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 (Chancery 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 Tennessee there's no Affidavit procedure available. You can use a summary probate procedure for estates worth less than $50,000, not counting real estate or property held jointly with right of survivorship.

    Tenn. Code Ann. 30-4-102 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:  

  • Tennessee does not have its own minimum wage law. Therefore, employees in The Volunteer State are entitled to earn at least the federal minimum wage, $7.25 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 of the federal Department of Labor at its website. Although Tennessee does not have a minimum wage law, it has other wage and hour laws that govern final paychecks, deductions, and more. The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development has posted information and a complaint form for these laws at its 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 Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. 844-224-5818

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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 $30 per week to $275 per week.
  • Formula:

    You can look up your weekly benefit amount in Tennessee's Employment Security Law, Tennessee Code section 50-7-301.  

  • Duration:

    In Illinois, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• 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.

  Tennessee is divided into 3 federal districts with main cities in

  • Knoxville, Chattanooga (Eastern District)
  • Memphis (Western District)
  • Nashville (Middle 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

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