Estate Planning Exhibits in Illinois
Complete guide to preparing estate planning exhibits that comply with Illinois court requirements. Learn the correct labeling conventions, exchange deadlines, and e-filing procedures.
- Illinois's primary rule governing exhibit preparation is Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218.
- Plaintiffs in Illinois label exhibits with Numbers (1, 2, 3...).
- Defendants in Illinois label exhibits with Letters (A, B, C...).
- Illinois courts require electronic exhibits to be filed through Odyssey eFileIL.
- Exhibits must be exchanged with opposing counsel 21 days before trial (Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218) under Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218.
- Common estate planning exhibits in Illinois include wills & trusts, asset documentation, beneficiary designations.
- ExhibitPrep applies Illinois exhibit stamps entirely in the browser, so estate planning case files never leave the user's computer.
Illinois Exhibit Requirements at a Glance
| Plaintiff Exhibits | Numbers (1, 2, 3...) |
| Defendant Exhibits | Letters (A, B, C...) |
| Exchange Deadline | 21 days before trial (Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218) |
| Primary Rule | Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218 |
| E-Filing System | Odyssey eFileIL |
Common Estate Planning Exhibits
Wills & Trusts
Original wills, trust agreements, amendments, codicils. For Illinois e-filing on Odyssey eFileIL, keep each file under 25 MB per document, 50 MB per envelope.
Asset Documentation
Property deeds, account statements, valuations
Beneficiary Designations
Life insurance, retirement accounts, POD/TOD forms
Powers of Attorney
Financial POA, healthcare POA, living wills
Family Records
Birth certificates, death certificates, marriage records
Business Interests
Operating agreements, stock certificates, buy-sell agreements
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Illinois-Specific Considerations
- Estate tax threshold lower than federal
- Uniform Trust Code adopted
- Spousal rights in estates
- Cook County probate procedures unique
How to Prepare Your Exhibits
Gather Your Documents
Collect all documents relevant to your estate planning case. This typically includes wills & trusts, asset documentation, beneficiary designations, and other supporting evidence.
Convert to PDF
Convert all documents to PDF format. Illinois courts require electronic exhibits to be filed via Odyssey eFileIL. Scan paper documents at 300 DPI.
Apply Exhibit Labels
Use ExhibitPrep to add Illinois-compliant exhibit stamps. Plaintiffs use Numbers (1, 2, 3...), defendants use Letters (A, B, C...).
Exchange with Opposing Counsel
Exchange your exhibit list and copies with opposing counsel 21 days before trial (Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218) per Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218.
Save Hours on Exhibit Preparation
ExhibitPrep stamps all your estate planning exhibits in minutes, not hours. Upload your documents, select the correct Illinois template, and download court-ready exhibits.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I label estate planning exhibits in Illinois?
Use Numbers (1, 2, 3...) for plaintiff exhibits and Letters (A, B, C...) for defense exhibits, per Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218. Illinois exhibit stickers belong in the lower right corner of the first page, and the top right 2x2 inches must stay blank for the clerk's stamp. ExhibitPrep's Estate Planning templates apply the right prefix automatically, so you're not re-deriving the local convention on every filing.
When do I have to exchange estate planning exhibits in Illinois?
Illinois sets the exhibit exchange window at 21 days before trial (Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 218), though the exact date can shift with your assigned judge's scheduling order. Confirm the deadline in your case's pretrial order before you start stamping, then batch-process the full estate planning production in one ExhibitPrep session once it's locked in.
What e-filing system handles estate planning exhibits in Illinois?
Illinois runs electronic filing through Odyssey eFileIL, which caps individual uploads at 25 MB per document, 50 MB per envelope. Export each exhibit as a text-searchable PDF, and split any long wills & trusts into separate files before uploading so a single scanned record doesn't blow past the cap.
What exhibits come up most in a Illinois estate planning case?
Estate Planning matters in Illinois typically turn on wills & trusts, asset documentation, beneficiary designations, plus whatever case-specific records the dispute calls for. Estate tax threshold lower than federal. Stamp them all inside ExhibitPrep using the matching plaintiff or defense template, so every exhibit in the production carries a consistent, court-compliant mark before it goes to opposing counsel.
Can I stamp a large estate planning production for Illinois courts?
Yes. The Day Pass ($14.99) gives you unlimited stamping for 24 hours, which covers hundreds of exhibits in a single estate planning case. Processing runs entirely in your browser, so your Illinois case files never leave your computer. That matters here because Odyssey eFileIL's 25 MB per document, 50 MB per envelope cap often forces a large production into dozens of separate uploads.
Related Resources
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