How to E-File a Guardianship Petition in Illinois Through eFileIL

E-Filing Is Mandatory — With One Exception

Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(a), electronic filing is required for all civil and probate cases statewide, including minor guardianship. You file through the eFileIL system, which is powered by Tyler Technologies' Odyssey platform. Paper filing at the clerk's window is no longer accepted unless you qualify for an exemption.

The exception under Rule 9(d): if you lack computer access, don't have internet service, or have a disability that prevents electronic filing, you can file on paper by attaching a signed Certification for Exemption from E-filing to your documents. The circuit clerk must accept the paper filing.

Setting Up Your eFileIL Account

Go to the eFileIL portal and create an account. You'll need a valid email address. Choose "self-represented" as your filer type — you don't need an attorney account.

Select your county's circuit court as the filing location. The system routes your filing to the correct probate division. If you've never used the system before, the Illinois Courts website has video tutorials on account setup and navigation.

Preparing Your Documents

Before you upload anything, every document needs to be "flattened." This means converting your completed forms from fillable PDFs into locked, non-editable PDFs. The reason: fillable PDF fields can be altered after submission, and courts require documents that are locked at the time of filing.

How to flatten:

• Print to PDF — open the fillable form, go to File → Print, and select "Save as PDF" as the printer. This creates a new PDF with all fields locked.
• Save-as — in some PDF readers, "Save As" (not "Save") creates a flattened copy.
• Mac Preview — open the PDF in Preview, then Export as PDF. This strips the fillable fields.

Do this for every form in your packet: the petition, consent forms, oath, nomination (if applicable), and attachments.

What to Upload

Your filing typically includes these documents, each uploaded as a separate attachment:

1. Petition for Guardianship of a Minor (Form 1601.1) — the main filing
2. Oath of Guardian — your sworn acceptance
3. Consent forms — signed by any cooperating parent (if applicable)
4. Nomination of Guardian by Minor — if the child is 14 or older
5. Additional Relatives attachment — if more than two relatives need notice
6. Additional Cases attachment — if there's a prior court case involving the child
7. Background-check authorizations — including CANTS 689 forms for the people your circuit requires to be screened

Label each document clearly when uploading. Case numbers are assigned after the clerk processes your filing.

The Filing Process

In eFileIL:

1. Select "New Case" and choose the probate case category
2. Enter the county and case type (minor guardianship)
3. Add party information — yourself as petitioner, the child as the subject, parents as respondents
4. Upload your flattened documents
5. Review the filing summary
6. Submit — there is no filing fee for minor guardianship petitions as of October 2025

After submission, the circuit clerk reviews and accepts or rejects the filing. Acceptance generates a case number, and the clerk issues an initial hearing date. If the filing is rejected, the clerk's office provides a reason — typically a missing form or improperly formatted document.

Common Rejection Reasons

• Unfillable fields still active — the PDF wasn't properly flattened
• Missing required form — the petition, oath, or a mandatory attachment was left out
• Wrong case type selected — make sure you've chosen minor guardianship, not adult guardianship or a different probate action
• Sensitive information not redacted — Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and medical record numbers must be removed from public filings

After Filing: Serve Notice

Getting a case number doesn't mean you're done. You still need to serve the Notice of Hearing on all required parties — living parents, the child (if 14+), existing guardians, and adult nearest kin when required — at least 7 days before the hearing date. Service can be by certified mail, sheriff, or publication depending on the parent's situation.

File your proof of service (certified mail receipts, sheriff returns, or publication affidavits) through eFileIL before the hearing. The judge will check the record for completed service at the start of the hearing.

The Illinois Guardianship and Custody Court Process Guide includes a form-filing log that tracks each document's status — completed, flattened, uploaded, accepted — so nothing falls through the cracks during the e-filing process.

See more Illinois guides →