I've complained before about the huge backup in the Cook County Probate Court for deceased estates. This isn't the fault of the judges, who are working as quickly as they can; rather, it's a problem that has arisen because we have only four judges handling all of the deceased estates (new and old) in Cook County.
Luckily, Judge Budzinski has issued a general order aimed at helping to speed up the probate process. Recently, attorneys would have to wait four weeks or even more between filing their initial petition and getting a court date to open the estate. However, the general order (a copy of which is attached here) allows an attorney to schedule a hearing with Judge Cesario to open the estate if the attorney would otherwise not be able to get a court date within two weeks.
