confirmation on service, same-day filings, and live status updates as work completes.
Pricing: quoted per order. Request a quote
How to start an order
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Common questions
Is e-filing required in Cook County?
1Court lists e-filing in Cook County as: Mandatory (most case types) (e-filing mandatory statewide for civil cases since July 1, 2018; Cook County excepts quasi-criminal, housing, and wills; exemptions available for self-represented litigants). We file electronically or at the counter, whichever the court requires.
Which Cook County courthouses hear civil cases?
Richard J. Daley Center, Skokie Courthouse, Rolling Meadows Courthouse, Maywood Courthouse, Bridgeview Courthouse, Markham Courthouse. We file and serve for cases at each of them.
What is the filing fee for a new civil complaint in Cook County?
$388.00 (civil action over $15,000, Schedule 1); $379.00 ($2,500.01–$15,000); $287.00 ($2,500 or less), tiered under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, per 1Court. The court's fee is separate from our service charge.
How fast can you serve papers in Cook County?
Same-day service attempts are available on rush orders. Standard orders complete in 1 to 3 business days, with a proof of service or non-service affidavit on every order.
How is Cook County service priced?
We quote each order. Request a quote with the documents and addresses and we reply with the price.