Hancock County Circuit Clerk Reminds Public of Office Responsibilities

The Hancock County Circuit Clerk’s Office would like to inform the public of a change in how our office will assist self-represented litigants.

Moving forward, litigants will be expected to take greater responsibility for researching their legal matters, locating the appropriate forms, completing those forms, and determining how they wish to proceed with their cases.

Circuit Clerk employees are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice. We cannot tell you which form to file, how to complete your forms, what you should file next, or what legal action you should take.

The Circuit Clerk’s Office will provide forms as required by Illinois statute or court rule. Statutes specifically providing for forms or documents through the Circuit Clerk include:

A Legal Self-Help Station is available in the Circuit Clerk’s Office for individuals who choose to represent themselves. Litigants may use this station to research their legal matters, locate approved court forms, and electronically file documents.

The Hancock County Circuit Clerk will not tolerate disrespectful, inappropriate, and verbally abusive behavior when they cannot provide the answer or assistance requested.

Our Deputy Clerks are not attorneys, and they are not substitutes for attorneys. They are also not responsible for researching, preparing, or managing an individual’s case.

Resources to assist self-represented litigants remain available. Individuals choosing to represent themselves should expect to use those resources and take responsibility for their own legal research, forms, filings, and case preparation.

Our office will continue to perform its statutory duties and provide professional and respectful service to everyone who enters our office. We expect the same professional and respectful conduct toward our staff.