The Illinois courts are coming back to life following months of only hearing emergency and essential cases during the pandemic. On June 30, the Illinois Judicial Conference announced the creation of a task force that will study how to resume court operations safely. Now, courts across the state are setting their own timetables to give residents their day in court.
Here in Cook County, the circuit court began conducting more proceedings on July 6. But while county circuit courts are back in business, don’t expect to be in a courtroom anytime soon: Most proceedings will still take place remotely over video conference. That’s possible in part because the Illinois Supreme Court changed its policy on remote hearings in May. The high court’s new Rule 45 states that “the court may, upon request or on its own order, allow a case participant to participate in a civil or criminal matter remotely, including by telephone or video conference.”
So what does that mean for families that need to sort out estate or elder law issues? The virtual reopening has allowed for the vast majority of Generation Law cases to proceed in one way or another, including guardianships, probate hearings and other planning matters. If an emergency comes up, let us know – we can get a matter in front of a judge in any county in Illinois. We’re here to help.
