Illinois Household Paperwork Bundle: 4 Kits in One Download (IL Executor and Estate Kit, Illinois Small Claims Kit, Illinois POA Signing Kit, Illinois Will Signing Kit)

Who it is for

Families in Illinois getting papers in order: signing a power of attorney or will, settling an estate, or taking a money dispute to small claims.

Not the right fit if

You only need one of these papers (buy that kit on its own), or nothing is in Illinois. Not a form preparation or legal service.

Why it is different

• 4 kits for 30% less than buying them one by one; each keeps its own folder in the download.
• The Illinois kits are built only from our Illinois data files: Sources, checked November 2026: Illinois Public Act 104-0346 (small estate affidavit, effective 8/15/2025) (Illinois General Assembly); 24th Judicial Circuit of Illinois: Small Estate Affidavit form (PDF); 755 ILCS 5/25-1, Small estate affidavit, as amended by P.A. 104-624, eff. 1-1-27 (Illinois General Assembly); Illinois Public Act 104-0624 (effective 1/1/2027) (Illinois General Assembly); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Illinois (Nolo); 755 ILCS 5/4-3, Signing and attestation (Illinois General Assembly); 755 ILCS 5/4-1, Capacity to make a will (Illinois General Assembly); Public Act 102-0167, Electronic Wills, Electronic Estate Planning Documents, and Remote Witnesses Act (Illinois General Assembly); Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Illinois (Nolo); Illinois small claims data file, checked November 2026 against Illinois Courts: How to File and Serve a Small Claims Complaint and Summons (SC-I 1802.1, rev. 08/20); Illinois Supreme Court Library: Small Claims research guide; Madison County (Illinois) Circuit Clerk: Small Claims Court; St. Clair County (Illinois) Circuit Clerk: Fee Schedule (rev. Oct. 1, 2025); Illinois power of attorney data file, checked November 2026 against Illinois Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney for Property, 755 ILCS 45/3-3 (Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission); 755 ILCS 45/4-10, Statutory short form power of attorney for health care (Illinois General Assembly); 755 ILCS 45/, Illinois Power of Attorney Act (Illinois General Assembly); 755 ILCS 45/3-3: Statutory short form power of attorney for property (Illinois General Assembly); Illinois will signing data file, checked November 2026 against 755 ILCS 5/4-3, Signing and attestation (Illinois General Assembly); 755 ILCS 5/4-1, Capacity to make a will (Illinois General Assembly); Public Act 102-0167, Electronic Wills, Electronic Estate Planning Documents, and Remote Witnesses Act (Illinois General Assembly); Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Illinois (Nolo).
• Every kit in the set is written for Illinois.

What is inside

• Illinois Executor and Estate Kit. Gross value of the personal estate, not counting motor vehicles registered with the Secretary of State, up to $150,000 for deaths on or after August 15, 2025 (Public Act 104-0346); $100,000 before. Real estate isn't counted, and the affidavit doesn't transfer it; it needs its own route. No waiting period: section 25-1 sets none. The affidavit gives the date of death and attaches a copy of the death certificate. Signed before a notary. The statutory affidavit ends with a notary jurat. Handed to the bank or other holder. Handed to whoever holds the property or owes the debt; the statute doesn't require filing the affidavit with a court or clerk. Small Estate Affidavit (statutory form, 755 ILCS 5/25-1). The form is set out in the statute; circuit courts post copies, like this one from the 24th Circuit. Summary administration: As Nolo's summary describes it: a petition to the local probate court that, if approved, lets the assets be distributed without regular probate; it isn't available when heirs disagree about the estate. The affidavit sets aside a spouse's award of $20,000 plus $10,000 for each minor or dependent child living with the spouse; with no spouse, the children share the same amounts. Two or more credible witnesses, who attest in the testator's presence. No separate affidavit is needed. Per Nolo's Illinois page, a will that is signed and witnessed correctly is self-proved without a self-proving affidavit, and a notary isn't needed to make the will legal. Not recognized, per Nolo's Illinois page. A witness who stands to inherit under the will may lose that inheritance (Nolo, citing 755 ILCS 5/4-6). Assets, debts, payments and distributions; it compares the countable assets with $150,000, picking the figure for the date of death, leaves real estate out of the count and leaves vehicles out.
• Illinois Small Claims Court Kit. In Illinois, small claims (Small claims, circuit court) cover claims up to $10,000. From the official page: $10,000 or less. Where and how to file, from the official pages: Generally the county where the defendant lives or where the events happened. A business may be sued in any county where it does business or has an office. Fees: Set by your county court; ask the clerk. Each county's circuit clerk sets and publishes its own small claims fees: the Madison County and St. Clair County circuit clerks list different amounts for the same claim sizes. Source: https://madisoncountyil.gov/departments/circuit_clerk/small_claims_court.php. Example: Madison County, claims up to $2,500: $94; Madison County, over $2,500 up to $10,000: $264; St. Clair County, $2,500 or less: $91 (fee schedule revised October 1, 2025); St. Clair County, $2,500.01 or more: $266. Fees differ from county to county; check your county circuit clerk's fee schedule. Service costs extra. A fee waiver application is available. Online filing: https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/service-providers.htm Service: The circuit clerk by certified mail (lowest cost), the sheriff, or a special process server appointed by the court. Lawyers are allowed. Appeal: Within 30 days after losing, file a motion asking the judge to reconsider, or an appeal to a higher court. A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $10,000, a costs sheet with the Illinois fee list, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.
• Illinois Power of Attorney Signing Kit. Get your Illinois power of attorney signed the way the state's own law describes. The form isn't effective unless the principal's signature is notarized; the notary can't also be the witness. Step by step in signing order: statutory form: Start from the official form: Illinois Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney for Property; notary: Sign in front of a notary, who completes an acknowledgment; witnesses: One witness signs too; agent's acknowledgment: No signed acceptance is required before acting; durable after incapacity: The form's notice says the agent may act before and after incapacity, unless the principal limits the period. Healthcare: One witness, 18 or older, who isn't the agent, a relative of the principal or agent, the principal's clinician, or an owner or operator of the facility. No notary is needed. Notary: "will not be effective unless it is signed by at least one witness and your signature is notarized." Witnesses: "Illinois requires only one witness, but other jurisdictions may require more than one witness." Agent's acknowledgment: "You may, but are not required to, request your agent and successor agents to provide specimen signatures" Durable after incapacity: "throughout your lifetime, both before and after you become incapacitated" Healthcare power of attorney: "There is no need to have the form notarized." Agent: Not required. The principal may ask the agents for specimen signatures; if they're included, the principal certifies they're genuine. The agent doesn't sign an acknowledgment of duties. Plus a copies log.
• Illinois Will Signing Day Kit. Bring 2 witnesses. The rule: Two or more credible witnesses, who attest in the testator's presence. Pick witnesses who get nothing under the will and aren't married to someone who does. If a beneficiary would have to witness, stop and call the lawyer first: A witness who stands to inherit under the will may lose that inheritance (Nolo, citing 755 ILCS 5/4-6). No self-proving affidavit to arrange for this state: No separate affidavit is needed. Per Nolo's Illinois page, a will that is signed and witnessed correctly is self-proved without a self-proving affidavit, and a notary isn't needed to make the will legal. The rule here: A witness who stands to inherit under the will may lose that inheritance (Nolo, citing 755 ILCS 5/4-6). The testator signs (or acknowledges the signature) while the witnesses watch, then each witness signs. Remote witnessing: Allowed under 755 ILCS 6. Steps, ID, copies and review dates. Remote witnessing in Illinois: Allowed under 755 ILCS 6. Witnesses confirm the signer's identity, the will names Illinois as its place of execution, and the witnesses are in the United States. Electronic wills: Authorized. An electronic will is signed by the testator and attested by two or more credible witnesses. Where the original is and who has copies. Handwritten wills in Illinois: Not recognized, per Nolo's Illinois page.