Shelby County Circuit Court Guide

Note: Shelby County does not publish an online probate fee schedule that could be verified in this pass, so the amount stored here is the statutory maximum for opening a decedent's estate: the civil Schedule 2 case filing fee, capped at $266 outside Cook County under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b (probate cases are assigned to Schedule 2 by Illinois Supreme Court order M.R. 29741), plus the flat $100 guardianship and advocacy operations fee on decedent estate administration filings under 705 ILCS 105/27.3f, for a maximum total of $366. The county board sets the exact filing fee by ordinance within that cap, so the actual charge may differ; published schedules in nearby Illinois counties run about $356 to $376. Estate claim filing fees (banded by claim size), account filing fees, and certified copies of letters are separate item fees under 705 ILCS 105/27.1b. The small estate affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1) is presented directly to asset holders, not filed with the court, so it has no court filing fee. Statute text accessed 2026-07-18. Verify the current amounts with the Shelby County Circuit Clerk before filing.