Illinois Small Claims Summons is a form used to start a small claims court case in the state of Illinois. It is the legal document that officially starts a lawsuit, and serves as notice to the defendant that they are being sued. It is the responsibility of the plaintiff to have the Illinois Small Claims Summons delivered to the defendant, usually by a sheriff or certified process server. The Illinois Small Claims Summons includes the name of the court, case number, the names of the parties involved, the amount of money being claimed, and a date for the defendant to appear in court. It also contains a court order requiring the defendant to respond to the lawsuit within a certain time frame, typically 30 days. There are two types of Illinois Small Claims Summons: Original Summons and Notice of Suit. The Original Summons is used when the parties are unknown or the defendant’s address is uncertain. The Notice of Suit is used when the parties are known and the defendant’s address is known.