Divorce in Illinois, start to finish
See a different stateIllinois
Spot something out of date? See our corrections or email hello@thecusp.app.
Illinois calls it “dissolution of marriage,” not divorce — and it gives you the statewide forms for free. What it doesn’t give you is one clear path: Cook County runs its own self-help process, the fast track has hard numeric cutoffs almost nobody checks first, and the deadlines that matter most aren’t on any form. That’s this.
Put in the day you filed and this page works out every deadline in your case, then hands you a calendar file that reminds you a week before each one and again the day before. It opens in the calendar you already use. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Which forms do you actually need?
Your route and its conditions, the forms grouped by route, how filing actually works in Illinois, and the sequence with its costs.
First, which route you are on. Each one opens to the conditions the rule actually sets.
Joint Simplified Dissolution
750 ILCS 5/451–454
Available only where all of these are true:
- The marriage or civil union has lasted 8 years or less.
- No children were born to or adopted by either spouse during the marriage, and neither spouse is pregnant by the other.
- Neither spouse has any ownership interest in real estate.
- Neither spouse has any retirement account other than an IRA, and the combined IRA balance is under $10,000.
- The fair market value of everything owned together, minus debts, is under $50,000.
- Combined income is under $60,000, and neither spouse individually earns more than $30,000 a year.
- Both spouses fully waive any right to spousal maintenance.
- Both file together as joint petitioners and both appear in court.
Standard dissolution
750 ILCS 5/401; Illinois Supreme Court approved statewide forms
This is the route wherever any of these is true:
- The marriage or civil union has lasted more than 8 years.
- Children were born to or adopted by either spouse during the marriage, or there is a pregnancy.
- Either spouse owns real estate, or a retirement account other than an IRA, or the combined IRA balance is $10,000 or more.
- Property or income exceeds any of the statutory caps.
- Maintenance is on the table.
- The spouses are not filing jointly.
Grouped exactly as Illinois labels them, and nothing is added. Every one links to the official PDF.
All 1 form
- ATJ 601.9 — Application for Waiver of Court Fees (Civil), if needed — statewide
Joint Simplified 2 forms
Standard 9 forms
- ATJ 113.8 — Summons (Divorce)
- ATJ 115.2 — Letter to the Sheriff (Serving a Summons and Forms)
- ATJ 111.5 — Divorce Appearance
- ATJ 140.1 — Motion for Default, if the other spouse never responds
- ATJ 141.1 — Order for Default
- ATJ 250.3 — How to Complete a Financial Affidavit (instructions)
- ATJ 251.5 — Financial Affidavit (Family & Divorce Cases) — sworn by penalty of perjury, no notary
- ATJ 109.4 — Additional Debts and Liabilities (if you run out of room)
- ATJ 110.4 — Additional Personal Property and Bank Accounts (if needed)
Standard — no children 3 forms
Standard — where the spouse is served 2 forms
- ATJ 1402.7 — How to Answer or Respond to a Court Case (instructions, for the responding spouse)
- ATJ 1403.6 — Answer or Response (the responding spouse files this, if they contest)
Standard — with children 11 forms
- ATJ 105.3 — Petition for Divorce (with children)
- ATJ 123.3 — Additional Children — Petition (if more than one child)
- ATJ 138.1 — Other Information about Children — Petition
- ATJ 108.4 — Parenting Plan
- ATJ 134.4 — Additional Parenting Time (if needed)
- ATJ 127.3 — How to Get an Order for Support (instructions)
- ATJ 129.5 — Order for Support
- ATJ 128.4 — Support Information Sheet
- ATJ 122.3 — Certification Agreement — must be signed in front of a notary
- ATJ 106.2 — Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union (with children)
- ATJ 139.1 — Additional Children — Judgment (if more than one child)
You are expected to e-file
The checklist is not something you file. It is your worktable — what to do, in what order, and what it costs. The forms are what reaches the court, and this is how they get there in Illinois.
- Portal
- eFileIL
- Paper
- Only through the standard exemption, but the exemption is broad and you declare it yourself on a standard form — and that form is filed in person or by mail, so you can walk into the clerk's office to do it.
- What it costs
- No mandatory statewide e-filing fee. The AOIC's official flyer states that two providers charge nothing extra: 'Odyssey and i2File do not charge extra fees for using their services.' The judiciary's EFSP list shows Odyssey eFileIL, Odyssey Guide & File, 1 eFile, FileTime and i2File as free (i2File free 'if the Circuit Clerk is subscribed to i2File.net'); other EFSPs charge.
- Account
- Yes — a self-represented filer needs an account with an EFSP; free options exist (Odyssey eFileIL, Odyssey Guide & File, i2File).
- With a fee waiver
- Fee waivers for the court's filing fees 'may be requested through e-filing by submitting an Application for Waiver of Fees.' Because free EFSPs exist, an indigent filer need not pay a service fee.
- Worth knowing
- Illinois is the clearest example of a state that DOES require self-represented parties to e-file — the mandate in Rule 9 applies to 'all documents in civil cases,' divorce included, not just to attorneys. But the escape hatch is broad and self-declared on a standard form, and the form itself is filed in person or by mail, so a pro se filer who cannot e-file can still walk into the clerk's office. Payment is by credit card or eCheck online; 'Cash payments may be accepted at some, but not all, courthouses.'
Each step with the forms it names and the money it costs. The full detail of every step is in the section below. Print this part.
| # | Step | Forms it names | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm residency | None named | — |
| 2 | File your petition and certificate | None named | — |
| 3 | Get your spouse served they then have 30 days | None named | — |
| 4 | If there’s no response 30 days | None named | — |
| 5 | If you have children — case management conference within 90 days of service | None named | — |
| 6 | Parenting education within 60 days of that conference | None named | — |
| 7 | Financial disclosure — no fixed statewide date | None named | — |
| 8 | Prove-up or trial | None named | — |
Every figure here is this page’s own, from the costs section below. A fee waiver application is free to file and is listed with the forms above.
| Filing fee — Cook County (new case, including Joint Simplified) | $388 |
| Appearance fee — Cook County (your spouse’s filing, if separate) | $250 |
| Filing fee — DuPage County (with or without children) | $355 |
| Appearance fee — DuPage County | $225 |
| Filing fee — Lake County | $334 |
| Appearance fee — Lake County | $209 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person (varies by county) | $30–$60 |
| Parenting education program, per parent (if minor children) | ~$40–$150 |
| Notary for the Certification of Agreement | $0–$25 |
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Illinois has a real fast lane — the Joint Simplified Dissolution Procedure under 750 ILCS 5/451–454 — and it has hard numeric cutoffs written into the statute itself.
- Every form Illinois publishes for a divorce — Most come from the Illinois Supreme Court's statewide “Approved Forms” catalog, the same forms every circuit in the state must accept.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Illinois's process looks different from other states in one big way: you barely need a notary.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Illinois doesn't run on a single statewide waiting period the way some states do — there's no fixed floor between filing and judgment beyond the 90-day residency requirement.
- The order it actually happens in
- Illinois's trap — If you haven't hit 6 months apart yet, you can still file today.
- The county fragmentation problem — Illinois centralized most divorce forms statewide in 2023–2025 — but not all of them.
- What this costs — Every other Illinois county sets its own — check with your county circuit clerk for the exact number where you're filing.
In this subject 8
1 · The two routes, and what the rule requires
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Illinois has a real fast lane — the Joint Simplified Dissolution Procedure under 750 ILCS 5/451–454 — and it has hard numeric cutoffs written into the statute itself.
- Every form Illinois publishes for a divorce — Most come from the Illinois Supreme Court's statewide “Approved Forms” catalog, the same forms every circuit in the state must accept.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Illinois's process looks different from other states in one big way: you barely need a notary.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Illinois doesn't run on a single statewide waiting period the way some states do — there's no fixed floor between filing and judgment beyond the 90-day residency requirement.
- The order it actually happens in
- Illinois's trap — If you haven't hit 6 months apart yet, you can still file today.
- The county fragmentation problem — Illinois centralized most divorce forms statewide in 2023–2025 — but not all of them.
- What this costs — Every other Illinois county sets its own — check with your county circuit clerk for the exact number where you're filing.
In this subject 8
Illinois has a real fast lane — the Joint Simplified Dissolution Procedure under 750 ILCS 5/451–454 — and it has hard numeric cutoffs written into the statute itself. Every one of them has to be true at once. Where one is not, a court can bounce the petition, and the case starts again on the standard track.
Residency first. 750 ILCS 5/401(a) requires one spouse to have lived in Illinois — or to have been stationed here on military orders — for 90 continuous days before the court can enter judgment. The requirement has to be met by the time of the finding, not before filing, so a case can often be filed while the 90 days run in the background. How a particular county schedules hearings relative to that date is a question for the circuit clerk.
Joint Simplified Dissolution
750 ILCS 5/451–454
No case management conference, no separate parenting requirements, one short hearing. Both spouses file together as joint petitioners and both appear in person. Both must certify that they have disclosed all assets, debts and tax returns to each other, and there has to be a written agreement dividing everything worth over $100 — including who keeps any pets.
Available only where all of these are true:
- The marriage or civil union has lasted 8 years or less.
- No children were born to or adopted by either spouse during the marriage, and neither spouse is pregnant by the other.
- Neither spouse has any ownership interest in real estate.
- Neither spouse has any retirement account other than an IRA, and the combined IRA balance is under $10,000.
- The fair market value of everything owned together, minus debts, is under $50,000.
- Combined income is under $60,000, and neither spouse individually earns more than $30,000 a year.
- Both spouses fully waive any right to spousal maintenance.
- Both file together as joint petitioners and both appear in court.
There is no single statewide Joint Simplified petition. Each county publishes its own. This guide carries Cook County’s version; anywhere else, the county’s own version comes from its circuit clerk. See Section 7.
Standard dissolution
750 ILCS 5/401; Illinois Supreme Court approved statewide forms
The route for every case that does not meet all eight statutory conditions above. Standard does not mean contested — most standard-track Illinois divorces are entirely uncontested and self-represented. It means the summons, response and, where there are children, parenting-education machinery in Sections 4–5 applies.
This is the route wherever any of these is true:
- The marriage or civil union has lasted more than 8 years.
- Children were born to or adopted by either spouse during the marriage, or there is a pregnancy.
- Either spouse owns real estate, or a retirement account other than an IRA, or the combined IRA balance is $10,000 or more.
- Property or income exceeds any of the statutory caps.
- Maintenance is on the table.
- The spouses are not filing jointly.
A cooperative spouse can skip formal service entirely by signing and filing their own Divorce Appearance form (ATJ 111.5) — no sheriff, no waiting for service to complete. The Financial Affidavit (ATJ 251.5) is sworn under penalty of perjury and needs no notary; the Certification Agreement does need one.
2 · Every form Illinois publishes for a divorce
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms are needed depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Most come from the Illinois Supreme Court’s statewide “Approved Forms” catalog, the same forms every circuit in the state must accept. Where Illinois genuinely does not have a statewide form, the row says so rather than pretending one exists. Each row carries the route it belongs to and the revision date clerks check. Every one is free.
The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case. Everything here is general information about how Illinois handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Illinois itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with an Illinois family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statute | 750 ILCS 5/451–454 — Joint Simplified Dissolution Procedure (the eligibility rules themselves) | Joint Simplified | — | Download |
| CCDR 0019 | Joint Petition for Simplified Dissolution — Cook County version | Joint Simplified | 12/24 | Download |
| — | Other counties: that county’s own Joint Simplified petition, from its circuit clerk | Joint Simplified | — | see clerk |
| ATJ 103.4 | Petition for Divorce (no children under 18) | Standard — no children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 105.3 | Petition for Divorce (with children) | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 123.3 | Additional Children — Petition (if more than one child) | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 138.1 | Other Information about Children — Petition | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 108.4 | Parenting Plan | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 134.4 | Additional Parenting Time (if needed) | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 113.8 | Summons (Divorce) | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 115.2 | Letter to the Sheriff (Serving a Summons and Forms) | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 111.5 | Divorce Appearance | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 1402.7 | How to Answer or Respond to a Court Case (instructions, for the responding spouse) | Standard — where the spouse is served | 09/25 | Download |
| ATJ 1403.6 | Answer or Response (the responding spouse files this, if they contest) | Standard — where the spouse is served | 09/25 | Download |
| ATJ 140.1 | Motion for Default, if the other spouse never responds | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 141.1 | Order for Default | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 250.3 | How to Complete a Financial Affidavit (instructions) | Standard | 06/25 | Download |
| ATJ 251.5 | Financial Affidavit (Family & Divorce Cases) — sworn by penalty of perjury, no notary | Standard | 06/25 | Download |
| ATJ 109.4 | Additional Debts and Liabilities (if you run out of room) | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 110.4 | Additional Personal Property and Bank Accounts (if needed) | Standard | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 127.3 | How to Get an Order for Support (instructions) | Standard — with children | 09/25 | Download |
| ATJ 129.5 | Order for Support | Standard — with children | 09/25 | Download |
| ATJ 128.4 | Support Information Sheet | Standard — with children | 09/25 | Download |
| ATJ 150.2 | Certification Agreement (No Children) — must be signed in front of a notary | Standard — no children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 122.3 | Certification Agreement — must be signed in front of a notary | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 104.4 | Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union (no children) | Standard — no children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 106.2 | Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union (with children) | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 139.1 | Additional Children — Judgment (if more than one child) | Standard — with children | 03/25 | Download |
| ATJ 601.9 | Application for Waiver of Court Fees (Civil), if needed — statewide | All | 08/25 | Download |
| — | IDPH Instructions — how to complete the Certificate of Dissolution | All | 03/23 | Download |
| — | Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage/Civil Union (IDPH form) | All | — | Download |
Every one of these is free. Download fresh each time — form revisions change and clerks check the footer date. Full catalog: ilcourts.info/forms.
3 · Getting the forms and filling them in
Illinois’s process looks different from other states in one big way: you barely need a notary. Here’s what actually happens, in order.
You are expected to e-file Required of you
- Portal
- eFileIL
- Paper
- Only through the standard exemption, but the exemption is broad and you declare it yourself on a standard form — and that form is filed in person or by mail, so you can walk into the clerk's office to do it.
- What it costs
- No mandatory statewide e-filing fee. The AOIC's official flyer states that two providers charge nothing extra: 'Odyssey and i2File do not charge extra fees for using their services.' The judiciary's EFSP list shows Odyssey eFileIL, Odyssey Guide & File, 1 eFile, FileTime and i2File as free (i2File free 'if the Circuit Clerk is subscribed to i2File.net'); other EFSPs charge.
- Account
- Yes — a self-represented filer needs an account with an EFSP; free options exist (Odyssey eFileIL, Odyssey Guide & File, i2File).
- With a fee waiver
- Fee waivers for the court's filing fees 'may be requested through e-filing by submitting an Application for Waiver of Fees.' Because free EFSPs exist, an indigent filer need not pay a service fee.
- Worth knowing
- Illinois is the clearest example of a state that DOES require self-represented parties to e-file — the mandate in Rule 9 applies to 'all documents in civil cases,' divorce included, not just to attorneys. But the escape hatch is broad and self-declared on a standard form, and the form itself is filed in person or by mail, so a pro se filer who cannot e-file can still walk into the clerk's office. Payment is by credit card or eCheck online; 'Cash payments may be accepted at some, but not all, courthouses.'
Step one — download them free
Illinois’s statewide approved forms — the ones every circuit court must accept — live here:
illinoiscourts.gov — Divorce, Child Support & Maintenance forms (also reachable at the shorter ilcourts.info/forms)
Every form’s approval date is printed in its footer (for example, “ATJ 117.4 (03/25)”). These get revised — the Answer/Response forms and the Financial Affidavit suite were both updated in 2025 — and clerks reject superseded versions.
Step two — you probably don’t need a notary for most of this
Illinois lets you sign most pleadings under 735 ILCS 5/1-109 — a “verification by certification” that you’re stating the truth under penalty of perjury, printed right on the form. Your Petition and your Financial Affidavit both use this. Type your name, no notary required.
There is one real exception: the Certification of Agreement — the form both spouses sign to tell the judge you agree on everything and don’t need a full appearance to finalize — must be signed in front of a notary public, and so does the Joint Simplified petition’s verification page. That’s the one document in this whole process worth booking a notary appointment for. Remote online notarization is legal in Illinois for this, same as most banks and UPS Store locations offer in person.
Like every sworn document, signing before you’re actually in front of the notary invalidates it. This is easy to miss because most of this process doesn’t involve a notary at all — so people forget the one form that does.
Step three — file, mostly online
Illinois runs one statewide e-filing system, Odyssey eFileIL (reachable at ilcourts.info/efile), and most self-represented filers are expected to use it. You’re not required to if you qualify for an e-filing exemption — no home internet, a disability, difficulty with English, or a sensitive case type — in which case you file paper at the Circuit Clerk’s counter using a Certification for Exemption from E-Filing form.
They can skip being served entirely by filing a Divorce Appearance form on their own. No sheriff, no fee for finding them, and in some counties their Appearance is even filed for free if it’s filed the same day as your case.
Step four — what happens after you file
The moment your spouse is served — or the moment they file an Appearance, whichever comes first — a dissolution action stay takes effect automatically under 750 ILCS 5/501.1. Neither of you needs to ask for it and no judge has to sign anything. It bars both of you from harassing, striking, or interfering with each other or the kids, and from hiding a minor child from the other parent, until the case ends. Violating it is contempt of court.
If your spouse does nothing for 30 days after being served, you can move for a default. If they respond, the court sets a status date, and you either work out a full agreement and do a short “prove-up” hearing, or — if you disagree on something — go to trial on just that issue.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Illinois doesn’t run on a single statewide waiting period the way some states do — there’s no fixed floor between filing and judgment beyond the 90-day residency requirement. But once your spouse is served, real clocks start, especially if you have children. Put in your dates and we’ll turn the rules into an actual calendar — then add all of it to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook in one click.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · Illinois’s trap
This is the single most common misunderstanding about Illinois divorce, and it costs people months for no reason. 750 ILCS 5/401(a-5) says that if you’ve lived separate and apart for 6 continuous months before your judgment is entered, there’s an irrebuttable presumption that “irreconcilable differences” has been met — meaning the judge can’t second-guess it. That’s a shortcut for proving your case, not a prerequisite for filing it.
If you haven’t hit 6 months apart yet, you can still file today. At your prove-up or trial, you’ll simply need to tell the judge that you and your spouse can’t get along, that you’ve tried to work it out (or that trying would be pointless and bad for the family), and that reconciliation isn’t realistic. That’s it — no fault has to be proven, and nobody has to move out first. Plenty of people delay filing for months because they’ve heard “you have to be separated 6 months,” and that’s simply not the law anymore.
7 · The county fragmentation problem
This is the part official guides tend to gloss over. Illinois centralized most divorce forms statewide in 2023–2025 — but not all of them.
Cook County’s Domestic Relations Division publishes its own Joint Simplified Dissolution petition (form CCDR 0019), its own fee schedule, and its own self-help guidance separate from the state’s standardized suite. If you’re filing in Cook County, use Cook County’s forms. If you’re filing anywhere else, your county’s circuit clerk almost certainly publishes its own version — check with your county circuit clerk rather than assuming Cook County’s form works statewide, or that another county’s works in Cook.
8 · What this costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee — Cook County (new case, including Joint Simplified) | $388 |
| Appearance fee — Cook County (your spouse’s filing, if separate) | $250 |
| Filing fee — DuPage County (with or without children) | $355 |
| Appearance fee — DuPage County | $225 |
| Filing fee — Lake County | $334 |
| Appearance fee — Lake County | $209 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person (varies by county) | $30–$60 |
| Parenting education program, per parent (if minor children) | ~$40–$150 |
| Notary for the Certification of Agreement | $0–$25 |
Filing and appearance fees confirmed against each county’s own published fee schedule. Every other Illinois county sets its own — check with your county circuit clerk for the exact number where you’re filing.
These are not official figures — they’re the kind of range our members have reported for context, not a quote. A fully uncontested Illinois divorce with an attorney handling the paperwork has run roughly $1,500–$4,000; a contested case that goes to trial has run $10,000–$30,000+ per side, and climbs fast with custody disputes or business valuations. Get an actual quote before assuming either number applies to you.
File the statewide Application for Waiver of Court Fees (Civil) — form ATJ 601.9. If your household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or you receive benefits like SNAP or Medicaid, you generally qualify. It does not automatically cover your spouse’s separate Appearance fee if they file one — they’d need to request their own waiver.
Does cheating change the money in Illinois?
No — the court is forbidden to weigh it at all. The rule: “without regard to marital misconduct” (5/504(a)). How all fifty states answer this.
Reconciled, and it did not work? No fault ground survives in Illinois, so forgiving an affair cannot cost you the divorce — which is an answer rather than a gap: condonation, state by state. If the decision itself is what you are sitting with rather than the law, start here.
What this is. A guide to Illinois’s own process, built from the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/, including §§ 401, 403, 404.1, 451–454, and 501.1), the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure (735 ILCS 5/1-109), Illinois Supreme Court Rules 923 and 924, and the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts’ approved statewide forms published at illinoiscourts.gov, cross-checked against the Cook County, DuPage County, and Lake County Circuit Clerk fee schedules. The forms themselves are free and this guide links you to them rather than reselling them.
What this is not. The Cusp is not a law firm and does not practice law. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here tells you which choice is right for your particular situation — only what Illinois requires of each path. If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney; many offer free consultations. Court staff, including circuit clerks, are not permitted to give legal advice.
Confirm current numbers with the clerk. Filing fees, parenting-class costs, and county-specific procedures change, and Illinois’s 102 counties don’t all move at the same pace. Where this guide could not verify an exact figure, form, or deadline statewide, it says “check with your county circuit clerk” rather than guessing. Free help: Illinois Legal Aid Online offers a free guided Easy Form for divorce paperwork, and Illinois Court Help (833-411-1121) answers process questions — neither is legal advice, but both are free and official.
Four things can happen to the house in an Illinois divorce
Illinois is one of the twenty. The moment a petition is filed, an automatic order takes effect on both of you, barring either from selling or encumbering property. Nobody is served with it separately and nobody explains it. Breaking it is contempt.
One of you buys the other out, you sell later, you sell now, or the court decides. For a great many people the right answer is not to sell at all – and three of the four routes earn us nothing.
The four routes, compared · Keeping it: the buyout and the carrying cost · Selling: capital gains, basis and timing · Finding an agent who has done a divorce sale · What two households cost
Need a vetted attorney, mediator, or financial analyst in Illinois?
Browse The Cusp’s professional directory — rated only by verified clients, never ranked by who paid the most.
Browse the directory →The Cusp · All 50 state kits · Find a professional · About
Ask for an introduction to an agent → — who we would introduce you to, what the referral fee is and who pays it, and why the answer is sometimes that you should not sell at all.
Everything we have written about Illinois specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Illinois’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
- Modifying support after divorce
- Check your state’s rules in one place (modification checker)
- Changing custody or parenting time
- What it costs to file
- Child custody
- Child support
- Guardians ad litem and child representation
- Travel, custody and relocation
- Alimony
- Property, support and legal fees
- Protective orders
- Changing your name back
- Legal help you can afford
- Verified professionals
The most expensive mistakes in a divorce are made in the year after it, by people who thought the case was over. After the divorce is the checklist for that year — the health-coverage clock, the retirement order a decree cannot replace, and the beneficiary form that outranks your will.
Filing is one household becoming two, and the second one starts empty. The two-household list is what to send the people who keep asking how they can help — the second of everything, and the half of it that costs nothing. Some people call it a divorce registry.
All 31 Illinois divorce forms, listed by the number the clerk will ask for — 28 with an official form number, 30 linked straight to the state’s own file, each with its revision date where the state publishes one. Open the Illinois form list →
Common questions about filing for divorce in Illinois
Short answers to what people ask most before they start. Each one points at the part of this page that covers it in full.
How do I file for divorce in Illinois?
This page sets out the order it happens in for Illinois: which form opens the case, what has to be served on the other person and when, and what the court needs before it will finish. It is written to be followed in sequence rather than read through.
What forms do I need to file for divorce in Illinois?
The form list on this page gives the official Illinois form numbers, each one’s revision date, and a link to the copy on the court’s own site rather than a copy hosted here. Using a superseded revision is one of the most common reasons a filing comes back, which is why the dates are shown.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Illinois?
Varies by county to open the case (Cook $388, DuPage $355, Kane $369 or $459 with children), and that is only the filing fee — it does not cover service, copies, any required class, or a lawyer. The full breakdown for Illinois, with every figure traced to the court’s own published schedule and dated, is at what it costs to file in Illinois.
What gets an Illinois divorce filing rejected?
This page has a section on exactly that — the specific mistakes that get a filing returned in Illinois rather than a general list. Most of them are procedural and cost weeks rather than money: the wrong form revision, a missing signature or notarization, service done in a way the state does not accept, or filing before a residency requirement is met.
How long does a divorce take in Illinois?
There is a timeline on this page built from Illinois’s own statutory day-counts, not from averages. The honest short answer is that the waiting period is a floor and not a prediction: an uncontested case can finish close to it, and a contested one is governed by the court’s calendar rather than the statute.
Where does the information on this page come from?
Illinois’s own courts and statutes. Every form links to the court’s site, every fee is quoted from the published schedule with the date it was last checked, and where something could not be confirmed from an official source this site says so instead of estimating. It is free, with no account and no paywall.
Does cheating change the money in Illinois?
No, and that is a deliberate choice in the statute rather than a gap in it. Illinois forbids the court to weigh marital misconduct when it sets spousal support, so evidence of an affair does not help you there and gathering it may cost money for nothing. Ten states do this, most of them in the same six words. The fifty-state table sets out the section this comes from, and the card higher up this page quotes your state’s own words.
Choosing an agent for a divorce sale is a different problem from choosing one for an ordinary sale: who the agent is allowed to talk to, who has to sign, what happens when one of you will not, and the three separate conflicts of interest that come up when one spouse found the agent first. How to choose a real estate agent for a divorce sale sets out what to ask, and how to check a credential yourself — no divorce credential is official with the National Association of Realtors.
The Cusp receives a referral fee from agents it vets and trains to handle divorce clients.
Key deadlines at a glance
These are the same deadlines the calculator above works out, shown as days counted from the day you file or the day your spouse is served. Use the calculator for your exact dates.
No minor children
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Petition filed | The day you file | Illinois has no fixed statewide waiting period from this date alone — the real clocks start once your spouse is served. |
| Spouse served (or Appearance filed) | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | The automatic dissolution action stay (750 ILCS 5/501.1) takes effect the moment this happens — no order needed. |
| Their Appearance/Answer is due | 30 days after service | 30 days from service. No response means you can move for default. |
With minor children
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Petition filed | The day you file | Illinois has no fixed statewide waiting period from this date alone — the real clocks start once your spouse is served. |
| Spouse served (or Appearance filed) | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | The automatic dissolution action stay (750 ILCS 5/501.1) takes effect the moment this happens — no order needed. |
| Their Appearance/Answer is due | 30 days after service | 30 days from service. No response means you can move for default. |
| Deadline for initial case management conference | 90 days after service | Ill. S. Ct. Rule 923(a). The court checks parenting-education compliance and your parenting plan status here. |
| Parenting plan due, if you don’t have an agreed one | 120 days after service | Rule 923(a)(2) — each parent must submit a proposed plan by this point if you haven’t agreed on one together. |
| Outer-bound deadline for parenting education | 150 days after service | Rule 924(b): due within 60 days of the initial case management conference, which itself must happen within 90 days of service — so 150 days after service is the latest this can land. |
Your county
Divorce rules are set by the state, but each county or court has its own forms, deadlines, classes and filing habits. Choose yours.
Or go straight to your county or court:
Cook CountyDuPage CountyKane County (call to confirm)Lake CountyMcHenry CountySt. Clair CountyWill County (call to confirm)Winnebago CountyCook County
Cook County requires e-filing (with some exemptions) and randomly assigns each Domestic Relations case to an individual-calendar judge or a judicial team. The Family Court Services class ‘Focus on Children’ is four hours, $50 per parent and offered in person only, and mediation is mandatory for parenting allocation, modification, relocation and third-party visitation under Rule 13.4.
Who to contact: Family Court Services (312) 603-1540, DRD.family@cookcountyil.gov; Clerk e-filing help eFilehelp@cookcountycourt.com, 312-603-5030; Office of the Chief Judge (312) 603-6000, 50 W. Washington St, Room 2600, Daley Center, Chicago 60602
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
- https://www.cookcountycourtil.gov/division/domestic-relations-division/about-domestic-relations-cases
- https://www.cookcountycourtil.gov/department/family-court-services/parent-education
- https://www.cookcountycourtil.gov/division/domestic-relations-division/mediation-program-domestic-relations-cases
- https://www.cookcountycourtil.gov/part-13-domestic-relations-proceedings
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
DuPage County
DuPage requires e-filing of new civil cases and pleadings. Under Local Rule 15.06, parents in divorce cases with children take the Caring, Coping and Children program within 60 days after the initial status conference, and Rule 15.15 lets the court order mediation of parenting issues (about three hours, fees set by the judges) after the class is done.
Who to contact: 18th Judicial Circuit Court, 505 N. County Farm Rd, Room 2015, Wheaton IL 60187; 630-407-8904; judges’ secretaries 630-407-8854
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Kane County Call or check the court website to confirm
Kane County e-filing runs through the statewide EFILEIL portal, with each document filed as its own PDF, attorneys registering their ARDC number on form CS-002-E, and divorce prove-up papers sent in one envelope coded Proposed Order. To get a court date, call Scheduling at 630-232-3413 before finishing paperwork.
Who to contact: Scheduling 630-232-3413; e-filing questions CICofficeoperations@KaneCountyIL.gov
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Lake County
Lake County requires parents to attend its Parenting Education Program (Local Rule 4-3.14) before the Initial Case Management Conference, with the fee waived if a fee waiver is granted. Rule 4-3.19 requires mediation of unresolved parenting issues unless an impediment exists, with an orientation within 21 days of the mediation order and a status date within seven weeks.
Who to contact: Lake County Courthouse, 18 N County St, Waukegan IL 60085; 847-377-3600; parenting class enrollment (847) 543-2185, fax (847) 543-2188
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
McHenry County
McHenry County’s parent class is Focus on the Kids, a four-hour class at McHenry County College for $90 paid to the college, and both parties must finish it before a judgment of dissolution is entered. Contested parenting-time and custody disputes are generally mediated before court with a court-approved mediator, and the Clerk’s page directs filers to Odyssey Guide and File and e-filing of the Certificate of Dissolution.
Who to contact: Circuit Clerk, 2200 N Seminary Ave, Woodstock IL 60098; (815) 334-4190 (top of divorce page) or (815) 334-4000; ERP Coordinator (815) 334-4166
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
St. Clair County
St. Clair County’s Rules of Practice require the Children First program (Rule 8.08), with the certificate due within 60 days after the initial case management conference and the internet version allowed only by court order for good cause. Rule 8.06 sets a case management conference within 60 days of filing, and Rule 8.01 and Addendum A require disputed custody issues to go to mediation of at least four hours.
Who to contact: St. Clair County Courthouse, 10 Public Square, Belleville IL 62220; (618) 277-6600 (from prior research, directory page not re-opened)
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Will County Call or check the court website to confirm
The Will County Circuit Clerk names the Center for Divorce Education’s online class as Will County-approved. Fees, deadlines, mediation and e-filing details were not published on the pages read, so confirm them with the Circuit Clerk at (815) 727-8592.
Who to contact: Will County Courthouse, 100 W. Jefferson St, Joliet IL 60432; (815) 727-8592; interpreter requests (815) 727-8540; Center for Divorce Education (877) 874-1365
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Winnebago County
Winnebago County requires both parents to complete a parenting class (Online Parenting Programs or PACT) and file the certificate, and Local Rule 14.08 makes mediation mandatory for custody, visitation and removal disputes, with a 45-day status date and at least three hours. The Self-Help Center in the law library (815-319-4526) assists self-filers, and a Waiver and Consent can let you suggest an earlier court date.
Who to contact: Self-Help Center, 400 W State St, Room 304 (law library), Rockford IL 61101; 815-319-4526; M-F 8 am-5 pm
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Not listed? Your county clerk of court can tell you the local rules. These are general information from court and clerk pages, last checked 2026-11-10, not legal advice.
Serving the papers in Illinois? Sheriff, a licensed private detective or agency employee, or a court-approved private adult who is not a party; not you. The response deadline is printed on the summons. (As we read the rules on 29 October 2026.) See who can serve a divorce summons and whether you can do it yourself, and find Illinois in our state-by-state serving table.
Stay current
We re-check the law. We will tell you when your state’s changes.
One email, and only when something we have published about your state stops being true — a filing fee that moved, a statute that was amended, a form the court replaced. No newsletter, no sales, unsubscribe in one click.
We use your address for that one purpose. We do not sell it, and we do not add you to anything else. Privacy
How we can help
Understand the house first. Then talk to someone who gets it.
The house is usually the largest decision in a divorce, and the one people are least ready for. Here is what we do, in the order that makes sense.
1. Start with the facts, free
22 states have automatic orders that freeze both spouses the moment a divorce is filed, barring either one from selling or borrowing against the property. Is yours one of them?
Plain-English guides on what can happen to the house, what an automatic order stops you doing, and how the tax rules decide what a sale is worth. No account and nothing to buy.
- The four things that can happen to the house
- Selling the house: who signs, and the tax rules
- Keeping the house: the buyout and the carrying cost
2. Know when not to call an agent
Often the right answer is to wait, or to talk to your lawyer or an accountant first. We say so plainly. An agent is the wrong first call if nothing is filed, or if an order restricts what either of you can do with the property.
3. Talk to someone who gets it
When you do need an agent, we introduce you to a local agent who has completed our divorce real estate training and passed its 20-question exam. Before any introduction we check the license with the state regulator (any unresolved disciplinary action is a no), the agent’s closed sales, and a review rating of 4.7 or better. The introduction is free, and you are free to say no.
Ask for an introductionHow we are paid
You pay us nothing. Agents are not charged for the training, the exam or the free resources. If an introduction leads to a closed sale, the agent’s brokerage pays a referral fee out of its own commission, not out of your proceeds. A place on the panel cannot be bought.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The Cusp is not a law firm.
Selling a home in a divorce: what to ask a local listing agent
Selling the house is often the largest single decision in a divorce. These questions help you judge whether an agent has done it before. They do not replace your lawyer, who should approve the plan before anything is listed.
- Have you sold homes where both spouses had to sign, or where a court had to approve the sale? How many, and how recently?
- Does filing already restrain a sale in my state? Check the 50-state table and ask my lawyer before we sign anything.
- Who decides on price changes and which offers to accept when we disagree, and how will that be written down?
- Who pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance until closing, and what does the listing agreement say about it?
- Where will the sale proceeds be held until the decree says who gets what?
- How will you handle showings, access and lockboxes if we are not speaking?
- Will you give both spouses and both lawyers the same information at the same time?
- What happens to the listing agreement if we settle, reconcile or the case is delayed? What are the cancellation terms?
- Can I have your fee terms in writing and the names of past clients who sold during a divorce?