OBTAINING A FEE WAIVER

If you have been served a summons and complaint for eviction and cannot get a lawyer, you still
need to file your appearance on or before the return date.

The return date will be on the upper right hand side of the summons. It will have a court date,
time and room number.

The cost of filing an appearance in an eviction case is $207.00 plus an additional $12.50 for a
six-person jury.

If you are being sued for non-payment of rent, the likelihood of your being able to pay
appearance and jury demand fees is not too great.

The Circuit Court of Cook County offers the ability to file an Application to Sue or Defend as an
Indigent, or simply requesting a fee waiver allowing you to file your appearance and jury
demand at no cost.

If you need to request that your filing fees be waived by the court, there is a process.

You have to go to the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 602. If you
are unfamiliar with the Daley Center, it is the building with the Picaso sculpture on the plaza.

Be sure you bring a copy of the complaint and summons, along with a valid i.d.

When you arrive at room 602, the very first counter you see when you enter (counter 1) is the
line you want to be in. When you see the clerk, as for the forms for a fee waiver.

Once you have the required form, you will have to fill it out.

Once the form is completed, you will then have to bring the form to room 1301.

Since you are on the 6th floor, you will take the escalator up one floor to the 7th floor.

There you will see a bank of elevators. Use the middle bank (the floors each elevator bank
services are clearly marked).

When you get to the 13th floor, after you get off the elevator, you can only go one way
depending on which elevator you are on. Take a right and the very first door you will see is
room 1301.

There will be a Cook County Sheriff at the entrance. Give him your papers. He will ask you to
wait. If the Sheriff is not there, take the papers into room 1301 and wait for a clerk. Give the
clerk the papers. They will ask you to wait.

After a while, someone will come out and call your name. At this point you will be notified
whether or not you qualify for a fee waiver.
If you have been approved, the clerk will inform you and tell you to go back to room 602 to file
your appearance.

Take the elevator to the 7th floor, and use the escalator to go down one floor to the 6th
floor. Getting off the escalator, you will be facing room 602. Take your form to the 1st line (the
one you requested the forms from).

The clerk will process your application and generate your appearance. Be sure to request a Jury
Demand.

The clerk will give you your filed appearance. Be sure to make 3 or 4 copies of the appearance
so you can give one to the judge and your landlord or his attorney when you go to court.