When must an accelerated Illinois appeal be served on the trial and chief judges?

Establish the covered appeal and final-notice or permission branch.

Obtain actual notice filing or the Rule 306(a)(5) grant.

Identify the trial judge and office of the circuit chief judge.

1. Establish the covered appeal and final-notice or permission branch.
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 covered final notice is actually filed and must be served on the two circuit-court recipients. 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.

Acceleration does not create appealability

Rule 311(a) applies to its covered final minor-related orders and qualifying interlocutory appeals after Rule 306(a)(5) leave. Establish finality or actual permission separately. Other issues may be handled with the accelerated appeal only under the rule’s stated condition.

Covered filings require the special caption

Rule 311(a)(1) requires the prescribed bold expedited-disposition statement at the top of the front page of covered notices, petitions, docketing statements, briefs and other filings.

Party service remains separate

Rule 311(a)(2) expressly adds circuit-court service to Rule 303(c). Serving a judge alone does not satisfy the other party’s required service.

District procedures and actual continuances require separate review

Rule 311(a)(6) requires district procedures and permits memoranda and separation of issues. Paragraph (8) disfavors continuances and permits them only for compelling circumstances, with possible personal appearance. Do not assume a request changes a deadline.

• 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 covered appeal and final-notice or permission branch.
• Obtain actual notice filing or the Rule 306(a)(5) grant.
• Identify the trial judge and office of the circuit chief judge.
• Rule 311(a) applies to its covered final minor-related orders and qualifying interlocutory appeals after Rule 306(a)(5) leave. Establish finality or actual permission separately. Other issues may be handled with the accelerated appeal only under the rule’s stated condition.
• Rule 311(a)(1) requires the prescribed bold expedited-disposition statement at the top of the front page of covered notices, petitions, docketing statements, briefs and other filings.
• Rule 311(a)(2) expressly adds circuit-court service to Rule 303(c). Serving a judge alone does not satisfy the other party’s required service.
• Rule 311(a)(6) requires district procedures and permits memoranda and separation of issues. Paragraph (8) disfavors continuances and permits them only for compelling circumstances, with possible personal appearance. Do not assume a request changes a deadline.
• Serve the branch-specific notice or grant order on both the trial judge and the office of the chief judge. Preserve effective service and proof. Complete Rule 303(c) party service separately where applicable. 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.