In all actions, pleadings shall be as specified in Article II of this Act and the rules. This section does not affect in any way the substantial allegations of fact necessary to state any cause of action.
2-601.Substance of pleadings.
Article II. Civil Practice · Part 6. Pleading · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceEvery pleading in an Illinois civil case must follow Article II of the Code and the Illinois Supreme Court Rules, though this section itself adds no new pleading burden.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/2-601
Plain-English Summary
Section 2-601 is a pointer, not a standard. It tells every litigant where to look for the rules that govern how a complaint, answer, or reply must be built: the rest of Article II and the Illinois Supreme Court Rules that supplement it. Nothing in this section relaxes or expands what a party must allege to state a claim.
The second sentence does the real work. It preserves whatever substantive facts a cause of action requires, no matter what the surrounding sections say about form, numbering, or style. A complaint that hits every formatting rule in this Part still fails if it skips a fact the underlying cause of action demands.
Read together with 2-603 and 2-612, this section frames Illinois's approach to pleading: form and structure are governed by statute and rule, but the substance of a claim is governed by the law that creates it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 2-601 require of a pleading?
It requires conformity with Article II of the Code and the applicable Supreme Court Rules. It does not itself list any formatting or content rule -- those live in the sections around it, like 2-603 and 2-612.
Does 2-601 change what facts a complaint must allege?
No. The section expressly says it does not affect the substantial allegations of fact a cause of action needs. Those requirements come from the substantive law creating the claim, not from this procedural section.
Why does the Code include a section that mostly just points elsewhere?
It sets the baseline before the more specific rules follow: form of pleadings, verification, exhibits, amendments, and the rest of Part 6. Later sections build on the general conformity this section establishes.
Is 2-601 the source of Illinois's fact-pleading standard?
No single sentence here creates that standard. The fact-pleading requirement comes from the combination of 2-603 (plain and concise statement) and the substantive law of each cause of action, which 2-601 preserves rather than displaces.
Can a court dismiss a complaint solely for violating 2-601?
Rarely in practice. Dismissal motions typically cite the specific defect -- insufficiency in law under 2-615, or a defect like the statute of limitations under 2-619 -- rather than a bare violation of this general conformity provision.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: substance of pleadings illinoisillinois pleading requirementscode of civil procedure article II pleading