Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 311

As amended through September 23, 2024

Rule 311 - Accelerated Docket

(a) Mandatory Accelerated Disposition of Child Custody or Allocation of Parental Responsibilities or Relocation of Unemancipated Minors Appeals. The expedited procedures in this subpart shall apply to appeals from final orders in child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities cases or decisions allowing or denying relocation (formerly known as removal) of unemancipated minors and to interlocutory appeals in child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities cases or decisions allowing or denying relocation (formerly known as removal) of unemancipated minors from which leave to appeal has been granted pursuant to Rule 306(a)(5). If the appeal is taken from a judgment or order affecting other matters, such as support, property issues or decisions affecting the rights of persons other than the child, the reviewing court may handle all pending issues using the expedited procedures in this rule, unless doing so will delay decision on the child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities or the relocation of the unemancipated minors appeal.

(1)Special Caption. The notice of appeal or petition for leave to appeal, docketing statement, briefs and all other notices, motions and pleadings filed by any party in relation to an appeal involving child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities or decisions allowing or denying relocation of unemancipated minors shall include the following statement in bold type on the top of the front page: THIS APPEAL INVOLVES A MATTER SUBJECT TO EXPEDITED DISPOSITION UNDER RULE 311(a).

(2)Service Upon the Circuit Court. In addition to the service required by Rule 303(c), a party filing notice of appeal in a child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities case shall, within seven days, serve the notice of appeal on the trial judge who entered the judgment or order appealed and the office of the chief judge of the circuit in which the judgment or order on appeal was entered. Where leave to appeal has been granted pursuant to Rule 306(a)(5), the appellant shall, within seven days, serve the order granting leave to appeal upon the trial judge who entered the judgment or order appealed from and the office of the chief judge of the circuit in which the judgment or order on appeal was entered.

(3)Status Hearing in Circuit Court. On receipt of the notice of appeal or order granting leave to appeal under Rule 306(a)(5) in a child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities case, the trial judge shall set a status hearing within 30 days of the date of filing of the notice of appeal or order granting leave to appeal to determine the status of the case, including payments of required fees to the clerk of the circuit court and court reporting personnel as defined in Rule 46 for the preparation of the transcript of proceedings, and take any action necessary to expedite preparation of the record on appeal and the transcript of the proceedings. The trial court shall have continuing jurisdiction for the purpose of enforcing the rules for preparation of the record and transcript. The trial court may request the assistance of the chief judge to resolve filing delays, and the chief judge shall assign or reassign the court reporting personnel's work as necessary to ensure compliance with the filing deadlines.

(4)Record. The record on appeal and the transcript of proceedings in a child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities case shall be filed in the Appellate Court no later than 35 days after the filing of the notice of appeal or granting of leave to appeal pursuant to Rule 306(a)(5). Any request for extension of the time for filing shall be accompanied by an affidavit of the court clerk or court reporting personnel stating the reason for the delay, and shall be served on the trial judge and the chief judge of the circuit. Lack of advance payment shall not be a reason for noncompliance with filing deadlines for the record or transcript. Any subsequent request for continuance shall be made to the appellate court on motion with notice to all parties in accordance with rules.

(5)Deadline for Decision. Except for good cause shown, the appellate court shall issue its decision within 150 days after the filing of the notice of appeal or granting of leave to appeal pursuant to Rule 306(a)(5).

(6)Local Rules. The appellate court of each district shall by administrative order or rule adopt mandatory procedures to ensure completion of child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities appeals within the time specified in paragraph (5). The order or rule may include provisions regarding the use of memoranda in lieu of briefs, provisions for the separation of child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities issues from other issues on appeal, and any other procedures necessary to a fair and timely disposition of the case. The clerk of the appellate court shall be responsible for seeing that the accelerated docket is maintained and for advising the court of any noncompliance with the rules of the court concerning timely filing.

(7)Briefing Schedule. The brief of the appellant or memorandum in lieu of a formal brief is due 21 days after filing of the record on appeal in the appellate court. The brief of the appellee or memorandum in lieu of a formal brief is due 21 days from the due date of the appellant's brief. Any reply brief or memorandum in lieu of a formal brief is due 7 days from the due date of the appellee's brief. In the case of a cross-appeal, the cross-reply brief or memorandum in lieu of a formal brief is due 7 days from the due date of the reply brief.

(8)Continuances Disfavored. Requests for continuance are disfavored and shall be granted only for compelling circumstances. The appellate court may require personal appearance by the attorney or party requesting the continuance.

(9)Effective Date. This rule shall apply to all orders in which a notice of appeal is filed after its effective date.

(b) Discretionary Acceleration of Other Appeals. Any time after the docketing statement is filed in the reviewing court, the court, on its own motion, or on the motion of any party, for good cause shown, may place the case on an accelerated docket. The motion shall be supported by an affidavit stating reasons why the appeal should be expedited. If warranted by the circumstances, the court may enter an order accepting a supporting record prepared pursuant to Rule 328, consisting of those lower court pleadings, reports of proceedings or other materials that will fully present the issues. In its discretion the court may accept memoranda in lieu of formal briefs. The court may then enter an order setting forth an expedited schedule for the disposition of the appeal.

(1)Special Caption, The notice of appeal or petition for leave to appeal, docketing statement, and all other notices, motions, and pleadings filed by any party in relation to an appeal where the reviewing court, for good cause shown, has placed the case on an accelerated docket shall include the following statement in bold type on the top of the front page: THIS APPEAL INVOLVES A MATTER SUBJECT TO EXPEDITED DISPOSITION SPECIFICALLY ORDERED UNDER RULE 311(b) BY THE REVIEWING COURT.

Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 311

Adopted June 15, 1982, effective 7/1/1982; amended June 19, 1989, effective 8/1/1989; amended December 17, 1993, effective 2/1/1994; amended February 26, 2010, effective immediately; amended March 8, 2016, eff. immediately; amended June 22, 2017, eff. 7/1/2017; amended June 28, 2017, eff. 7/1/2017; amended April 3, 2018, eff. 7/1/2018.

Committee Comments (March 8, 2016)

Special Supreme Court Committee on Child Custody Issues

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, Pub. Act 99-90 (eff. Jan. 1, 2016) (amending 750 ILCS 5/101 et seq.), has changed the terms "Custody," "Visitation" (as to parents) and "Removal" to "Allocation of Parental Responsibilities," "Parenting Time" and "Relocation." These rules are being amended to reflect those changes. The rules utilize both "custody" and "allocation of parental responsibilities" in recognition that some legislative enactments covered by the rules utilize the term "custody" while the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act and the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 utilize the term "allocation of parental responsibilities." The Special Committee has attempted to adhere to the usage found in the applicable legislative enactments.

Committee Comments (August 1, 1989)

Amended in 1989 to give the Appellate Court discretion, for good cause shown, to order cases to an accelerated docket on its own motion or on the motion of a party, rather than requiring that all parties agree to such action.

Committee Comments

(February 26, 2010)

Paragraph (a)

Paragraph (a) was originally enacted as Rule 306A in 2004 to expedite the resolution of appeals affecting the care and custody of children. In 2010, Rule 3 06A was moved to paragraph (a) of this rule. The purpose of this amendment was to streamline the wording of the rule and facilitate its use. The amendment was also intended to clarify that the rule addresses only the procedures to be followed in order to expedite disposition of child custody appeals. Importantly, this rule does not confer any new appeal rights or affect finality for purposes of appellate jurisdiction. The appealability of any order affecting child custody is governed principally by Rules 301, 304, 303, and 306. The expedited procedures set forth in paragraph (a) apply to all child custody appeals, whether they have been taken from final orders appealable as of right or interlocutory orders from which the court has granted leave to appeal. The goal of paragraph (a) remains to promote stability for not only abused and neglected children, but also children whose custody is an issue in dissolution of marriage, adoption, and other proceedings, by mandating swifter disposition of these appeals.

Paragraph (b)

Paragraph (b) encompasses the pre-2010 amendment version of Rule 311, which permits the expedited resolution of any appeal upon the request of any party and at the discretion of the appellate court.