Will County Probate

When an individual passes away while living in Will County, Illinois, sometimes the estate will need to pass through probate. If so, then the probate case will go through the Will County Probate court located in downtown Joliet, Illinois.

Will County Probate Court

The Will County Probate Court has one judge, Judge Matthew Bertani, who hears all probate matters for the county. The probate call for routine probate matters is heard Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 1001 of the Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Illinois. Contested matters related to probate estates are heard later on in the morning and in the early afternoon.

When is Probate Required in Will County, Illinois?

In Will County, as in any county in Illinois, probate will generally be required when an individual dies holding real estate in his/her name alone, or when an individual dies holding over $100,000.00 in personal assets in his/her name alone, with no beneficiary designated to receive the property at death. In these two instances, probate will likely be needed to properly handle the estate.

Aside from these two situations, probate could be necessary in the following scenarios as well:

When there are significant claims against an estate
When a decedent owned real property assets with other owners as a tenant in common
When there are contested issues related to an estate
When the decedent, while being domiciled in Will County at the time of death, held an interest in real estate in another state or country

And if you would like to find out more about when probate is needed, check out our in-depth page on when probate is required in Illinois.

How do I know if Will County is the right county for my loved one's probate estate?

In Illinois, a probate case must be handled in the county of a deceased person's primary residence. Thus, if you have a loved one who passed away while residing in Will County, Illinois, then the Court will presume that Will County is the county of domicile, even if your loved one owned real estate or other property in another county, state, or country.

How long does the probate process take in Will County?

Generally, a probate case can be completed in Will County in six to twelve months, depending on what needs to be done in order to settle the estate. However, there are any number of issues that could complicate the estate (such as probate litigation), and thus cause a delay in completing the administration. If you would like to learn more about what causes delays in Illinois Probate estates, check out our page on how long a Probate takes in Illinois.

How does hiring an experienced Will County Probate Attorney make a difference when handling a Probate case in Will County?

When looking for the right attorney to represent you in a Will County Probate proceeding, it is important to find a lawyer that you can trust. Since you will likely interact with this particular attorney for several months to a few years, you should consider how well your personality fits with the attorney you choose. Some lawyers are very aggressive and pushy, while other lawyers are calm and laid back.

In addition, because Illinois Probate Law can become very complicated, it can be very helpful to find an attorney who concentrates his or her practice in the local Probate courts. As with any profession, those professionals who focus on one or two specific areas are typically better able to handle both routine and complex matters more efficiently and more competently than those professionals who have a more general practice.

With all of this in mind, hiring an experienced Will County Probate Attorney for probate matters in the Will County court system can provide several benefits, including:

A more efficient probate process
A more cost-effective administration
Familiarity with the Will County Probate judge and court staff (which can be particularly helpful with complicated and contested probate cases)
Peace of mind knowing that the overall process is handled properly, pursuant to Illinois Probate Law and the Will County local court rules

And since Attorney Kevin Williams has handled dozens of probate cases in Will County over the past several years, he has become very experienced with the Will County court system. Contact our firm to hire a knowledgeable Will County Probate Lawyer today!

Contact our Firm

Our firm has helped many individuals with routine and complicated probate estates in Will County. If you have questions regarding a probate estate, complete the form below to set up a free initial consultation:

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