The fees associated with filing an appeal with the Illinois Appellate Court are listed below.

Request for Record on Appeal

Costs will vary based on the county where you are filing. Circuit clerks charge fees for preparation of the record on appeal based on the number of the pages the court record contains. The Appellant will pay the fee per Clerks of Courts Act (705 ILCS 105/) 27.1a(k), 27.2(k), and 27.2a(k). 

Transcripts 

Cost will vary. The court reporter will inform you how much it will cost to prepare the transcript based on the number of pages. The current charge is a minimum of $4.00 per page. You can locate current transcript fees in the Administrative Regulations for Court Reporting Services. 

Docketing Statement 

The cost for the Appellant is $50.00. The fee is paid to the appellate clerk's office.

Appearance and filing fee 

The cost is $30.00 for the Appellee and other parties. The fee is paid to the appellate clerk's office.

What if I can’t pay the fees?

If you cannot afford the filing fees, you may file an Application for Waiver of Court Fees. You will need to file this form with both the circuit clerk and the appellate clerk’s office. Your fee waiver does not need to be filed in-person, but can be e-filed, mailed, or filed through other means allowed by your local court. In the circuit court, if you do not already have a fee waiver that applies to your case, file this form along with your Notice of Appeal. In the appellate court, file this with your Docketing Statement or Notice of Appearance.

The fee waiver does not apply to the costs of transcripts. To see how much of a fee waiver you are eligible for, you can take a look at the Illinois courts monthly and annual income thresholds. You can read the Illinois Judicial Branch Guidelines for a more in-depth analysis of how the Court decides to apply fee waivers.

I don't have a lawyer, can the court or clerk's office appoint a lawyer to represent me? 

No, the court and the clerk's office cannot appoint or recommend a specific lawyer. If you want a lawyer, you will need to hire one to represent you in your case. Not all lawyers work on appeals, so make sure you speak with a lawyer with experience. They can tell you whether you should pursue an appeal based on the specific details of your case. 

You have the right to appeal your case without a lawyer. However, appeals are complicated and time-consuming. If you decide to appeal your case without a lawyer, you must still meet all deadlines, court rules, and procedures.