In this article, our Elmhurst adoption attorneys explain Illinois adoption law. Adoption in Illinois is governed by the Illinois Adoption Act. The following are the 5 different types of adoption:

• Related Adoption occurs when the person being adopted is related to the adopting parents. This happens when a step-parent wishes to adopt his or her step-child. The biological parent would be listed on the adoption petition as well as the step-parent.
• Agency Adoption occurs when an agency gives the authority to place a child with the adopting parents. This can happen when the biological parents voluntarily give their child to an adoption agency or when a court has terminated the biological parents' parental rights.
• Private adoption occurs outside an agency and neither adopting parents are related to the child being adopted.
• Adoption of an adult occurs when the child is 18 years or older when being adopted.
• Standby adoption occurs when a legal parent is terminally ill and agrees to a specific person adopting the child if the parent becomes too ill to take care of the child.

In order to be eligible to adopt in Illinois, you must not have a legal disability, have lived in Illinois for at least 6 months, and have a good reputation. In normal circumstances, the adopting parents must be over the age of 18, but the court has the discretion if good cause is presented.

‍

In this article, our Elmhurst adoption lawyers go through how the recent child support reform in Illinois impacts people with multiple families. As explained in the Changes to Illinois Child Support Law for 2017 article, the new law bases child support obligations on the relative net income of the parents. One of the items that is deducted from the gross income to calculate the net income of the obligor parent is any prior obligation of child support paid by court order.  This affects people with multiple child support obligations because the net income will be reduced by the previous child support obligations.

‍

In this article, our Elmhurst adoption lawyers explain the adoption process in Illinois.  We explain how to file an adoption petition.  We also discuss how temporary parental responsibilities are determined for the pendency of the adoption matter at an interim order hearing.  Finally we explain what happens at the final adoption hearing, including the various reports and affidavits that are submitted by the investigator, the guardian ad litem and the parties.

‍