What Happens To My Case Now That The Illinois Courts Are Closed?

Update (5/26/2020):

On May 20th, the Illinois Supreme Court issued an order allowing courts to reopen for in-person appearances on June 1, 2020. The chief judge of each county will be responsible for adopting a schedule that appropriately allows for social distancing and attempts to limit the number of people in and out of courtrooms.

In addition, the order encourages courts to adopt or continue using alternative technological methods for court appearances, such as video conference.

Illinois courts have been closed for all court functions other than “essential court matters and proceedings” since March 17^th. As Illinois continues to progress through the various phases of the coronavirus pandemic, the court system will slowly move towards normal operations.

At Shannon Law Group, we do not know whether courts will ever resume completely “normal” operations until there exists a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19. In particular, we do not yet know when we can expect jury trials to return.

Since the court’s shut down two months ago, our attorneys at Shannon Law Group have continued to prosecute our clients’ cases as efficiently as possible. Each member of our team has remote access to all of our files, so the transition to working at home has been smooth.

Even though we haven’t been able to go to court to resolve disputes, we have worked with our clients and opposing counsel to work through everything we can without court intervention. That said, we look forward to safely returning to court to continue to fight for our client’s rights.

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Update: As of March 31st, all Cook County court closures have been extended to May 18th. We will continue working on our clients’ cases during this time. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us.

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In the wake of the news that Illinois state and federal courts will be suspending operations due to the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), many of our clients are wondering what this means for their cases and whether their legal rights will be impacted. 

Anyone with a legal case may feel the impact of a court shutdown. However, individuals who have been injured by the wrongful conduct of another individual or large corporation may feel even more vulnerable during this uncertain time. 

Many of our clients have already been going through the most difficult periods of their lives. They’re severely injured through no fault of their own, often unable to work due to their injuries, forced to make modifications to their normal daily life activities, and facing medical costs that have no end in sight.  Now, beyond social distancing and limiting exposure to a contagious virus, our clients in need of medical treatment may fear whether an already-taxed healthcare system will be able to meet their ongoing needs. 

We Will Continue Fighting For Our Clients

It is for this reason that the lawyers at the Shannon Law Group continue to fight voraciously for the rights of our clients, even though the courts may be on hiatus.  Our commitment to our clients is only fortified by this moment.  We know that our clients need someone fighting for them every step of the way and every moment of the day, now more than ever.  

The interconnected digital age we now live in allows us to continue to do the work that advances our clients’ rights and pushes their cases to trial or resolution as quickly as possible, while at the same time being mindful of recent cautions from public health and safety officials.  There is a tremendous amount that can be done to advance our cases, even without going to court. 

We continue to work tirelessly to develop strategies that apply the most pressure on the insurance companies that so often needlessly delay these matters.  We continue to fortify case themes and theories to ensure that we present our cases to juries in the absolute most powerful way possible.  We are continually updating our internal systems and procedures to make our firm more efficient, effective, and client-focused. 

While physical courthouses may be closed, e-filing programs allow us to continue to file new cases, as well as and file motions and pleadings in existing cases.  The dedicated team and robust systems we have in place at SLG mean we will be ready to hit the courthouse steps the moment courts resume normal operations. 

We’re Here For You And Your Family During This Time

This is also a tremendous opportunity to examine not only what we can do for our clients, but what we can do for our friends, colleagues, and neighbors in the community.  Many of our nation’s hourly workers will be impacted financially by the shutdown.  Some may lose jobs entirely.  The elderly and individuals with respiratory problems who are particularly vulnerable to illness may need assistance to do basic essential things like going to the grocery store. 

Each of us here at SLG is exploring how we as individuals can help those who might be struggling or panicked.  It is a time for humanity and compassion, and by working together, supporting one another, and acting selflessly, we can not only survive this crisis but emerge stronger and more unified than ever. 

If you or someone you know needs helps, please contact us at (312) 578-9501 or on our website.