Cook County, IL Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Cook County, IL Consumers

Illinois Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Illinois PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Cook County: Key information about your local probate court (Probate Court in Illinois) for Cook County.
• How Probate Works in Illinois: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Cook County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Illinois probate forms from the Illinois probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Illinois: Learn how to use Illinois's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In Georgia, there's no Affidavit procedure available for small estates. There is a summary probate procedure available for estates in which there is no Will, the estate owes no debts, and all of the heirs have agreed on how to divide up the property.

    Ga. Code Ann. 53-2-40 and following.

• Illinois Estate Taxes:

  • Illinois, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in Illinois. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Illinois Wage & Hour Law

• Illinois Minimum Wage:  

  • Workers in Georgia are entitled to the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour, because it's higher than the state's minimum wage ($5.15 an hour).   

    Cook County Minimum Wage

    In Cook County, the current minimum wage is $14.00 an hour. 

    Chicago Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in the city of Chicago is currently $15.80 if you work for an employer that has more than 20 employees, or $15 an hour if you work for an employer with four to 20 employees.

  • To learn more about the federal minimum wage, see https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Illinois and whether they apply to you.

  • Illinois has adopted the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime rate of 1-1/2 times your regular wage for every hour you work over 40 hours in a given workweek.

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Illinois. 

  • You can find information and resources on filing a federal minimum wage claim with the Wage and Hour division at the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division website. 

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Illinois.

  • In Illinois, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Illinois law from the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. 866-487-9243

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Illinois Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Illinois: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Illinois, unemployment benefits range from $55 per week to $365 per week.
  • Formula:

    Your weekly benefit in Georgia will usually be the amount you earned in the two highest paid quarters of the base period divided by 42. (If your earnings in the entire base period are not at least 150% of your earnings in the highest paid quarter, then your weekly benefit will be the amount you earned in the highest paid quarter divided by 21.)

  • Duration:

    In Georgia, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 14 to 26 weeks, depending on the unemployment rate when you apply. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Illinois.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Illinois MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Cook County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free Illinois BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Illinois law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• Illinois BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.

  Georgia is divided into 3 federal districts with main cities in

  • Atlanta (Northern District)
  • Macon (Middle District)
  • Savanhah, Agusta, (Southern District)
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in Illinois 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Illinois Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Cook County: Cook County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Illinois Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Illinois!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Illinois? Learn about whether Illinois imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Cook County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Illinois, Cook County, Chicago 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Cook County, IL.
• Gerrymandering in Illinois: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Cook County, IL

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration
• Legal Aid in Illinois:
  • GeorgiaLegalAid.org 
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