Answer Form This supplement includes a forms guide as well as forms. The forms guide is for use only in filling out the forms. For more information about what these forms mean or are used for, consult the appropriate Self Help packet. Board of Trustees, Southern Illinois University
FORMS GUIDE ALL FORMS: At the top of each form is the "caption". It is completed as follows: STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE (number of circuit JUDICIAL CIRCUIT (name of county COUNTY (your name Plaintiff, and No. (get from Clerk at the time you file (your spouse's name Defendant. Determine the number of the "Circuit" according to the chart on the next page. If your county does not appear in the chart, call the Circuit Clerk in the county in which you will be filing your case and ask for the number of the Circuit.
Circuit Courts in Illinois Cook County is its own judicial circuit. The rest of the counties in Illinois fall into one of 21 circuits. First Circuit - Second Circuit - Third Circuit - Fourth Circuit - Fifth Circuit - Sixth Circuit - Seventh Circuit - Eighth Circuit - Ninth Circuit - Tenth Circuit - Eleventh Circuit - Twelfth Circuit - Thirteenth Circuit Fourteenth Circuit - Fifteenth Circuit - Sixteenth Circuit - Seventeenth Circuit - Eighteenth Circuit - Nineteenth Circuit - Twentieth Circuit - Twenty-first Circuit - Twenty-second Circuit- The counties of Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Pope, Johnson, Union, Jackson, Williamson and Saline. The counties of Hardin, Gallatin, White, Hamilton, Franklin, Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, Jefferson, Richland, Lawrence and Crawford. The counties of Madison and Bond. The counties of Clinton, Marion, Clay, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper, Montgomery, Shelby and Christian. The counties of Vermilion, Edgar, Clark, Cumberland and Coles. The counties of Champaign, Douglas, Moultrie, Macon, DeWitt and Piatt. The counties of Sangamon, Macoupin, Morgan, Scott, Greene and Jersey. The counties of Adams, Schuyler, Mason, Cass, Brown, Pike, Calhoun and Menard. The counties of Knox, Warren, Henderson, Hancock, McDonough and Fulton. The counties of Peoria, Marshall, Putnam, Stark and Tazewell. The counties of McLean, Livingston, Logan, Ford and Woodford. The county of Will. The counties of Bureau, LaSalle and Grundy. The counties of Rock Island, Mercer, Whiteside and Henry. The counties of JoDaviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Ogle and Lee. The counties of Kane, DeKalb and Kendall. The counties of Winnebago and Boone. The county of DuPage. The county of Lake The counties of Randolph, Monroe, St. Clair, Washington and Perry. The counties of Iroquois and Kankakee. The County of McHenry
Instructions for Individual Forms FORM: Answer Introduction: Your name. Remaining Paragraphs: When completing the Answer Form, you will need to refer back to the allegations in the complaint/petition you were served. For each fact or allegation, decide if it was true or false. Number your answers the same as the numbered paragraphs in the complaint/petition. If the allegations are true in a paragraph, write: 1. Respondent admits the allegations contained in paragraph 1 of the Petition. If the allegations are not true, write: 2. Respondent denies the allegations contained in paragraph 2 of the Petition. If the paragraph contains some things that are true and others that are not, specify in your answer which parts are true and which are not. For example: 3. Respondent admits (or denies the allegations contained in the first sentence of paragraph 3 of the Petition, but denies (or admits the allegations contained in the second sentence of paragraph 3. CAUTION: According to 735 ILCS 5/2-610, each of your answers must explicitly admit or deny each allegation. If you do not specifically deny an allegation, the judge will assume you admitted it. For example, a statement that a party neither admits nor denies an allegation will be deemed to be an admission. Read the allegations in the petition carefully to be sure that you appropriately address each part of each allegation in your response and to be sure that you do not inadvertently admit more of any allegation than you intend to admit. It is important to keep in mind that untruthful denials may lead to sanctions. If you do not have sufficient knowledge to respond to an allegation, you must state that you have no knowledge sufficient to form a belief as to that allegation, and you must support your response by an affidavit (which may be found in the Individual Forms section at www.law.siu.edu/selfhelp. Sign and date the bottom of the form.
STATE OF ILLINOIS IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY PLAINTIFF NO. and DEFENDANT as follows: ANSWER I,, answer the Complaint/Petition filed against me DATE SIGNATURE