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Family & Safety
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Paternity or parentage
Parentage is the legal relationship between a child and a parent. Parentage needs to be established before child support, parenting time, or decision-making power can be ordered.
Learn your rights (1 resources)
Explains that parentage is a legal relationship between a parent and a child, and the responsibilities of that relationship.
Guide
Forms (10 resources)
Use this form to ask a judge to establish parentage if you think you are the father of a child.
Form download
Use this form to ask a judge to establish parentage if you are the mother of a child.
Form download
A program to help you complete the forms to acknowledge that someone is the father of a child.
Easy Form
Use this form to let the other party know that you have filed a parentage case.
Form download
Other resources for the public (16 resources)
Steps to establish parentage from the forms you need to the court hearing process.
How-To
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
Explains how to be granted a divorce if you can't find your spouse to notify them of the divorce case.
Text article
Explains that parentage is a legal relationship between a parent and a child, and the responsibilities of that relationship.
Guide
Lawyer resources (3 resources)
A document for lawyers to reference that has important changes happening to the IMDMA and the Parentage Act in 2016, and child support in 2017.
Text article
Gives information about the Illinois Parentage Act, and the parent-child relationship.
Lawyer Manuals
Gives information about Children's law and the Illinois Parentage Act.
Lawyer Manuals