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My question involves court procedures for the state of: IL

The interrogatories - seem to be set about prove plaintiff's case (their case).
My Question: They ask for records that are no long available and any are just pieces of what they wanted. Some are several books that would have to be copied. a. Can a person state (when no records exist) that there are no records so don't know the info. b. Can the several books, which include the info their lawyer wants be given to them or the judge for review, without having to copy everything. c. Much of what has been asked for because (50 years old) is impossible to provide accurately . d. My suspicion is opposing council wants to overburden so the case goes away.

We'd hoped our lawyer would do a motion for summary judgment before trial and this came about, but that isn't happening.
You need to object to the requests that are "unduly burdensome and not reasonably calculated to the discovery of admissible evidence". I don't know how exactly it is in IL, but usually your best bet is to (1) provide the records you deem reasonable, based on the details of your judicial process, and (2) object (in writing) to the excessive and/or privileged scope of the requests. If the requester is not satisfied with your production of records, he/she will file a "motion to compel discovery", which is where each party will argue as to the reasonableness and feasibility of what is being requested/produced. This is why it is important for you to be honest with yourself as to what constitutes "reasonable": the more stringent you are in (1), the greater the degree of compliance the judge might order upon you. On the other hand, it is customary for parties to request for too much (especially those parties aware that their case is weak), which courts call a "fishing expedition".

Pro bono considerations aside, moving for summary judgment is a good idea only if it is clear enough that the other party cannot prevail in the case. If discovery is in its initial or mid-stage, it is easy for the other party to defeat your motion by claiming that discovery is still pending and he/she is in the process of gathering proofs. That being said, if that party does nothing else than postponing matters and asking you for irrelevant items, then you're in a better position to persuade the court that the other party cannot raise material issues of fact and is only harassing you.