When may an Illinois respondent answer a Supreme Court leave petition?

Establish the applicable judgment, rehearing or publication branch governing petition time.

Obtain actual petition-time expiry, including granted extensions.

Check actual answer-time orders and whether the respondent chooses to answer.

1. Establish the applicable judgment, rehearing or publication branch governing petition time.
2. Exclude the independently established triggering day and count intermediate calendar days under 5 ILCS 70/1.11. A filing, entry, effective service or previously established due date must come from its actual record. Do not substitute one event for another.
3. Check statutory holidays and the proper court’s actual calendar.
4. Complete the particular act in the proper court.

Section 1.11 excludes a final Saturday, Sunday or statutory holiday and consecutive excluded days. Section 17(a) of the Promissory Note and Bank Holiday Act includes Pulaski Day, Good Friday and the general election for members of the House of Representatives. Check proclamations, the proper court’s actual calendar and clerk access separately. The bundled Illinois calendar covers 2026 and 2027.

Fictitious example

Fictitious facts. The applicable petition filing time has independently established expiry. The established event is August 2, 2027. No additional closure or different actual order applies.

Fictitious facts. The appeal classification and triggering event are independently established. No additional closure, court order or unmodeled restart is assumed.

Further answer time requires actual court relief

Rule 315(f) permits further time granted by the Supreme Court or a judge. A request alone does not establish a new answer date.

The answer has its own form and length

Rule 315(f) incorporates the petition form to the appropriate extent, omits specified items except necessary corrections, and limits the answer to twenty pages or six thousand words with its stated exclusions.

No reply is allowed to this answer

Rule 315(f) bars a reply to the answer. A respondent who does not answer or appear can request disposition notice from the clerk in Springfield.

Petition expiry requires the applicable branch

Rule 315(b) distinguishes judgment, qualifying rehearing and publication events. Establish that applicable deadline before counting answer time.

• The calculator does not decide appealability, disputed facts, sufficiency of a filing or whether the court grants relief.
• Check the governing edition and actual orders. A current rule does not establish every historical appeal’s timetable.

• Establish the applicable judgment, rehearing or publication branch governing petition time.
• Obtain actual petition-time expiry, including granted extensions.
• Check actual answer-time orders and whether the respondent chooses to answer.
• Rule 315(f) permits further time granted by the Supreme Court or a judge. A request alone does not establish a new answer date.
• Rule 315(f) incorporates the petition form to the appropriate extent, omits specified items except necessary corrections, and limits the answer to twenty pages or six thousand words with its stated exclusions.
• Rule 315(f) bars a reply to the answer. A respondent who does not answer or appear can request disposition notice from the clerk in Springfield.
• Rule 315(b) distinguishes judgment, qualifying rehearing and publication events. Establish that applicable deadline before counting answer time.
• If answering, prepare, serve and file the answer under the applicable brief requirements with proof of service. State why permission should be refused and follow Rule 315(f)’s specified form and ordinary twenty-page or six-thousand-word limit, with its incorporated exclusions. Do not file a reply to the answer. Use the proper clerk and required filing format. Rule 9 ordinarily requires electronic filing in civil cases, subject to its exceptions and exemptions. Rule 9(f) ordinarily uses submission before midnight in the court time zone, unless a statute, rule or order sets a particular time. A submission when the clerk is closed is ordinarily stamped on the next open day. Current Rule 9(f) provides separate five-court-day motions for a rejected filing or qualifying technical failure; establish the actual notice, failure, corrected document and required proof. Rule 373 ordinarily uses actual receipt, with its mail or carrier exception limited to filings excepted or exempt from electronic filing. Its carrier branch requires delivery for receipt within three business days and Rule 12(b) proof. Filing and service remain separate acts. Use Rule 11’s applicable service method and file Rule 12 proof. Rule 12(c) makes electronic or personal delivery service effective on its stated day, mail service complete four days after mailing, and third-party carrier service complete on the third court day after delivery to the carrier. Establish effective service before using a service-triggered calculator. A rule requiring personal or email service cannot be replaced with ordinary mail.