When must an Illinois defendant respond to a thirty-day summons?

Read the actual summons and confirm that it requires appearance within thirty days, rather than a specified appearance day.

Establish when the summons copy was left with the person designated by law.

Check whether the defendant files a timely motion or instead appears in another manner.

1. Read the actual summons and confirm that it requires appearance within thirty days, rather than a specified appearance day.
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 valid thirty-day summons copy is left with the designated person and no timely motion changes the subsequent procedure. The established event is August 2, 2027. No additional local closure or different court order is assumed.

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

Later required mailing does not restart thirty days

Rule 181(a) expressly counts from leaving the copy with the designated person and not from later mailing when mailing is also required. Establish the validity of both acts separately.

A timely motion has a court-directed later response

If appearance is made by filing a motion within thirty days, the answer or another appropriate motion must be filed within the time the court directs in the disposing order.

Another appearance does not create thirty more days

An appearance made in another manner leaves the answer or appropriate motion due on or before the original last day required for appearance.

An extension requires court action

Rule 183 permits an extension for good cause on motion after notice to the opposite party, before or after expiration. The court’s actual ruling controls any extension. A request alone does not change this calculation.

• The calculator does not decide the applicable civil procedure, 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 case’s timetable.

• Read the actual summons and confirm that it requires appearance within thirty days, rather than a specified appearance day.
• Establish when the summons copy was left with the person designated by law.
• Check whether the defendant files a timely motion or instead appears in another manner.
• Rule 181(a) expressly counts from leaving the copy with the designated person and not from later mailing when mailing is also required. Establish the validity of both acts separately.
• If appearance is made by filing a motion within thirty days, the answer or another appropriate motion must be filed within the time the court directs in the disposing order.
• An appearance made in another manner leaves the answer or appropriate motion due on or before the original last day required for appearance.
• Rule 183 permits an extension for good cause on motion after notice to the opposite party, before or after expiration. The court’s actual ruling controls any extension. A request alone does not change this calculation.
• File the required appearance and answer or appropriate motion by the applicable Rule 181(a) boundary. A motion timely filed within thirty days constitutes appearance; use the court’s disposing order for the later answer or motion time. Complete required service and proof. File with the proper clerk in the required format. Rule 9 ordinarily requires civil electronic filing, subject to its exceptions and exemptions. Rule 9(f) ordinarily requires submission before midnight in the court time zone unless a statute, rule or actual order specifies a different time. A submission on a closed clerk day ordinarily receives the next open-day stamp. Preserve the actual electronic file mark, receipt and any filing-relief order. Filing and service are distinct acts.