Family & Safety

This Easy Form will help you make a plan to set parental responsibilities (formerly "custody") and parenting time (formerly "visitation").

Information about what a parent's duties are to their children after the age of 18 and what parents can do.

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).

Steps to get parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody). The steps for getting parental responsibilities for a child are different depending on the county you are in and the facts of your case.

Use this form to change the allocation of parental responsibility or child support.

Explains how to get legal duties to make important decisions for a child and spend time with them. Formerly known as "custody" and "visitation."

Explains how to write a document that says who will make decisions for a child and how those decisions will be made.

Explains how to change who makes important decisions for a child if the judge has already granted a court order.

Steps to change parental responsibilities also known as custody from the forms you need to how the court hearing works. If you do not already have a parental responsibilities court order, you can find out how to get one.

Explains what you need to do if you have an order for parental responsibilities and you want to move with the child.

Use this form to accompany an Order for Allocation of Parental Responsibilities.

A program to help you ask the court to change or set a more specific parenting time (visitation) schedule. The forms help you modify or specify parenting time.

Explains steps to take to enforce a parental responsibilities ("custody") order. Includes the forms you need and suggestions for going to court.

Advanced level content. Information on dissolution, divorce, common-law marriage, separation, child support, custody, and visitation.

Information about when and how parental rights can be terminated

Steps to take when the other parent is not following your joint parenting plan or agreement.

Explains how to get a court order forcing parents to let you spend time with a child who is your grandchild or step-daughter or step-son.

Use this form to tell the other parent that you plan to move to a different place with a child or children.

Explains how to find a copy of the parental responsibilities order after one has been granted.

Use this form to ask a judge to change a parenting plan to let you move with your child to another place.

Use this form to accompany a motion to modify the allocation of parental responsibilities.

Explains the difference between a child representative, guardian ad litem (GAL), and attorney for a child.

Learn more about options parents have if they are concerned the other parent is dating or marrying a sex offender.

Use this form to ask the judge to give you parental responsibilities when the other parent has already filed a petition.

Explains how mediation is used in a court process that involves parents of children. This could be a divorce case or other case involving parenting issues.

Learn more about what a 604B evaluation is and how it's used in parental responsibilities cases (formerly known as "custody" cases).

Use this form if you have been unreasonably denied visitation with one or more children, and you are not their parent. For example, a grandparent, step-parent, or sibling.

Explains what someone has to prove to the judge before the court will allow them to visit against the parent's wishes.

Explains how to charge the other parent who takes your child or defend yourself if accused of child abduction.

Use this form to ask a judge to enforce or modify a divorce or custody judgment from another state.

This how-to explains the steps to start a case to visit a child if you are not a parent.

Information regarding court orders for parental responsibilities and whether an order is required.

Learn more about residency requirements in Illinois in order to file a parental responsibilities case (formerly known as "custody").

Explains how to divorce someone who is not living in Illinois.

A guide for DCFS youth to make emancipation decisions and to step into independence and self-sufficiency.

A birthing parent's partner can become a child's legal parent, and couples without a birthing parent can adopt a child.

A parent has the right to parenting time (visitation) with a child. They can also ask for decision-making power over the child. They must also pay child support.

The Family Defense Center (FDC) offers a manual for responding to a DCFS investigation and is written with the "wrongly accused" person in mind.

Explains minors' rights, child protection mediation, pretrial and trial issues, dispositions, and termination of parental rights in Illinois. 2024 edition