Hit the 500 client mark and realized how slow small claims moves here

I help people file small claims cases in Cook County on the side, and last month I officially passed 500 clients. What surprised me is that the average time from filing to judgment is actually 147 days if you don't push for a court date. That number matches up with what the clerk in Room 1101 told me when I asked about backlog. Has anyone else noticed how much faster eviction cases move compared to everything else?

3 comments

3 Comments

colethomas5d ago

My buddy Mark filed a breach of contract case in February over a plumber who never finished a bathroom reno. He didn't push for a date either, and his hearing finally got scheduled for late July. Meanwhile, his neighbor got evicted in about six weeks flat for unpaid rent, same building, same courthouse.

willowr964d ago

My small claims case last year was the exact same kind of mess with a contractor. I filed in March, they took my money and ghosted me. I called the court clerk every single week asking for a date, just being polite but annoying. Got a hearing in June, so about 14 weeks total. Mark probably would have moved faster if he kept poking them about it, because they put you on a list if you call enough. Evictions are just a different animal, they have to move fast by law since the landlord can't have someone living there rent free forever. Did the clerk tell Mark he could file a motion to push for an earlier date?

charles7204d ago

Yep, buddy of mine had the same runaround last spring.