(a) Definition of Award. An award is a determination in favor of a plaintiff or defendant.
Rule 92.Award and Judgment on Award
Article I. General Rules · Last amended 2017 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 92 covers how an arbitration panel issues its award and how that award becomes an enforceable court judgment if nobody rejects it in time.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 92
(b) Determining an Award. The panel shall make an award promptly upon termination of the hearing. The award shall dispose of all claims for relief. The award may not exceed the monetary limit authorized by the Supreme Court for that circuit or county within that circuit, exclusive of interest and costs. The award shall be signed by the arbitrators or the majority of them. A dissenting vote without further comment may be noted. Thereafter, the award shall be filed immediately with the clerk of the court, who shall serve notice of the award, and the entry of the same on the record, to other parties, including any in default.
(c) Judgment on the Award. In the event none of the parties files a notice of rejection of the award and requests to proceed to trial within the time required herein, any party thereafter may move the court to enter judgment on the award.
(d) Correction of Award. Where the record and the award disclose an obvious and unambiguous error in mathematics or language, the court, on application of a party within the 30- day period allowed for rejection of an award, may correct the same. The filing of such an application shall stay all proceedings, including the running of the 30-day period for rejection of the award, until disposition of the application by the court.
(e) Costs. Costs shall be determined by the arbitration panel pursuant to law. The failure of the arbitration panel to address costs shall not constitute a waiver of a party’s right to recover costs upon entry of judgment.
Plain-English Summary
Once an arbitration hearing wraps up, the panel promptly issues an award deciding every claim in the case, up to the monetary limit set for that circuit. A majority of arbitrators sign it, a dissenting arbitrator can note disagreement without explanation, and the clerk files it and notifies every party, including anyone in default.
If nobody files a timely rejection under Rule 93, any party can ask the court to enter judgment on the award. The rule doesn't require the panel to explain its reasoning with findings of fact or conclusions of law. A party can also ask the court, within the 30-day rejection window, to fix an obvious math or language error in the award; filing that request pauses the clock on the rejection period until the court rules. The panel decides costs as part of the award, but forgetting to address costs doesn't waive a party's right to recover them once judgment is entered.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if no one rejects the arbitration award?
Any party can move the court to enter judgment on the award once the rejection period has passed.
Does the arbitration panel have to explain how it reached its decision?
No. The rule doesn't require the panel to state findings of fact or conclusions of law.
Can an arbitration award be corrected for a math mistake?
Yes, if the error is obvious and unambiguous, a party can ask the court to correct it within the 30-day period for rejecting the award, which pauses that period until the court decides.
Who decides costs after an arbitration award?
The arbitration panel addresses costs as part of the award, but a party can still recover costs at judgment even if the panel didn't.
How is an arbitration award signed?
By the arbitrators or a majority of them; a dissenting arbitrator can note the dissent without giving reasons.
Committee Comments
Paragraph (b)
The most efficient use of panels would require that a sufficient number of matters for hearing be assigned to them for the date of service. It has been the experience at Philadelphia, and other counties of Pennsylvania, that their panels will conduct two or more full hearings on the assigned date of service. The form of the award proposed in Rule 94 is modeled after the official form of Pennsylvania, in its Rule 1312. The Committee recommends that no findings of fact or conclusions of law be required of the panel to be stated in its award. This is the accepted practice in Pennsylvania.
Paragraph (c) Only the court may enter the judgment in a pending action. Unless the parties stipulate to dismiss the cause after the hearing and award, it is incumbent on a party to move the court to enter judgment after the 30-day period allowed for rejection at Rule 93 herein.
Amendment History
Adopted May 20, 1987, effective June 1, 1987; amended December 30, 1993, effective January 1, 1994; amended Dec. 5, 2016, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
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