Tazewell County Probate Court Records

Probate court records in Tazewell County are maintained by the Circuit Clerk of the 10th Judicial Circuit. The clerk's office at 342 Court Street in Pekin holds all case files for estates, wills, guardianship petitions, and trust disputes. Tazewell County has a population of about 130,290 and sits just south of Peoria in central Illinois. You can search probate court records through online tools or by visiting the courthouse in Pekin. Lincoln Hobson serves as the current Circuit Clerk. His staff can help you find files, make copies, and answer questions about the probate process.

Tazewell County Circuit Clerk

Lincoln Hobson is the Circuit Clerk for Tazewell County. The clerk's office maintains records for the entire court system, including all probate court records. Staff handle filings, record requests, and copy orders for estate cases, guardianship matters, and other probate filings. The office is at the Tazewell County Courthouse in downtown Pekin. You can walk in during business hours to search for records or pick up copies you ordered ahead of time.

Contact info for the Tazewell County Circuit Clerk:

• Address: 342 Court Street, Pekin, IL 61554
• Phone: 309-477-2214
• Website: tazewellcounty.org

The clerk's website lists office services and contact details. If you have a question about a specific probate filing, calling ahead saves you a trip. Staff can tell you whether a case exists, what documents are on file, and what the costs will be for copies.

The Illinois Courts directory page for Tazewell County shows the courthouse details, pictured below.

The directory lists the courthouse address, judicial circuit, and links to court resources for Tazewell County.

Search Probate Court Records Online

You can search Tazewell County probate court records online through court records search tools. The county makes case data available through online portals where you can look up records by name or case number. Results show the case type, parties, filing date, and docket entries. This is the fastest way to check on a probate case without going to the courthouse. The search is free and does not need an account.

Online searches work well for a quick look at a case. You can find out if a probate filing exists, who the parties are, and what the current status is. But full document images may not be there for every filing. Wills, inventories, and detailed accounting reports often need to be viewed at the clerk's office. Think of the online search as a starting point. It tells you what is on file. Then you can decide if you need to visit Pekin for the complete probate court records.

The 10th Judicial Circuit

Tazewell County is part of the 10th Judicial Circuit in Illinois. This circuit also includes Peoria County and several other central Illinois counties. Judges in the 10th Circuit hear all types of trial cases, including probate matters. The main courthouse for Tazewell County probate hearings is in Pekin at 342 Court Street.

The 10th Circuit Court website has info about court procedures, schedules, and local rules that apply to probate filings.

The site covers court operations across all counties in the 10th Circuit, including probate case management.

Because Tazewell County shares the 10th Circuit with Peoria County, judges may handle cases in both locations. Your probate hearing will be in Pekin if the case was filed with the Tazewell County Circuit Clerk. But if the deceased owned property in Peoria County as well, there may be related filings in that county's probate court records. Each county keeps separate files, so you would need to check both clerks.

E-Filing Probate Cases

All civil filings in Tazewell County must go through the statewide eFileIL system. That includes probate cases. New petitions, motions, accountings, and other documents are submitted electronically through this portal. Attorneys and self-represented parties both use it. The system accepts most document formats, with PDF being the most common. Filing fees are paid online at the time of submission, and you get a confirmation email when the clerk accepts your filing into the probate court records.

Original wills are the main exception. You cannot e-file a will. The original must be brought to the courthouse in Pekin or mailed to the clerk's office. The clerk adds it to the case file and enters the info into the electronic system. Once processed, the will shows up in online searches. Everything else goes through eFileIL. The system has sped up the filing process and made it easier to submit documents without driving to the courthouse.

Fees for Probate Court Records

Copy fees for probate court records in Tazewell County follow the standard Illinois schedule. The first page of any document costs $2.00. Pages two through nineteen are $0.50 each. After page nineteen, the rate is $0.25 per page. Certified copies carry higher fees. Letters of Office cost $2.00 per copy. A certified court order runs about $10.00. If the clerk needs to search for a case by name, a $6.00 research fee applies per case.

Filing fees for new probate cases vary by type. A full estate administration costs more to file than a small estate affidavit. Guardianship petitions have their own filing fee. Call the clerk's office at 309-477-2214 for current amounts. Fees can change from year to year, so it is worth checking before you mail in a payment or visit the courthouse.

You can pay at the counter with cash, check, or money order.

Visit the Courthouse in Pekin

The Tazewell County Courthouse at 342 Court Street in Pekin is the place to go for complete access to probate court records. The Circuit Clerk's office sits inside the courthouse and is open on weekdays. Bring the case number or the full name of the person whose estate you want to look up. Staff will search the system, pull the file, and let you review documents at the counter. You can ask for copies of anything in the file.

In-person visits give you the most complete picture. Online searches show docket info, but the physical file often has documents that are not available digitally. Wills, detailed inventories, appraisals, and guardian reports are the kinds of documents you usually need to see in person. If you are driving from out of town, call ahead to make sure the office is open and the file is available. Court holidays can sometimes close the office on days you might not expect.

Illinois Probate Law

Probate cases in Tazewell County are governed by the Illinois Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5). This is the main state law that sets the rules for estates, wills, guardianships, and trusts. It tells the court how to handle a case when someone dies, how to appoint an executor or administrator, and what powers and duties that person has. Every probate court record in Tazewell County follows these rules.

Under the Probate Act, the Circuit Court has full jurisdiction over estate matters. When someone dies with assets in Tazewell County, the estate typically needs to go through probate. The exception is estates worth less than $100,000 in personal property with no real estate. Those may qualify for a small estate affidavit, which is a simpler process. Larger estates require formal administration. The court appoints a representative who must find all assets, notify creditors, pay debts, and hand out what remains to the heirs. Every filing in that process becomes part of the probate court records.

Public access to these records is broad. Most probate court records are open to anyone. You do not need to be related to the deceased or have a legal reason to look at the file. Some guardianship records may be sealed if a judge orders it, but that is not the default. The general rule in Illinois is open access.

Types of Probate Court Records

Tazewell County probate court records fall into several categories. The most common is a decedent's estate case. This type of case opens when a family member or attorney asks the court to admit a will and appoint an executor, or to appoint an administrator if there is no will. The case file grows as the representative files an inventory, notifies creditors, resolves claims, and files a final accounting. All of these filings are probate court records kept by the Circuit Clerk.

Guardianship cases are the next biggest group. A guardianship petition asks the court to appoint someone to care for a minor child or a disabled adult. These cases require evidence that the person needs a guardian. For adults, medical evaluations are part of the file. For minors, the petition explains why the parents cannot care for the child. Annual reports filed by the guardian also become part of the probate court records. These reports show the court that the guardian is doing a good job and managing the person's finances properly.

Small estate affidavits and will deposits round out the file types. Small estates skip the full probate process. Will deposits let someone file a will with the clerk for safekeeping before they pass away. Both create records that the clerk maintains.

Legal Help With Probate Cases

If you need legal help with a probate matter in Tazewell County, there are options. The Illinois Courts website offers self-help guides and approved forms for probate filings. These forms work in every Illinois county. The court help line at (833) 411-1121 provides basic guidance by phone or text. Staff there can answer general questions about how probate works and point you to the right forms.

Prairie State Legal Services and Land of Lincoln Legal Aid cover the Tazewell County area. Both groups provide free legal help to residents who qualify based on income. They can assist with guardianship petitions, simple estate cases, and questions about probate court records. The Tazewell County Bar Association is another path to finding a local attorney. Many probate lawyers in the Pekin and Peoria area offer a short first meeting at a reduced rate to discuss your situation.

Nearby Counties

If you are looking for probate court records in counties near Tazewell, these neighboring counties may have the case you need. Each county keeps its own probate files through its Circuit Clerk.

Tazewell County also borders Woodford, Mason, and Logan counties. Those counties each have their own Circuit Clerk for probate court records.