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Filing in Winnebago County
Your documents follow Illinois law. Where and how you file depends on your court, and Winnebago County sets its own local procedures and fees.
Winnebago County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Illinois rules at a glance
Six rules that shape most Illinois matters. Know these first, then open the guide or document for your situation; the pins spread them over the map so they are easy to read.
Divorce
- Divorce residency90 days
- Generally, one spouse must have lived in Illinois, or been stationed there with the armed services, for 90 days before filing or before the court's findings.
- Source: 750 ILCS 5/401
- Separation presumption6 months
- Irreconcilable differences are presumed when spouses have lived separate and apart for at least 6 months before the judgment. Illinois has no fixed waiting period.
- Source: 750 ILCS 5/401
Landlord & tenant
- Notice for unpaid rent5 days
- Generally, a landlord must give a written demand allowing at least 5 days to pay before ending the lease and filing an eviction case. Subsidized or federally backed housing may require longer notice.
- Source: 735 ILCS 5/9-209
- Security deposits45 days
- Generally, an itemized damage statement is due within 30 days after move-out. Without one, the full deposit is generally due within 45 days. Chicago's ordinance adds its own rules.
- Source: 765 ILCS 710/1
Civil disputes
- Small claims limit$10,000
- Circuit court small claims generally cover claims for money of up to $10,000, excluding interest and costs.
- Source: Illinois Supreme Court Rule 281
Business formation
- LLC filing fee$150
- The standard fee to file Illinois LLC Articles of Organization is $150. Other costs may apply.
- Source: 805 ILCS 180/50-10
Checked against Illinois statutes and official pages, October 2026. Laws change, and your facts, court, and local rules can change what applies. Confirm current law or ask an attorney before relying on a figure.
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Start from where your matter is based. Each page links to that county’s court clerk for local filing.
From your answers to your first draft.
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- Tell me what happened.
- My landlord kept my deposit after I moved out.
- Which Illinois county is this in?
- Winnebago County
- What would you like this document to do?
- Get the deposit back and an explanation of any deductions.
- Security deposit requestFirst draft ready to review
I am writing to request the return of my security deposit and an itemized list of any deductions.
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12. Security deposit. Landlord will refund the deposit, less deductions for damage beyond normal wear and tear1, within 45 days after Tenant vacates, with an itemized statement of any damage deductions delivered within 30 days.
Does carpet wear from two years of normal living count as damage?
18. Default. If rent is late, Landlord may demand payment by giving Tenant written notice allowing at least five days to pay2; if Tenant does not pay in full within that time, Landlord may end the lease and file an eviction action.
If I pay part of the rent during the five days, does the notice still count?
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