When may an Illinois client object to limited-scope completion filed outside court?

Confirm an actual limited-scope appearance and the outside-court completion procedure.

Obtain the completion notice, objection form and proof showing effective service on the party.

Establish the effective service date of the required Notice and Objection before counting.

1. Confirm an actual limited-scope appearance and the outside-court completion procedure.
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. Both required forms are effectively served on the client under the outside-court method. 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.

The attorney files and serves the required forms

Outside court, the attorney files the approved completion notice and objection form, serves the party and other counsel and unrepresented parties unless excused as to others, serves the notice on the presiding judge and files proof. Withdrawal occurs upon the required filing without leave.

The party files and serves the objection

The party must serve the filed objection on the attorney and also on other counsel and unrepresented parties unless the court excuses those other recipients. Use or substantially adopt the prescribed objection form.

A timely objection requires a hearing procedure

The attorney must notice a hearing on a timely objection. A noncompletion ground requires an evidentiary hearing. After the required hearing the court must allow withdrawal unless it expressly finds clear and convincing evidence that the specified representation was not completed.

Other withdrawal methods differ

Open-court completion under paragraph (c)(7)(i) has its own presentment and objection procedure. Withdrawal for reasons other than completion uses the ordinary motion procedure in paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3).

Establish effective service and preserve proof

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.

• 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.

• Confirm an actual limited-scope appearance and the outside-court completion procedure.
• Obtain the completion notice, objection form and proof showing effective service on the party.
• Establish the effective service date of the required Notice and Objection before counting.
• Outside court, the attorney files the approved completion notice and objection form, serves the party and other counsel and unrepresented parties unless excused as to others, serves the notice on the presiding judge and files proof. Withdrawal occurs upon the required filing without leave.
• The party must serve the filed objection on the attorney and also on other counsel and unrepresented parties unless the court excuses those other recipients. Use or substantially adopt the prescribed objection form.
• The attorney must notice a hearing on a timely objection. A noncompletion ground requires an evidentiary hearing. After the required hearing the court must allow withdrawal unless it expressly finds clear and convincing evidence that the specified representation was not completed.
• Open-court completion under paragraph (c)(7)(i) has its own presentment and objection procedure. Withdrawal for reasons other than completion uses the ordinary motion procedure in paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3).
• 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.
• File the objection using or substantially adopting the prescribed form. Serve withdrawing counsel and the other counsel and unrepresented parties unless the court excuses service on those others. Preserve filed proof and any hearing notice. 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.