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Appearance Forms | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

The Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice has approved the following forms. All Illinois Courts must accept these forms. Scroll down below the chart for important information on how to fill out these forms, including the need for Adobe and downloading forms to save them properly so that you can electronically file them.

In most cases you will file a general appearance form to tell the court and other parties that you are participating.

In Civil Asset Forfeiture, Divorce and Mortgage Foreclosure, you must use a specific Appearance Form for that type of case.

General Appearance

Illinois Legal Aid Online provides a guided interview that will ask you a series of questions related to this topic and then the program will complete the forms for you. It is free to use.

Form Title Notes
Getting Started Approved 06/2021
How to File an Appearance Approved 06/2021
Appearance Approved 09/2022
Additional Proof of Delivery Approved 06/2021

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Specific Case Type Appearance Forms

Civil Asset Forfeiture

Form Title Notes
Getting Started Appearance (Civil Asset Forfeiture) Approved 03/2021
How To File an Appearance (Civil Asset Forfeiture) Approved 03/2021
Appearance (Civil Asset Forfeiture) Approved 03/2021
Additional Proof of Delivery (Civil Asset Forfeiture) Approved 03/2021

Divorce

Illinois Legal Aid Online provides a guided interview that will ask you a series of questions related to this topic and then the program will complete the forms for you. It is free to use.

Form Title Notes
Entry of Appearance (Petition for Dissolution of Marriage / Civil Union) Approved 10/2021

Mortgage Foreclosure

Illinois Legal Aid Online provides a guided interview that will ask you a series of questions related to this topic and then the program will complete the forms for you. It is free to use.

Form Title Notes
Getting Started Mortgage Foreclosure Appearance & Answer Approved 11/2015
How to Respond to a Mortgage Foreclosure Complaint Approved 2/2018
Mortgage Foreclosure Appearance & Answer Approved 6/2020
Additional Paragraphs for Mortgage Foreclosure Appearance & Answer Approved 1/2018
Additional Defenses for Mortgage Foreclosure Appearance & Answer Approved 3/2018
Additional Defendant Signatures, Names, & Addresses Approved 3/2018
Additional Proof of Delivery Approved 6/2021

 

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All forms are ADA accessible, and you can handwrite or type into the PDF form to fill it out.  IMPORTANT: You will need Adobe Acrobat, or free Adobe Reader XI (or a higher version) in order to save completed forms. You MUST first SAVE/DOWNLOAD each form as a PDF to your computer before you begin. If you fill out a form on a webpage, you will lose your progress.

E-filing: If you are e-filing any of these forms, you will need to "flatten" the form so it cannot be changed after you complete it. You flatten the form in one of two ways:

  1. If you used Adobe Acrobat or Reader to complete your downloaded form (recommended), go to the "File" menu at the top, select "print", and choose "Adobe PDF" or "Print to PDF" from the dropdown menu. You will be told to save the form. This saved form will be "flattened" and you can e-file it.
  2. If you did not use Adobe Acrobat or Reader, your computer will select a software that will allow you to fill out the forms. You will need to look for a "Save as PDF" option. Depending on the software you use, this option may be found in the print dialog box under your "Print" menu option.
  3. Before e-filing any "flattened" form, be sure to open the file to make sure that it looks filled out.