Family & Safety
(44 resources)
A program to help you complete the forms to get a divorce. You can use it if you and your spouse have children together or if you do not.
Easy Form
Explains the divorce process, including the difference between contested and uncontested divorce. Also describes how you qualify and what you can expect during the process.
Guide
Explains the steps to take to get a divorce when you and your spouse share children. Includes the forms you need and tips for going to court.
How-To
A program to prepare Financial Affidavit forms that provide financial information and documents to the other party in family law cases.
Easy Form
(41 resources)
Steps to get parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody), from the forms you need to go to court.
How-To
Use this form to ask the judge to give you parental responsibilities for a child. This includes parenting time (visitation) and decision-making power (custody).
Form download
A program to help you create a plan to set parental responsibilities and parenting time, including holidays and school breaks.
Easy Form
Use this form to change the allocation of parental responsibility or child support.
Form download
(28 resources)
A program to help you create a plan to set parental responsibilities and parenting time, including holidays and school breaks.
Easy Form
A program to help you create the forms to ask the court to increase or decrease your current child support order. This is called child support modification.
Easy Form
Describes what to expect after an investigation is completed by DCFS.
Text article
Legal housing defenses to help victims of domestic and sexual violence escape abusive and dangerous situations.
Text article
(20 resources)
Explains the formal investigation process by Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
Guide
Describes how to get your children back and knowing your goals if your DCFS case goes to juvenile court.
Text article
A program to help you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you or other household members.
Easy Form
Explains what a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is. Includes when they are appointed, how to interact with them, and how they’re different from other guardians.
Text article
(7 resources)
A program to help you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you or other household members.
Easy Form
A program to help you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you or other household members. Email your forms to the court. For use only in Cook County.
Easy Form
Explains who is eligible to ask for an Order of Protection. Also includes what they can ask a judge to include in it. This is also called a "restraining order."
Guide
Information about privacy and protection under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.
Text article
(5 resources)
A blog about the Illinois Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
Blog post
A webpage from the US Department of Justice about human trafficking prosecutions, relevant case law, and resources.
Link
The basics of human trafficking, how to identify it, and how to work with survivors and those at risk.
Video
The basics of human trafficking, how to identify it, and what to do if you or someone you know is a victim.
Video
(48 resources)
A program to help you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you or other household members.
Easy Form
Explains the three kinds of Orders of Protection ("restraining orders") in Illinois. Includes when they are issued and how long they last.
Text article
Explains steps to get an Order of Protection, sometimes called a restraining order. Includes filling out forms and going to court.
How-To
A program to help you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you or other household members. Email your forms to the court. For use only in Cook County.
Easy Form
(17 resources)
Steps to adopt a child including the forms you need, an at home investigation, and how the court hearing works.
How-To
Explains the different kinds of ways someone can become a legal parent of a child outside of marriage or giving birth.
Guide
Use this form to adopt a child when the biological parents were not married and one has been found to be an unfit parent.
Form download
Explains when a parent can give up their parental responsibilities without going through the adoption process.
Text article
(28 resources)
Steps to establish parentage from the forms you need to the court hearing process.
How-To
Use this form to ask a judge to establish parentage if you think you are the father of a child.
Form download
A VAP is a legal form that establishes a legal relationship between a parent and a child. Both parents must sign the form. Once it is signed, it is very hard to undo.
Text article
Explains how to be granted a divorce if you can't find your spouse to notify them of the divorce case.
Text article
(14 resources)
Steps to get guardianship of an adult from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.
How-To
Steps to adopt a child including the forms you need, an at home investigation, and how the court hearing works.
How-To
Explains how to get a legal right to take care of a person who is 18 years and older.
Guide
Information about privacy and protection under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.
Text article
(16 resources)
Explains what a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is. Includes when they are appointed, how to interact with them, and how they’re different from other guardians.
Text article
Explains how to get the legal right to take care of a child if their parent cannot or will not take care of the child.
Guide
Steps to get guardianship of a minor from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.
How-To
Explains DCFS's role in the guardianship of a child and how they can get involved in guardianship cases.
Text article
(5 resources)
Explains how a child can become independent from their parents. Includes how to start the process.
Text article
Learn about resources available to you as you are transitioning out of foster care.
Text article
Gives information about Children's law and the Illinois Parentage Act.
Lawyer Manuals
(7 resources)
Explains common reasons for changing your name and an overview of what you need to do to change your name.
Guide
Steps to get an adult name change in Illinois, from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.
How-To
A program to help you complete the forms you need to ask the court to change your name. Use only if you are 18 or older.
Form link
An overview of the affidavit procedure available, as well as the documentation and payment required.
Text article
(4 resources)
Explains when you can change a minor's name and what the judge will consider before granting the change.
Text article
Explains how to change your name back to your maiden name in your divorce case.
Text article
Steps to change a child's name in Illinois, from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.
How-To
A program to help you complete the forms you need to ask the court to change the name of minor children.
Form link
(44 resources)
Explains how child support is calculated in Illinois. Describes the formula a judge uses, and how they might depart from the formula.
Text article
Use this form to change the allocation of parental responsibility or child support.
Form download
A program to help you create the forms to ask the court to increase or decrease your current child support order. This is called child support modification.
Easy Form
Explains rules for leaving children at home alone and state intervention in dangerous situations for children.
Text article
(6 resources)
Information about who can perform a wedding and what happens if someone performs a wedding who is not qualified.
Text article
Common law marriages are not valid in Illinois, but a common law marriage from another state is recognized in Illinois.
Text article
Two people may prefer a civil union over marriage for personal reasons, but there is no legal difference between the two.
Text article
Information about marriage, how it affects your debt, and whether bankruptcy will help.
Text article
(42 resources)
Explains steps to get an Order of Protection, sometimes called a restraining order. Includes filling out forms and going to court.
How-To
Information about what a parent's duties are to their children after the age of 18 and what parents can do.
Text article
A program to prepare Financial Affidavit forms that provide financial information and documents to the other party in family law cases.
Easy Form
A program to help you create a Petition for Rule to Show Cause to help you enforce an earlier family law court order.
Easy Form