Rule 7-1.03 - Scheduling of Hearings (Supreme Court Rule 88)1. Every original Summons shall be made returnable before the Supervising Judge of Arbitration on a specified return date to be set by the Clerk of the Circuit Court not less than 40 nor more than 61 days after the issuance of the Summons.2. All parties shall appear in court on every return date unless otherwise excused by Order of Court. On the original or any continued return date, the Court may enter Orders consistent with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 218, and fix the date, time and place of the arbitration. The Order fixing the arbitration shall be served upon all parties in accordance with LCR 2-1.07.3. In the event Defendant, after service of process, fails to file an Appearance or otherwise plead on or before the return date set forth in the Summons, the Plaintiff shall appear before the Supervising Judge of Arbitration on the return date for the purpose of obtaining a Judgment, or an Order of Default and a date for prove-up.4. If Plaintiff fails to appear on the original return day or any continued date thereof, the case may be dismissed for want of prosecution without further Notice.5. In the event Plaintiff has failed to obtain timely service of process on any Defendant by any return date, Plaintiff shall appear before the Supervising Judge of Arbitration on the return date and may request the issuance of an alias Summons and rescheduling the arbitration hearing date, if necessary. Any parties whose presence was previously excused shall be provided Notice of the entry of said Order.6. In the event Plaintiff has failed to obtain service of process on all Defendants by means of an original or alias Summons more than ninety days after the date of filing, and the Court finds that the Plaintiff has failed to exercise reasonable diligence to obtain service on any Defendant, the Court may dismiss the action as to such unserved Defendant pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 103(b).7. Upon the timely filing of any amended Complaint, any Counter Complaint or any Third Party Complaint with an ad damnum not in excess of $50,000, the filing party or their counsel shall be required to appear before the Supervising Judge within ten days of said filing for the setting of appropriate dates to allow the Clerk to issue Summons and for any other Order(s) the Court deems appropriate. The Clerk shall not issue Summons on the above pleadings until return dates have been set by the Court.8. Any party to a case may request advancement or postponement of a scheduled arbitration hearing date by written Notice and Motion with Notice included to the Arbitration Administrator. Hearing on the Motion shall be scheduled before the Supervising Judge of Arbitration, not less than seven days prior to the arbitration hearing date. The Motion shall contain a concise statement of the basis upon which a change in the arbitration hearing date is requested. The Supervising Judge of Arbitration may grant such advancement or postponement upon good cause shown.9. Consolidated actions shall be heard on the date assigned to the latest case involved.10. It is the stated public policy of the mandatory arbitration proceedings of this Circuit that cases be heard in one-half day, if possible, but not to exceed one full day. Counsel for Plaintiff shall confer with all other counsel and obtain an approximation of the length of time required for presentation of the case and advise the Arbitration Administrator at least seven days in advance of the hearing date of the estimated duration of the hearing. Failure to notify the Arbitration Administrator of the need for more than one-half day for hearing may result in a delay of the scheduled hearing. All counsel shall advise the Arbitration Administrator at least seven days in advance of the hearing of changes of appearances or additions or parties or counsel. Failure of the parties to advise the Arbitration Administrator in a timely fashion of changes of appearances or additions of parties or of counsel, or of the need for additional time may result in the imposition of sanctions including the taxing of arbitrator's fees and costs at the discretion of the Supervising Judge of Arbitration.Ill. R. Cir. Ct. Lake Cnty. 7-1.03
Amended effective 7/1/2017; amended effective 12/4/2023.