Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies
Probate Case Opening Documents
Proposed Order, Order
Financial Affidavit
Court-wide- 1 copy • At Least 7 Days Before Hearing or Pretrial
Communication
Other Contacts7 contacts
- nhinton@
k3county.net - lwolf@
k3county.net - lwolf@
pslegal.org - nhinton@
pslegal.org - (815) 935-5751
- (815) 937-2918
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Clerk2 contacts
Chambers1 contacts
Page & Word Limits1 rule
All briefs or memoranda of law in support of or opposition to any motion shall be limited to 15 pages, not including exhibits.
- Brief
- Up to 15 pages
- All motions
Excluded from page count
- •Exhibits
Document Format Requirements1 rule
When proving courtesy copies to the court, please include the brief/memorandum and all supporting exhibits in one, combined PDF file.
- File type
Document Filing Requirements4 rules
When closing an estate, Judge Purcell will review the file to ensure any necessary inventories, reports, waivers, and/or receipts on distribution have been filed.
A party seeking to present remote witness testimony should file a written motion with proper notice to the opposing party.
Court's wording
A party seeking to present remote witness testimony through Zoom at any contested hearing should file a written motion with the court with proper notice to the opposing party and coordinate with the Judge’s clerk, Jana Fahrow, to schedule the motion for hearing at least 7 days prior to the contest hearing date.*
Once the clerk’s office has confirmed that all necessary documents have been filed and accepted, and any applicable filing fees have been paid, then the petitioner may provide Judge Purcell with any orders and bonds that require court approval and the judge’s signature.
Once the judge has confirmed, the necessary documents have been filed and all requirements have been met, a proposed closing Order may be submitted by the attorney or individual representing the executor/administrator may be entered and any future dates may be stricken.
Filing & Service rules
Service and Proof of Service Rules
A motion to continue must be filed with notice to the opposing party or their attorney.
Parties seeking to continue a matter to a future date or otherwise change a scheduled court date/time, must file a motion to continue with notice to any opposing party or their attorney and must contact Jana to schedule a date and time to present the motion to continue.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
A party seeking to present remote witness testimony through Zoom at any contested hearing should file a written motion with the court with proper notice to the opposing party and coordinate with the Judge’s clerk, Jana Fahrow, to schedule the motion for hearing at least 7 days prior to the contest hearing date.*
A party seeking to present remote witness testimony through Zoom at any contested hearing should file a written motion with the court with proper notice to the opposing party and coordinate with the Judge’s clerk, Jana Fahrow, to schedule the motion for hearing at least 7 days prior to the contest hearing date.*
Page 5 | COURT APPEARANCES
Filing Fees and Waivers
Any applicable filing fees must be paid before the petitioner may provide orders and bonds for the judge’s approval and signature.
Once the clerk’s office has confirmed that all necessary documents have been filed and accepted, and any applicable filing fees have been paid, then the petitioner may provide Judge Purcell with any orders and bonds that require court approval and the judge’s signature.
Page 5 | PROBATE PROCEDURES FOR DECEDENTS’ ESTATES AND GUARDIANSHIPS
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Do not send documents to open a probate matter to Judge Purcell through his courtesy-copy email address.
Please do not send documents to open a probate matter to Judge Purcell via his courtesy copy email address.
Page 5 | PROBATE PROCEDURES FOR DECEDENTS’ ESTATES AND GUARDIANSHIPS
When Judge Purcell requests courtesy copies of pleadings, motions, or related briefs, they should be sent to his courtesy-copy email address.
When courtesy copies of pleadings, motions and related briefs are requested by Judge Purcell, they should be provided to him via his courtesy copy email address – ajpcourtesy@kankakeecountyil.gov.
Page 3 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
Courtesy-copy emails should not include documents that have not been filed with the Clerk, except for proposed orders for pending matters or materials specifically requested by the judge.
Other than proposed orders for pending matters or other materials specifically requested by the judge, courtesy copy emails should not include any document that has not already been filed in the case through the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office.
Page 3 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
Proposed orders submitted before a court appearance and orders submitted afterward should be sent using the courtesy-copy email address.
Proposed Orders in advance of a court appearance and Orders submitted following a court appearance should be submitted using the courtesy copy email address.
Page 3 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Attorneys and their staff may not continue matters unilaterally by submitting orders with a new date of their choosing.
Attorneys and their staff may not unilaterally continue matters by submitting orders with a new court date of their choosing.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
A party seeking to continue a matter or change its scheduled date must file a motion to continue with notice to the opposing party or attorney and contact the clerk to schedule presentment.
Parties seeking to continue a matter to a future date or otherwise change a scheduled court date/time, must file a motion to continue with notice to any opposing party or their attorney and must contact Jana to schedule a date and time to present the motion to continue.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
The judge may consider oral continuance requests made in court and may grant them at the judge’s discretion based on the circumstances.
Judge Purcell may also consider oral requests for continuances made in court; such requests will be granted at the judge’s discretion based on the circumstances.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
Chambers Communication Rules
Ex parte communications between the judge and individual parties are prohibited.
Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct Rule 2.9 prohibits ex parte communications between a judge and individual parties.
Page 2 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
Attorneys and their staff may not choose scheduling dates unilaterally.
Attorneys and their staff may not unilaterally choose their own dates for scheduling matters of any kind due to limitations created by Judge Purcell’s courtroom assignment schedule (see page 2) and the fact the judge has specific dates and times set aside for specific cases.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
After the initial court date, future dates and hearings must be set by the judge at a hearing or scheduled with the judge’s clerk.
After the initial court date, all future court dates, all motions to be set for presentment, and all contested motion hearings or other hearings will be set by the judge during a court hearing or must otherwise be scheduled with Judge Purcell’s clerk, Jana Fahrow.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
All motions must be scheduled for presentment with the judge’s clerk; emergency motions are heard at the court’s discretion.
Motions – Other than emergency motions, which the court will hear at its discretion, all motions must be scheduled for presentment with the judge’s clerk.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
A party seeking a continuance or date change must contact the judge’s clerk to schedule a time to present the motion.
Parties seeking to continue a matter to a future date or otherwise change a scheduled court date/time, must file a motion to continue with notice to any opposing party or their attorney and must contact Jana to schedule a date and time to present the motion to continue.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
Courtesy-copy emails must copy all parties of record and the judge’s clerk.
All courtesy copy emails must be copied to all parties of record and to the judge’s clerk – jfahrow@kankakeecountyil.gov.
Page 3 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
As such, all communications with Judge Purcell (other than courtesy copy emails as discussed below) should be submitted through his clerk, Jana Fahrow.
As such, all communications with Judge Purcell (other than courtesy copy emails as discussed below) should be submitted through his clerk, Jana Fahrow.
Page 2 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
Judge Purcell’s courtesy copy email should not be used for any other communication.
Judge Purcell’s courtesy copy email should not be used for any other communication.
Page 3 | COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COURT / COURTESY COPIES
A case presented on an uncoordinated date may not appear on the docket, and the court will decide whether to hear or reset it based on scheduling and time considerations.
If a party attempts appears before the court on a date that was not set during a prior court date, or not coordinated with Jana, the case may not appear on the court’s docket for that date. If that occurs, the court will exercise its authority and discretion to determine if that case will be heard or reset for a future date, based on the volume of cases previously scheduled and time considerations for the court, counsel and all parties present on previously scheduled matters.
Page 3 | CASE SCHEDULING / CONTINUANCES / EMERGENCY HEARINGS
A party seeking remote witness testimony should coordinate with the Judge’s clerk to schedule the motion hearing at least 7 days before the contested hearing.
A party seeking to present remote witness testimony through Zoom at any contested hearing should file a written motion with the court with proper notice to the opposing party and coordinate with the Judge’s clerk, Jana Fahrow, to schedule the motion for hearing at least 7 days prior to the contest hearing date.*
Page 5 | COURT APPEARANCES
Parties seeking a remote appearance in these matters should contact the court’s clerk as far in advance of the hearing as possible.
Parties in these matters who wish to request a remote appearance should contact the court’s clerk with as much advance notice prior to the scheduled hearing.
Page 5 | COURT APPEARANCES
The clerk may be contacted by phone for scheduling, but specially setting or rescheduling matters requires the judge’s permission and must follow the court’s schedule.
Judge Purcell’s clerk is Jana Fahrow. Jana is responsible for courtroom minutes, managing the judge’s daily docket, and all scheduling with the judge’s permission to specially set or reschedule matters as required by the court’s schedule. She can be reached via phone (815-936-5739) or email (jfahrow@kankakeecountyil.gov).
Page 1 | CLERK