There are multiple ways a defendant may get help for free:
Housing Counseling: Call 1-877-895-2444 (312-836-5222 TDD) or go to the online appointment form here (insert link)
Legal Advice:
Legal Information Line: (312) 603-2285
Chancery Division Advice Desk (Walk-in Assistance): Richard J. Daley Center, Room 1303 50 W. Washington Street Hours: 9:00AM and 4:00PM
28th Floor of the Daley Center: Walk-up assistance before and after court
Illinois Attorney General Homeowner Helpline: 1-866-544-7151
Legal Aid Directory
If you have your Mortgage Foreclosure Summons, you can look in the upper right hand corner for the date for your first court appearance (the case management date). It will state the day, time, and courtroom number for you court hearing.
If the case management date has passed or you do not have your summons, you may look up your case by putting in your case number or name when clicking here or call: (312) 603-5031
Chancery Division Advice Desk (Walk-in Assistance): Richard J. Daley Center, Room 1303, 50 W. Washington Street between the hours of 9:00AM and 4:00PM
Free / Low Cost Legal Services Chicago Area Legal Services Providers
Call 1-877-895-2444 (312-836-5222 TDD) or go to the online appointment form here.
The attorney representing the bank that is foreclosing on your property is listed on all court documents. If you receive anything about your case from a lawyer, look for “Plaintiff’s Attorney” listed near the bottom left of the document with the contact information.
Contact the Office of the Illinois Attorney General 1-866-544-7151 (Homeowner Helpline)
After a homeowner fails to make the monthly payments on a mortgage, a bank can go to court to take the home away from the homeowner. A foreclosure begins when the bank goes to court. When the lawsuit is filed it is known as a “foreclosure.”
The summons is a notification to a person that a lawsuit has been filed against him or her. A copy of a blank Mortgage Foreclosure Summons can be found at here. If you receive a Mortgage Foreclosure Summons, do not ignore it. Your court date is noted in the upper right corner.
If you receive a summons and a mortgage foreclosure complaint, you should not ignore it and you should call 1-877-895-2444 or schedule an appointment with a housing counselor here. The sooner you start receiving assistance, more options may be available to you.
Many people will help you throughout the Program. Each agency provides specific services for each step. Some agencies provide legal advice (Chicago Legal Clinic, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS)). Others provide housing counseling. Others provide mediation services (Center for Conflict Resolution). For a quick reference of who is helping you, please click here. Or for the Spanish version, please click hear.
It is important to understand what you should be doing at all times during the foreclosure process. You should always keep in contact with your housing counselor and case manager and come to court on court dates. For a quick reference of who is helping you, please click here. Or for the Spanish version, please click hear.
You may speak with an attorney and receive free legal advice at:
Chancery Division Advice Desk Room 1303 Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602 Hours: 9:00AM and 4:00PM
No. There must be a court order directing you to leave the property. For an explanation of your rights and responsibilities during a foreclosure, you may seek free legal advice at the Chancery Division Advice Desk in Room 1303 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street between 9:00AM and 4:00PM or by calling the Legal Information Line at (312) 603-2285.
A homeowner has certain rights by law during a foreclosure. For an explanation of your rights and responsibilities during a foreclosure, you may seek free legal advice at the Chancery Division Advice Desk in Room 1303 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street between 9:00AM and 4:00PM or by calling the Legal Information Line at (312) 603-2285.
A judicial sale is a court-ordered sale of the property at an auction by a selling officer to the highest bidder.
If the case management date has passed or you do not have your summons, you may look up your case here or call: (312) 603-5031.
All mortgage foreclosure courtrooms are located at the Circuit Court of Cook County, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, 28th Floor.
Copies can be made in two locations: Law Library on the 29th floor. Here, you can make photocopies ($0.10/page).
Clerk’s Office, Chancery Division, on the 8th Floor Room 802. Here you can make photocopies ($0.25/page)
All documents that need to be filed in your case are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court located in Room 802 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street between the hours of 8:30AM and 4:30PM.
The Mortgage Foreclosure Section on the 28th Floor of the Richard J. Daley Center is open and staffed from 8:30AM – 4:30PM on all days except weekends and court holidays.
There are many options and programs available to assist homeowners facing foreclosure. For assistance and guidance:
Mediation Program Helpline: 1-877-895-2444 (312-836-5222 TDD)
Chancery Division Advice Desk, 1303 Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street
Other links for foreclosure prevention assistance programs:
Independent Foreclosure Review
Illinois Hardest Hit Fund
If you missed your case management date and no other orders have been entered in your case, call 1-877-895-2444 (312-836-5222 TDD) or click here to begin receiving assistance.
If you missed your case management date and a judgment of foreclosure has already been entered, you may seek legal advice at:
Chancery Division Advice Desk Room 1303 Richard J. Daley Center 50 W. Washington Street Chicago, IL 60602 Hours: 9:00AM and 4:00PM
or by calling the Legal Information Line at (312) 603-2285.
If you have not participated or taken any action in the foreclosure and a judgment of foreclosure has been entered, you may seek legal advice at:
If you received a notice of sale, you may seek legal advice at:
Free or low cost legal services are available:
Chancery Division Advice Desk, Room 1303 Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street. (Free walk-in assistance)
Legal Services Directory for Free or Low Cost Legal Services Chicago Area Legal Services Providers Chicago Area Legal Service Providers (Espanol)
If you believe you are a victim of mortgage fraud, rescue fraud or predatory lending, you should contact the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Homeowner Helpline at (866) 544-7151 or go to www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.
No. Mediation is not mandatory and referral to mediation must be requested through a written motion. Any party may request mediation by motion. A judge may order mediation over the one party’s objection. Once ordered to mediation, it will be mandatory for the parties to attend the mediation sessions.
No. The mediation program is intended to assist those who are currently living in the foreclosure property as their principal residence. However, if you own the property but do not live there, you may request regular mediation through Circuit Court Rule Part 21. Housing counseling will not be required for this mediation.
No. The mediation program is for those defendants who are the owners of the property, meaning the people who signed the mortgage and note and live in the property. If you are a renter in a property that is being foreclosed, legal advice may be obtained at :
Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago Metropolitan Tenants Organization Regional Home Ownership Preservation Initiative
The Program Helpline (1-877-895-2444/312-836-5222 TDD) is the first phone number you should call if you receive a foreclosure summons or do not know where to begin receiving assistance. The operators will set up an appointment for a housing counseling workshop or one-on-one housing counseling appointment. If your foreclosure case has had multiple orders entered, you are not in foreclosure, or you are a renter, the operators will direct you to the appropriate resources for assistance.
No. The Program is a court operated mediation program that is designed to assist borrowers who are currently in foreclosure. That means, the bank has initiated and filed a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
If a judgment of foreclosure has already been entered in a foreclosure case, entry into the Program is at the judge’s discretion. A self-represented litigant who is a defendant in a foreclosure action where a judgment of foreclosure has already been entered should go to the Chancery Division Advice Desk in Room 1303 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, to receive legal counsel regarding his/her case.
No. You must have an appearance and answer on file at the time of presenting a motion for mediation. (If you have a private attorney, your attorney must have an appearance and answer on file for you.)
Mediators, who are neutral third parties, will facilitate the communications between the plaintiff and defendant(s) to help the parties articulate their needs and interests and to help the parites determine if a mutually acceptable resolution is possible.
No. Not all cases settle through mediation. Whether a case reaches a settlement agreement depends on the facts and circumstances surrounding each case. An agreement that may be appropriate for one case may not be appropriate for another case.
When a Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Referral Order is entered, a post-mediation status date will be set for 12 weeks after entry of the order. The post-mediation calls are heard as follows:
Wednesdays (calendar 68): Courtroom 2806 9:30 AM and 2:00PM
Thursdays (calendar 69): Courtroom 2809 9:30 AM and 2:00PM
Housing counselors are counselors who work for HUD-certified agencies that can provide advice on foreclosure prevention and assist a borrower with communications with the bank if a borrower is facing foreclosure. HUD-certified housing counseling services are free. Do not pay anyone for a loan modification.
You may obtain an appointment with a housing counselor by calling 1-877-895-2444 or requesting an appointment through the online form here (insert link to online form).
The housing counseling workshop that you need to attend for the Program is a 2-3 hour session that helps explain the foreclosure and mediation process to homeowners facing foreclosure. It also provides a brief intake with a housing counselor and sets up a one-on-one appointment with a housing counselor. Homeowners attending the workshop should bring all documents that they are told to bring to receive the best possible assistance. For a list of upcoming workshops, click here (link to upcoming workshops). To register for a workshop, please call 1-877-895-2444 (312-836-5222 TDD) or request a spot online here (insert link to online form). All attendees must be pre-registered for a workshop.
If you have been working with a HUD-certified housing counselor and want to continue working with that counselor, you should do the following:
Notify your housing counselor immediately that you received a summons and provide a copy to your housing counselor.
Have your housing counselor call (312) 603-2285 to set up an appointment with a legal aid attorney with the Mediation Program to assess your case, potential defenses, and to assist you with completing the paperwork necessary for your case.