Circuit Clerk's Office

General Division

Welcome to the General Division of the Rock Island County Circuit Clerk's office! The General Division is responsible for filing civil cases within Rock Island County Circuit Court. Cases involving dollar amounts under $5000.00 would be considered a Small Claims case. In most cases civil fees are required prior to a case being opened. Please click here for fee information.

Announcements:

We have public access terminals available on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the Courthouse for researching case information.

Attorney Information
Filing by Mail

Attorney Information:

To file a new case or to file an appearance in a case, it is now required that the Circuit Clerk's office have your ARDC number on file. Please make sure this number is on all correspondence and pleadings sent either by mail or delivered over the counter. To help keep the records accurate, please make sure to keep the Clerk's office records current by notifying us when you are no longer involved in a case or are new to a case. Click here to view the list of case types.

Filing by Mail:

The filing of cases by mail is permitted as long as the necessary documents are transmitted to the Clerk along with the proper fees. The Clerk does not return copies of documents that are filed by mail, unless a self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed for that purpose. The Clerk does not accept mail with postage due. It is returned to the sender REFUSED. Please mark attention to the appropriate division on your envelope. In an effort to provide faster customer service, it is helpful if pleadings are filed free of staples, either over the counter or through the mail.

Cases that are filed within the General Division are:

Adoption (AD)
Arbitration (AR)
Chancery (CH)
Dissolution of Marriage (D)
Eminent Domain (ED)
Family (F)
Forcible Entry & Detainer (Landlord Eviction) - (LM)
Juvenile (J)
Juvenile Abuse/Neglect (JA)
Juvenile Delinquent (JD)
Lawsuits (other then those filed in Small Claims court) - (L)
Law (LM)
Mental Health (MH)
Miscellaneous Remedy (MR)
Municipal Corporation (MC)
Orders of Protection (OP)
Probate (P)
Small Claims (SC)
Tax (TX)
Wills (W)

Arbitration:

Arbitration cases are filed in the General Division of the Circuit Clerk's Office. Arbitration cases are for money damages only ranging from $10,000 to $49,999. Arbitration cases have a specific Summons that must be used and you can download that form by going to our Court Forms Online link on the right hand side of this page and clicking on Arbitration Summons. Arbitration cases must be scheduled at the time of filing and you must schedule them out at least 21 days, but not more than 40 days. Arbitration cases are always set on Fridays. Volume filers of AR cases can refer to the Master time slot for specific times available for you. Additional Arbitration information, including FAQ's and an overview of the process can be found on the Arbitration Center Home Page.

Dissolution of Marriage:

You may file for divorce in the Circuit Clerk's office without an attorney. We have some forms available for you to use. They are very simplified forms and if you don't meet all of the requirements, then you cannot use those forms. Please click here to access the Simplified Dissolution of Marriage forms. Please remember that if you are filing without an attorney, we cannot give legal advice and we DO NOT give refunds. If you don't qualify to use the Simplified Divorce packet, please click here to go to the "Self Help Legal Center of Southern Illinois" website for additional information.

Forcible Entry & Detainer (Landlord Eviction)

To evict a tennant you may file a Forcible Entry & Detainer. The forms are now available on our website by clicking here. The first form you need to start with is the Landlords Five Day Notice, it will need to be served. On the sixth day, if the parties are not out, you may file a Forcible Entry and Detainer Complaint and have the Summons issued. At the time you file the Complaint, you will be given a court date. Civil Process Fees for serving the Summons or Five Day Notice can be viewed on the Fees page of the Rock Island County Sheriff's Department by clicking here. To view the fees for filing the complaint, please click here.