Petitions for Orders of Protection are specifically exempted from the normal requirement that all documents be e-filed. Ill. S. Ct. R. 9 (c)(5). Beginning in 2023, petitions may be filed in person or online. 725 ILCS 5/112A-5.5.
By statute there are no fees for filing such a Petition or for having the Sheriff of any Illinois county serve it. 750 ILCS 60/202(b).
Finally, the Court must treat the Petition as an expedited proceeding, and may not decline to decide or transfer the case, except for issues related to children, if the court normally does not decide those types of cases. 750 ILCS 60/212.
After the Petition is filed, a hearing will be scheduled for the EOP. This will usually happen the same day. Beginning in 2023 in any Illinois county with a population above 250,000, petitioners have the option to request a remote hearing. 725 ILCS 5/112A-5.5. The court has discretion to grant or deny the request.
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