Which Illinois orders are appealable without a Rule 304(a) finding?

Identify the exact Rule 304(b) class and its actual qualifying conditions.

Obtain the actual entered judgment or order and establish its entry date.

Apply Rule 303 and review qualifying timely motions, acceleration and other applicable appeal procedures.

1. Identify the exact Rule 304(b) class and its actual qualifying conditions.
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. A qualifying estate order finally determines a party’s right or status. Its actual entry is established without a qualifying postjudgment motion. The established input date is August 2, 2027. No additional closure, different order or unmodeled restart applies.

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

Administration and receivership orders require final-right determinations

Rule 304(b)(1) requires an estate, guardianship or similar order finally determining a party’s right or status. Paragraph (2) applies the stated final-right condition to receivership and similar proceedings and excludes an order appealable under Rule 307(a).

The statutory petition and supplementary-proceeding classes differ

Rule 304(b)(3) covers an order granting or denying relief prayed for in a section 2-1401 petition. Paragraph (4) covers a final judgment or order in a section 2-1402 proceeding. Establish the actual statutory proceeding and qualifying order.

Contempt requires an imposed penalty

Rule 304(b)(5) requires an order finding contempt that imposes a monetary or other penalty. A bare contempt finding does not establish this class.

Custody or parental-responsibility judgments have their stated class

Rule 304(b)(6) covers a custody or allocation-of-parental-responsibilities judgment or modification under the named Marriage and Dissolution or Parentage Acts. Temporary interlocutory custody review under Rule 306(a)(5) uses another procedure. Rule 311(a) governs the stated accelerated appeal.

Only a timely qualifying motion changes the ordinary trigger

Rule 303(a)(1) requires a timely posttrial motion directed against the judgment. Use the order disposing of the last pending qualifying motion, not an earlier motion’s disposition or the filing date. Rule 303(a)(2) says a request to reconsider a ruling on a postjudgment motion does not toll the appeal time.

Filing, service and clerk transmission are different obligations

Rule 303(c) requires the filing party’s notice of filing in the reviewing court and service on every other party and each person or officer entitled by law within seven days, with Rule 12 proof filed with the notice. Rule 303(a)(4) separately requires the circuit clerk to file the notice or covered amendment with the reviewing clerk within five days.

• 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.

• Identify the exact Rule 304(b) class and its actual qualifying conditions.
• Obtain the actual entered judgment or order and establish its entry date.
• Apply Rule 303 and review qualifying timely motions, acceleration and other applicable appeal procedures.
• Rule 304(b)(1) requires an estate, guardianship or similar order finally determining a party’s right or status. Paragraph (2) applies the stated final-right condition to receivership and similar proceedings and excludes an order appealable under Rule 307(a).
• Rule 304(b)(3) covers an order granting or denying relief prayed for in a section 2-1401 petition. Paragraph (4) covers a final judgment or order in a section 2-1402 proceeding. Establish the actual statutory proceeding and qualifying order.
• Rule 304(b)(5) requires an order finding contempt that imposes a monetary or other penalty. A bare contempt finding does not establish this class.
• Rule 304(b)(6) covers a custody or allocation-of-parental-responsibilities judgment or modification under the named Marriage and Dissolution or Parentage Acts. Temporary interlocutory custody review under Rule 306(a)(5) uses another procedure. Rule 311(a) governs the stated accelerated appeal.
• Rule 303(a)(1) requires a timely posttrial motion directed against the judgment. Use the order disposing of the last pending qualifying motion, not an earlier motion’s disposition or the filing date. Rule 303(a)(2) says a request to reconsider a ruling on a postjudgment motion does not toll the appeal time.
• Rule 303(c) requires the filing party’s notice of filing in the reviewing court and service on every other party and each person or officer entitled by law within seven days, with Rule 12 proof filed with the notice. Rule 303(a)(4) separately requires the circuit clerk to file the notice or covered amendment with the reviewing clerk within five days.
• File the required notice with the circuit court clerk under Rule 303(a). Complete its required contents under Rule 303(b). Separately file the reviewing-court notice of filing and serve the required recipients with Rule 12 proof under Rule 303(c). Preserve the actual filing, entry and service records. 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.