Ill. S. Ct. R. 303

(a) Time; Filing; Transmission of Notice of Appeal.

(1) The notice of appeal must be filed with the clerk of the circuit court within 30 days

after the entry of the final judgment appealed from, or, if a timely posttrial motion directed

against the judgment is filed, whether in a jury or a nonjury case, within 30 days after the entry

of the order disposing of the last pending postjudgment motion directed against that judgment

or order, irrespective of whether the circuit court had entered a series of final orders that were

modified pursuant to postjudgment motions. A judgment or order is not final and appealable

while a Rule 137 claim remains pending unless the court enters a finding pursuant to Rule

304(a). A notice of appeal filed after the court announces a decision, but before the entry of

the judgment or order, is treated as filed on the date of and after the entry of the judgment or

order. The notice of appeal may be filed by any party or by any attorney representing the party

appealing, regardless of whether that attorney has filed an appearance in the circuit court case

being appealed.

(2) When a timely postjudgment motion has been filed by any party, whether in a jury case

or a nonjury case, a notice of appeal filed before the entry of the order disposing of the last

pending postjudgment motion, or before the final disposition of any separate claim, becomes

effective when the order disposing of said motion or claim is entered. A party intending to

challenge an order disposing of any postjudgment motion or separate claim, or a judgment

amended upon such motion, must file a notice of appeal, or an amended notice of appeal within

30 days of the entry of said order or amended judgment, but where a postjudgment motion is

denied, an appeal from the judgment is deemed to include an appeal from the denial of the

postjudgment motion. No request for reconsideration of a ruling on a postjudgment motion

will toll the running of the time within which a notice of appeal must be filed under this rule.

(3) If a timely notice of appeal is filed and served by a party, any ot her party, within 10

days after service upon him or her, or within 30 days from the entry of the judgment or order

being appealed, or within 30 days of the entry of the order disposing of the last pending

postjudgment motion, whichever is later, may join i n the appeal, appeal separately, or cross -

appeal by filing a notice of appeal, indicating which type of appeal is being taken.

(4) Within five days after the filing of a notice of appeal, or an amendment of a notice of

appeal filed in the circuit court pu rsuant to subparagraph (b)( 5) of this rule, the clerk of the

circuit court shall file the notice of appeal or of the amendment with the clerk of the court to

which the appeal is being taken.

(b) Form and Contents of Notice of Appeal.

(1) The notice of appeal shall be captioned as follows:

(i) At the top shall appear the statement “Appeal to the _________ Court,” naming the

court to which the appeal is taken, and below this shall be the statement “From the Circuit

Court of ____________________________,” naming the court from which the appeal is

taken.

(ii) It shall bear the title of the case, naming and designating the parties in the same

manner as in the circuit court and adding the further designation “appellant” or

“appellee,” e.g., “Plaintiff-Appellee.”

(iii) It shall be designated “ Notice of Appeal, ” “Joining Prior Appeal,” “Separate

Appeal,” or “Cross-Appeal,” as appropriate.

(2) It shall specify the judgment or part thereof or other orders appealed from and the relief

sought from the reviewing court.

(3) A notice of appeal filed pursuant to Rule 302(a)(1) from a judgment of a circuit court

holding unconstitutional a statute of the United States or of this state shall have appended

thereto a copy of the court’s findings made in compliance with Rule 18.

(4) It shall contain the name and address of each appellant or appellant’s attorney.

(5) The notice of appeal may be amended without leave of court within the original 30-day

period to file the notice as set forth in paragraph (a) above. Thereafter it may be amended only

on motion, in the reviewing court, pursuant to paragraph (d) of this rule. Amendments relate

back to the time of the filing of the notice of appeal.

(c) Service of Notice of Appeal. The party filing the notice of appeal or an amendment as of

right, shall, within 7 days, file a notice of filing with the reviewing court and serve the notice of

appeal upon every other party and upon any other person or officer entitled by law to notice. Proof

of service, as provided by Rule 12, shall be filed with the notice.

(d) Extension of Time in Certain Circumstances. On motion supported by a showing of

reasonable excuse for failure to file a notice of appeal on time, accompanied by the proposed notice

of appeal and the filing fee, filed in the reviewing court within 30 days after expiration of the time

for filing a notice of appeal, the reviewing court may grant leave to appeal and order the clerk to

transmit the notice of appeal to the trial court for filing. If the reviewing court allows leave to file

a late notice of appeal, any other party may, within 10 days of the order allowing the filing of the

late notice, join in the appeal separately or cross-appeal as set forth in Rule 303(a)(3).

(e) Docketing. Upon receipt of the notice of appeal transmitted to the reviewing court pursuant

to paragraph (a) of this rule, or receipt of a motion for leave to appeal under paragraph (d) of this

rule, the clerk of the reviewing court shall enter the appeal upon the docket.