Family & Safety

Two parents and child

Family & Safety

Human Trafficking
(4 resources)
Human trafficking
Learn more about what human trafficking is, how to identify it, and how to help survivors.
FAQ
Introduction: Human Trafficking for Community Members
Learn about human trafficking in this video and how community members can identify signs of trafficking and how to help survivors.
Video
Introduction to Human Trafficking for Service Providers
In this video for service providers, learn more about the signs of human trafficking and how to help.
Video
Labor Trafficking: What is the Reality
Learn more about labor trafficking in this video, how to identify this at work and in the community, and how survivors can get help.
Video
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Divorce
(32 resources)
Divorce
This Easy Form helps you make the forms to get a divorce. You can use it if you and your spouse have children together or if you do not. It also works if you want to make forms to end a civil union.
Easy Form
Respond to a lawsuit
This Easy Form helps you make Answer and Appearance forms to respond to a lawsuit. It can make optional forms for a Jury Request, Affirmative Defenses, and Counterclaims.
Easy Form
Financial affidavit
This Easy Form helps you provide financial information and documents to the other party in family law cases. It makes the statewide Financial Affidavit (Family and Divorce Cases) forms.
Easy Form
Getting a divorce with children basics
Learn more about getting a divorce with children, including special issues that must be addressed.
Intro
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Parental responsibilities (custody and visitation)
(38 resources)
Parenting plan
This Easy Form will help you make a plan to set parental responsibilities (formerly "custody") and parenting time (formerly "visitation").
Easy Form
Starting a case to get parental responsibilities or custody
Learn more about the steps to get parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody) of a child.
How-To
Petition for allocation of parental responsibilities
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
Petition for rule to show cause - Family law cases
This Easy Form makes a Petition for Rule to Show Cause to help you enforce an earlier court order. Use it for Illinois family law orders, involving child support, divorce judgments, allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting plans, or joint parenting agreements (custody or visitation).
Easy Form
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Child support and child care
(21 resources)
Request to change child support
This Easy Form helps you make forms to ask the court to increase or decrease your current child support order. This is called child support modification.
Easy Form
Changing or ending child support payments
Common questions that people may have on changing or ending their child support payments.
FAQ
Petition for rule to show cause - Family law cases
This Easy Form makes a Petition for Rule to Show Cause to help you enforce an earlier court order. Use it for Illinois family law orders, involving child support, divorce judgments, allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting plans, or joint parenting agreements (custody or visitation).
Easy Form
Starting a case to get child support
Steps to get child support from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.
How-To
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Elder abuse or neglect
(3 resources)
Protection from abuse and neglect for senior citizens
Learn more about how to identify abuse and neglect involving senior citizens and what help is available.
Text article
Confidentiality for mental and developmental disabilities
Information about privacy and protection under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.
Text article
Self Neglect Program Basics
Self-Neglect" means a condition that is the result of an individual’s inability to perform essential self-care tasks that substantially threatens his/her own health.
File download
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Protection from abuse
(43 resources)
Protection from sexual assault basics
Learn more about what sexual assault is and the legal protections for survivors of sexual assault.
Intro
Order of Protection
This Easy Form helps you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you, your children, or other household members.
Easy Form
Housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault
Learn more about the housing rights and protections survivors have under the Illinois Safe Homes Act and the Violence Against Women Act.
FAQ
Emergency Order of Protection - Cook County
This Easy Form helps you ask the court to order someone to stop harming or threatening you, your children, or other household members. Email your forms to the court. For use only in Cook County.
Easy Form
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Adoption
(5 resources)
Adoption of a child common questions
Learn more about adopting a child in Illinois.
FAQ
Final and irrevocable consent to adoption
Use this form to give consent for your child to be adopted.
Form link
Certificate of adoption
Use this form to prove you adopted a child.
Form link
Learning more about a past adoption
Learn more about options for obtaining information about a past adoption.
FAQ
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Child abuse or neglect
(14 resources)
Guardian ad Litem (GAL) basics
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
Can I leave my children alone at home after school?
Learn more about Illinois laws involved when leaving a child home by themselves.
Text article
I was indicated by DCFS
Describes what to expect if you are indicated by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
Text article
Understanding DCFS investigations
Learn about the formal investigation process by Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
Intro
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Paternity or parentage
(23 resources)
Starting a case for parentage in court
Steps to establish parentage from the forms you need to the court hearing process.
How-To
Parentage and allocation petition for father
Use this form to ask a judge to establish parentage if you think you are the father of a child.
Form download
Voluntary acknowledgment of parentage- VAP
This Easy Form helps you prepare an Illinois Voluntary Acknowledgement of Parentage to tell the state who a child's parent is. If necessary, an Illinois Denial of Parentage will also be created.
Easy Form
Voluntary acknowledgment of parentage or VAP basics
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
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Adult guardianship
(12 resources)
Starting a case for guardianship of an adult
Steps to get guardianship of an adult from the forms you need to how the court hearing works.
How-To
Getting guardianship of an adult
Learn more about what guardianship of an adult is and the legal process involved in getting one.
Intro
Confidentiality for mental and developmental disabilities
Information about privacy and protection under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act.
Text article
Health care surrogate legal questions
Explains how someone can make medical decisions for another individual who is unable to make such decisions.
Text article
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Child guardianship
(17 resources)
Guardianship of a child
This Easy Form helps you ask the court to become a legal guardian of a minor child. You can also ask the court to appoint a co-guardian along with you.
Easy Form
Plenary guardianship of a child basics
Learn more about what plenary guardianship of a child is in Illinois and how to get one.
Intro
Short-term guardianship
This Easy Form helps you appoint a short-term guardian to be responsible for a child. A short-term guardianship can last up to one year.
Easy Form
Ending guardianship of a child common questions
Get answers about ending a child's guardianship, including who can ask to end it, the court process, and what happens after it ends.
FAQ
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Emancipation
(2 resources)
Becoming emancipated
Explains how a child can become legally independent from their parents.
Text article
Getting ready for emancipation
A guide for DCFS youth to make emancipation decisions and to step into independence and self-sufficiency.
Link
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Adult name change
(6 resources)
Adult name change basics
Learn more about adult name changes and reasons why adults may want to make this change.
Intro
Adult name change
Learn answers to common questions you may have about the adult name change process in Illinois.
FAQ
Starting a case to change the name of an adult
This how-to explains the steps needed for an adult to legally change their name.
How-To
Rights of LGBTQIA+ people in Illinois
An overview of LGBTQIA+ rights in areas such as employment, housing, education, and family.
Text article
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Child name change
(4 resources)
Changing a child's name basics
Learn more about how to legally change a child's name in Illinois.
Intro
Changing a child's name
Learn who can ask to change a child's name in Illinois, what a judge considers, court costs, and what happens if others disagree.
FAQ
Starting a case to change a child's name
This how-to explains how to start a child's name change case in Illinois, including information about forms, filing, notice, and going to court.
How-To
Name change for a child
This Easy Form helps you ask a court for a legal name change for a child.
Easy Form
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Marriage or civil union
(4 resources)
Getting married in the US if I am an undocumented immigrant
Learn about obtaining a marriage license and getting married as an undocumented person to a US citizen.
Text article
Who can perform a wedding?
Information about who can perform a wedding and what happens if someone performs a wedding who is not qualified.
Text article
Is there any reason to get a civil union?
Two people may prefer a civil union over marriage for personal reasons, but there is no legal difference between the two.
Text article
Are common law marriages legal?
Common law marriages are not valid in Illinois, but a common law marriage from another state is recognized in Illinois.
Text article
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Other family and safety issues
(22 resources)
Financial affidavit
This Easy Form helps you provide financial information and documents to the other party in family law cases. It makes the statewide Financial Affidavit (Family and Divorce Cases) forms.
Easy Form
Assault vs battery common questions
Information about the legal differences and punishments for assault and battery.
FAQ
Getting a copy of your birth certificate
What to do to get a copy of your birth certificate if you were born in Illinois or elsewhere.
FAQ
Guardian ad Litem (GAL) basics
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
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