How Much Does Stepparent Adoption Cost in Illinois? (2026)

The short answer: an Illinois stepparent adoption is one of the least expensive adoptions in the country to file. Illinois law caps the circuit clerk's adoption filing fee at $94 outside Cook County and $270 in Cook County, and Cook and McHenry counties both post an $89 fee. Add newspaper publication if the other parent can't be found, a small Vital Records fee for the new birth certificate, and whatever you spend preparing the papers. Our complete document package is $349. And the other parent's consent rarely drives the cost: in our experience, about 80% of the stepparent adoptions we've completed went forward without the other biological parent's consent. The father never signed, and the judge approved the adoption anyway.

Illinois Stepparent Adoption Costs at a Glance

Cost item	What to expect
Document preparation (StepParent Adoption 360)	$349 for the first child, plus $99 for each additional child
Circuit clerk filing fee	Capped by statute at $94 (most counties) or $270 (Cook County). Posted examples: Cook County $89; McHenry County $89
Other clerk fees in the adoption case	None allowed beyond the filing fee (705 ILCS 105/27.1b(z)(2))
Newspaper publication, if the other parent can't be found	Set by the newspaper
Serving a parent you can locate	Sheriff or process server fee, which varies by county
Home investigation	Usually none; only if the judge orders one
New Illinois birth certificate	McHenry County's schedule lists a $15 Illinois Department of Public Health fee, including one certified copy
Attorney	Optional; mainly worth it if the other parent actively contests

The county figures come from each clerk's published schedule (McHenry County's took effect January 1, 2023) and can change. Always confirm with your circuit clerk before filing.

What Drives the Cost of a Stepparent Adoption in Illinois?

1. Preparing the papers yourself vs. hiring an attorney

This is the biggest variable by far. Many Illinois families file on their own with professionally prepared documents. Others hire a family law attorney for full representation, which costs much more. For an uncontested adoption, including the common case where the other parent has simply been absent, preparing the papers yourself is usually enough. If the other parent actively fights the adoption, that's the time to talk with an Illinois attorney.

2. Circuit court filing fees

Illinois adoptions are filed with the circuit court, and Illinois lets you file in any county in the state (750 ILCS 50/4). Most families file where they live.

Clerk fees for adoptions are set by statute rather than left entirely to each county. Adoption cases fall under Schedule 3 of the Clerks of Courts Act, which caps the filing fee at $270 in a county of 3,000,000 or more people (Cook County) and $94 everywhere else. The statute also says no fee other than the filing fee may be charged to anyone in connection with an adoption proceeding (705 ILCS 105/27.1b(a)(3) and (z)(2)). That's why Illinois filing costs are so low compared with many states. Cook County's County Division fee schedule lists $89 for related, unrelated and adult adoptions, and McHenry County lists $89 as well.

3. Little or no home study cost

Many states charge stepparents for a home study. Illinois generally doesn't. Because a stepchild is a "related child" under the Adoption Act (750 ILCS 50/1(B)), the court investigation that other adoptions require is not made unless the judge orders it (750 ILCS 50/6(D)). The judge can also waive appointing a guardian ad litem for the child in a related adoption (750 ILCS 50/13(B)). If your judge does appoint one, ask the clerk what that will cost.

4. When the other parent has been absent

Families often expect this to be the expensive part. Usually it isn't. Illinois doesn't require the consent of a parent the court finds unfit by clear and convincing evidence (750 ILCS 50/8(a)(1)), and that finding is made inside your adoption case. There's no separate lawsuit to fund. The grounds stepfamilies most often rely on include (750 ILCS 50/1(D)):

• Failing for 12 months to visit the child, communicate with the child, or keep in contact or plan for the child's future, although able to do so (1(D)(n)).
• Failing to maintain a reasonable degree of interest, concern, or responsibility for the child's welfare (1(D)(b)).
• Deserting the child for more than 3 months before the adoption was filed (1(D)(c)).

If the father was never married to the mother and never legally established paternity, his consent may not be required at all, because Illinois lists the specific situations in which a father's consent is needed (750 ILCS 50/8(b)(1)(B)). He may still be entitled to notice (750 ILCS 50/7(C)).

5. Serving a parent who can't be found

If you don't know where the other parent is, you file an affidavit saying that on diligent inquiry they can't be found. The circuit clerk then publishes the adoption notice in a newspaper published in your county and mails a copy to any address you listed within 10 days of the first publication (750 ILCS 50/7(A)). Under Illinois's general publication rule, the notice runs once a week for 3 successive weeks, and no default can be taken until at least 30 days after the first publication (735 ILCS 5/2-207). Your cost is whatever the newspaper charges for those three runs. It's a routine step, not an obstacle.

If you do know where the other parent lives, they're served like any other civil case, typically by the sheriff or a process server, and the fee depends on your county.

6. The new birth certificate and certified copies

After the judgment, the clerk sends a certificate of adoption to the State Registrar of Vital Records, and the Registrar establishes a new birth certificate for a child born in Illinois (410 ILCS 535/16 and 17). McHenry County's schedule lists a $15 Illinois Department of Public Health fee for completing the new birth record, including one certified copy, with additional certified copies listed at $2 each. If your child was born in another state, that state's vital records office handles the new certificate and sets its own fee.

A Sample Illinois Budget

Here's what an uncontested stepparent adoption of one child looks like in a county posting an $89 fee, such as Cook or McHenry, when you prepare the papers with us:

Item	Amount
Document package	$349
Circuit clerk filing fee (Cook or McHenry example)	$89
New Illinois birth record (McHenry example)	$15
Starting subtotal	$453
Publication or service, if needed	Newspaper or sheriff/process server fee

Your county's fee may differ, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with your clerk.

How Long Does an Illinois Stepparent Adoption Take?

Many uncontested adoptions finish within a few months; the county court calendar and any publication period set the pace. A few Illinois rules help stepfamilies move quickly:

• A petition to adopt a related child may be filed at any time, and the six-month Illinois residence requirement doesn't apply (750 ILCS 50/5(A) and 50/2(B)(a)).
• The six-month waiting period after an interim order applies only to children who aren't related children (750 ILCS 50/14(e)).
• Adoption cases get priority over other civil cases in being set for hearing (750 ILCS 50/20).

Time doesn't add much cost here. Your document and filing fees are one-time charges.

Practical Ways to Keep Costs Down

What About Unmarried Couples?

Illinois treats a civil union partner like a spouse under the Adoption Act, so a civil union partner adopts as a step-parent and costs are the same as above (750 ILCS 50/1(B) and 50/2(A)(a)). A partner who isn't married or in a civil union isn't a step-parent under the Act, so the steps for non-related adoptions, including a court-ordered investigation with a fingerprint background check, generally apply and add cost (750 ILCS 50/6(A)). The parent who joins as a petitioner keeps all parental rights (750 ILCS 50/17). See the Illinois state guide for more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the court filing fee for a stepparent adoption in Illinois?

Illinois caps it by statute at $94 outside Cook County and $270 in Cook County, and the clerk can't charge other fees in the adoption case (705 ILCS 105/27.1b). Cook County and McHenry County both post an $89 adoption filing fee.

Can I adopt my stepchild in Illinois if I don't know where the other parent is?

Yes. After a diligent search, you file an affidavit and the clerk publishes a notice in a county newspaper once a week for 3 weeks. The added cost is the newspaper's charge, and it doesn't prevent your adoption from moving forward.

Does it cost more if the other parent won't consent?

Usually not much. The court decides whether the parent is unfit, for example for failing to visit or communicate for 12 months, inside your adoption case, with no separate filing fee. In our experience, about 80% of completed stepparent adoptions go forward without the other parent's consent: the father never signs, and the judge approves the adoption anyway.

Do I need a home study for a stepparent adoption in Illinois?

Generally no. The Adoption Act says the investigation isn't made for a related child, which includes a stepchild, unless the judge orders it (750 ILCS 50/6(D)).

Do I need a lawyer for a stepparent adoption in Illinois?

Illinois doesn't require one. Many families file on their own with prepared documents; our complete package is $349. If the other parent actively contests the adoption, consider an Illinois attorney.

Does a longer case cost more?

Not usually. Filing and document fees are one-time costs. The main extras are publication or service if the other parent has to be notified.

About the Author

Doug Brown, Founder. Doug Brown has helped families prepare stepparent and adult adoption paperwork since 2001: more than 34,000 families in all 50 states. StepParent Adoption 360 is a document-preparation service, not a law firm, and doesn't give legal advice.

Sources: Illinois Adoption Act, 750 ILCS 50/1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 17 and 20 (ilga.gov); Clerks of Courts Act, 705 ILCS 105/27.1b (adoption filing fee caps and no other fees); 735 ILCS 5/2-207 (publication period); Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535/16 and 17; Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, County Division Fee Schedule; McHenry County Circuit Clerk, Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2023). County fees change; confirm with your clerk. Company figures (34,000+ families since 2001; about 80% of completed stepparent adoptions without the other parent's consent) are from our own records.