How do I adopt my stepson or stepdaughter in Illinois?

You adopt your stepchild in Illinois by filing a stepparent adoption petition with the Circuit Court in your county, and you can complete the paperwork yourself without an attorney. Illinois has 102 counties, each with its own Circuit Court clerk, and the process is governed by Illinois Compiled Statutes 750 ILCS 50.

The basic steps

• Gather the basic facts about you, your spouse, your stepchild and the other biological parent.
• Prepare the petition and supporting documents in the format your county's Circuit Court expects.
• File the package with the Circuit Court clerk in your county and pay the filing fee.
• Follow the court's instructions after filing. The clerk can confirm local scheduling and procedures.

Key Illinois rules to know

• Residency: There is no residency period for a stepparent adoption. The 6-month rule does not apply to a related child (750 ILCS 50/2).
• Child's consent: Illinois sets the child consent age at 14 (750 ILCS 50/12).
• Home study: Illinois does not require a home study for most stepparent adoptions (750 ILCS 50/6).
• Other parent: Illinois has procedures for cases where the other parent cannot be located, and ending that parent's rights is handled within the adoption proceeding rather than as a separate case. The abandonment period is 12 months (750 ILCS 50/1). Whether this applies to your family depends on your specific facts, so ask the Circuit Court clerk or an attorney about your situation.

Timeline

A stepparent adoption in Illinois typically takes 3-6 months. If your stepchild is an adult, Illinois allows adoption with the adult's consent, and that typically takes 4-8 weeks.

Cost

Court filing fees typically run $200-$500, depending on the county. The typical total cost is under $565, compared with $3,000-$5,000+ when hiring an attorney. Your clerk can confirm the exact fee where you live, whether you're in Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Rockford or elsewhere.

Why families do it

• Inheritance rights are established.
• The adopting stepparent gains medical decision-making authority.
• Social Security and insurance benefits eligibility becomes possible.
• Your family's bond is recognized by law.

After the adoption

For questions about your child's records, the Illinois Department of Public Health Division of Vital Records is the agency to contact.

When to get individualized help

If the other parent may object, can't be found, or your situation is otherwise complicated, the right steps depend on the facts. Talk to the Circuit Court clerk about procedure, or to an attorney about your specific legal question.

How we help

StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or for one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents arrive within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions, and we back them with a 100% court acceptance guarantee. We've helped 1101 Illinois families and 34,000+ families nationally since 2001.