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Fee Waiver

Tags:
Court Order
Service of Process
Please note that the legal information presented on this page is written for those living in the state of Illinois.

What Does it Mean?

A fee waiver is an application open to those who can't afford to pay court fees. These fees are typically for filing court documents, such as a petition or an appearance.

Things You Should Know

In order to apply for a fee waiver, you must have information about: 

  • the kinds of public aid you receive, such as LINK/SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, or SSI 
  • the amount of income you earned last month
  • an estimate of your annual income 
  • an estimate of your monthly expenses; and 
  • an estimated value of all the property or assets you own

See Related

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Gestational Surrogacy Agreement

Gestational surrogacy is the process through which a woman carries and gives birth to a child that was conceived through in vitro fertilization, with the intent to place said child in the care of another parent, referred to as the intended parent. In order to have a valid gestational surrogacy agreement, the intended parent must have made a geneti
Read more

Service of Process

Service of process is a requirement for filling a notice of summons or a notice of motion. It refers to the process through which the recipient of the summons or notice is made personally aware of the case or of the changes to the case.There are three primary ways to conduct service of process when filing a petition or notice of motion:through the
Read more

Filing a Petition

Filing a petition is the process through which the majority of civil court cases begin. In order for a petition to be heard by a judge in court, a notice of summons must be properly served to the opposing party. Generally speaking, petitions must be filed electronically through the Clerk of Court's website – see here. The party that files the
Read more

E-Filing Exemption

A Certification for Exemption from E-Filing, if approved by the courts, allows you to file a petition or notice of motion on paper rather than doing so online (e-filing).You may qualify for an E-Filing exception if:You do NOT own or have access to a computer or a stable internet connectionYou have previously tried and were unable to e-file; orYou a
Read more

Driver's License Suspension

If you have failed to make child support payments on time, your driver's license can be suspended as part of a child support enforcement penalty. IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENSION: If you believe that you have not fallen behind on your child support payments, you may be able to contest the suspension If you cannot work
Read more

Respondent

The respondent to a civil court case is the person who first received a notice of summons and therefore is required to file their appearance in order to schedule their first court date. The person who originally filed the summons and the original petition is called the petitioner to the case. The petitioner and respondent to a case will continue t
Read more

Filing an Appearance

Filing an appearance is the next step for the respondent to a civil court case to take after the petitioner to the case files a petition and serves the respondent with a notice of summons. An appearance is a document that confirms the respondent will either be represented by an attorney, or represent themselves as their own attorney (pro se) during
Read more

Judicial Child Support Order

A judicial child support order is a legally-binding child support order that is entered by a judge in court. This means that in order to modify, enforce, or terminate a judicial child support order, you will need to file a notice motion to the other parent and have your case heard by a judge.If you have a copy of your child support order, you can t
Read more

Affidavit

An affidavit is a written document that alleges a set of factual statements, and may be submitted as evidence as part of a court case. In other words, an affidavit is the written version of testifying in court under oath, and requires signing by a licensed public notary.
Read more

Parenting Plan

A parenting plan is a legally-binding document that orders the allocation of parental responsibilities (custody arrangement), parenting time (visitation rights), or both.The content of a parenting plan may include, but is not limited to the following information:which parent(s) has primary custody of the child(s)how much parenting time (visitation
Read more

Petitioner

The petitioner to a civil court case is the person who first filed a petition and a notice of summons to start the court case. Similarly, the person to whom the petition and summons was addressed to is the respondent to the case. The petitioner and respondent to a case will continue to be the petitioner and respondent throughout the duration of th
Read more

Court Order

A court order is a written document issued by a judge in court. Court orders are given to both parties to a court case – called the petitioner and the respondent – each time your case is heard in front of a judge in court. The court order describes what events took place in court on the date it is issued, and it typically requires one or both par
Read more

Adjudication of Parentage

An adjudication of parentage refers to a court order (or a legally equivalent administrative order) that establishes a parent-child relationship between the adjudicated parent and a child. A judge or the Department of Family Services (HFS) may adjudicate parentage on the basis of DNA testing, or because of the relevant facts of the situation. Pare
Read more

Modifying a Legal Separation Agreement

If a judge has ordered that you and your partner or spouse are legally separated, and you have experience a significant change in financial circumstances – such as a change in employment status or the additional presence of a mental or physical disability – you may be able to modify certain aspects of your legal separation agreement, including:temp
Read more

Child Support Order

A child support order is a legally-binding court order requiring a legal parent of a child, typically the child's non-custodial parent, to make a certain amount of child support payments on a regular basis. There are two types of child support orders: judicial child support orders, and administrative child support orders. The main difference betw
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Unallocated Child Support

Unallocated child support is a type of child support payment one can be ordered to pay or receive through a legally-binding child support order. If you are ordered to pay unallocated child support by a judge in court, all of your payments are tax-deductible.All other kinds of child support payments are NOT tax-deductible for the paying parent, nor
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Notice of Summons

A notice of summons is a document that is filed when the petitioner starts a civil court case through filing a petition. The summons notifies the respondent that they have 30 days to file their appearance. The respondent must be properly served the notice of summons, or else the entire case may be considered invalid.
Read more

Marriage License

A marriage license is both the first step towards getting legally married in Illinois, as well as a document that confirms the legal marriage between two persons. In order to get married, you and your partner must first apply for a marriage license together at an approved location BEFORE solemnizing the marriage, which requires the following: pre
Read more

Appealing or Modifying a Divorce Judgement

The process of getting a divorce will likely involve many hearings in court and the issuing of many different court orders. Some of the court orders or "judgements" made throughout a divorce case can be appealed or changed (modify) depending on the situation. Examples of court orders and judgements that can be appealed or modified may include:
Read more

Notice of Motion

A notice of motion is a written request to the courts that a issue a specific court order, or a judgement regarding a particular aspect of the case. Examples of common motions include: a motion to modify a child support order a motion to enforce parenting time (visitation rights); or a motion to appeal a divorce judgementIn order for a notice of
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(Marital) Settlement Agreement

A (marital) settlement agreement is a legally-binding court order made between two spouses when getting a divorce or two partners when dissolving a civil union. Settlement agreement can order one or both parties to make certain payments to the other, or to divide certain assets, including: alimony payments child support payments for minor children
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Civil Union License

A civil union license, otherwise known as a civil union certificate, is a document that confirms that both partners have entered into a legally recognized civil union. In order to enter into a civil union in the state of Illinois, both parties must sign the civil union license, and pay a $60 USD filing fee. If you cannot pay the fee, you may be a
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Contempt of Court

Being held in contempt of court is typically the result of a failure to follow the directions of a court order. It may also be the result of child support enforcement. If you are held in contempt or court, you may be subject to certain penalties, such as a fine or a short period of incarceration.
Read more

Declaring the Non-Existence of a Parent-Child Relationship

Declaring the non-existence of a parent-child relationship means that a child's legal parent is NO LONGER recognized as that child's legal parent. This can be made based on the results of DNA testing or by acquiring knowledge of the relevant facts of the situation, but ONLY IF it has been less than TWO (2) YEARS since the petitioner to the declarat
Read more

Docket Number

In Illinois, every civil court case is filed with a unique docket number. Your cases's docket number will be written on every court order you receive. Additionally, each time you file a notice of motion, you will have to include the docket number for the case. For family law cases (Domestic Relations cases), every docket number will contain the
Read more
Show all related Definitions
Hide all related Definitions

Definitions

Notice of Motion

A notice of motion is a written request to the courts that a issue a specific court order, or a judgement regarding a particular aspect of the case. Examples of common motions include: a motion to modify a child support order a motion to enforce parenting time (visitation rights); or a motion to appeal a divorce judgementIn order for a notice of
Read more

Petitioner

The petitioner to a civil court case is the person who first filed a petition and a notice of summons to start the court case. Similarly, the person to whom the petition and summons was addressed to is the respondent to the case. The petitioner and respondent to a case will continue to be the petitioner and respondent throughout the duration of th
Read more

Driver's License Suspension

If you have failed to make child support payments on time, your driver's license can be suspended as part of a child support enforcement penalty. IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE SUSPENSION: If you believe that you have not fallen behind on your child support payments, you may be able to contest the suspension If you cannot work
Read more

Respondent

The respondent to a civil court case is the person who first received a notice of summons and therefore is required to file their appearance in order to schedule their first court date. The person who originally filed the summons and the original petition is called the petitioner to the case. The petitioner and respondent to a case will continue t
Read more

Unallocated Child Support

Unallocated child support is a type of child support payment one can be ordered to pay or receive through a legally-binding child support order. If you are ordered to pay unallocated child support by a judge in court, all of your payments are tax-deductible.All other kinds of child support payments are NOT tax-deductible for the paying parent, nor
Read more

Filing a Petition

Filing a petition is the process through which the majority of civil court cases begin. In order for a petition to be heard by a judge in court, a notice of summons must be properly served to the opposing party. Generally speaking, petitions must be filed electronically through the Clerk of Court's website – see here. The party that files the
Read more

Service of Process

Service of process is a requirement for filling a notice of summons or a notice of motion. It refers to the process through which the recipient of the summons or notice is made personally aware of the case or of the changes to the case.There are three primary ways to conduct service of process when filing a petition or notice of motion:through the
Read more

Civil Union License

A civil union license, otherwise known as a civil union certificate, is a document that confirms that both partners have entered into a legally recognized civil union. In order to enter into a civil union in the state of Illinois, both parties must sign the civil union license, and pay a $60 USD filing fee. If you cannot pay the fee, you may be a
Read more

Marriage License

A marriage license is both the first step towards getting legally married in Illinois, as well as a document that confirms the legal marriage between two persons. In order to get married, you and your partner must first apply for a marriage license together at an approved location BEFORE solemnizing the marriage, which requires the following: pre
Read more

Docket Number

In Illinois, every civil court case is filed with a unique docket number. Your cases's docket number will be written on every court order you receive. Additionally, each time you file a notice of motion, you will have to include the docket number for the case. For family law cases (Domestic Relations cases), every docket number will contain the
Read more

Judicial Child Support Order

A judicial child support order is a legally-binding child support order that is entered by a judge in court. This means that in order to modify, enforce, or terminate a judicial child support order, you will need to file a notice motion to the other parent and have your case heard by a judge.If you have a copy of your child support order, you can t
Read more

Affidavit

An affidavit is a written document that alleges a set of factual statements, and may be submitted as evidence as part of a court case. In other words, an affidavit is the written version of testifying in court under oath, and requires signing by a licensed public notary.
Read more

E-Filing Exemption

A Certification for Exemption from E-Filing, if approved by the courts, allows you to file a petition or notice of motion on paper rather than doing so online (e-filing).You may qualify for an E-Filing exception if:You do NOT own or have access to a computer or a stable internet connectionYou have previously tried and were unable to e-file; orYou a
Read more

Appealing or Modifying a Divorce Judgement

The process of getting a divorce will likely involve many hearings in court and the issuing of many different court orders. Some of the court orders or "judgements" made throughout a divorce case can be appealed or changed (modify) depending on the situation. Examples of court orders and judgements that can be appealed or modified may include:
Read more

Filing an Appearance

Filing an appearance is the next step for the respondent to a civil court case to take after the petitioner to the case files a petition and serves the respondent with a notice of summons. An appearance is a document that confirms the respondent will either be represented by an attorney, or represent themselves as their own attorney (pro se) during
Read more

Gestational Surrogacy Agreement

Gestational surrogacy is the process through which a woman carries and gives birth to a child that was conceived through in vitro fertilization, with the intent to place said child in the care of another parent, referred to as the intended parent. In order to have a valid gestational surrogacy agreement, the intended parent must have made a geneti
Read more

Child Support Order

A child support order is a legally-binding court order requiring a legal parent of a child, typically the child's non-custodial parent, to make a certain amount of child support payments on a regular basis. There are two types of child support orders: judicial child support orders, and administrative child support orders. The main difference betw
Read more

Modifying a Legal Separation Agreement

If a judge has ordered that you and your partner or spouse are legally separated, and you have experience a significant change in financial circumstances – such as a change in employment status or the additional presence of a mental or physical disability – you may be able to modify certain aspects of your legal separation agreement, including:temp
Read more

Court Order

A court order is a written document issued by a judge in court. Court orders are given to both parties to a court case – called the petitioner and the respondent – each time your case is heard in front of a judge in court. The court order describes what events took place in court on the date it is issued, and it typically requires one or both par
Read more

Notice of Summons

A notice of summons is a document that is filed when the petitioner starts a civil court case through filing a petition. The summons notifies the respondent that they have 30 days to file their appearance. The respondent must be properly served the notice of summons, or else the entire case may be considered invalid.
Read more

Declaring the Non-Existence of a Parent-Child Relationship

Declaring the non-existence of a parent-child relationship means that a child's legal parent is NO LONGER recognized as that child's legal parent. This can be made based on the results of DNA testing or by acquiring knowledge of the relevant facts of the situation, but ONLY IF it has been less than TWO (2) YEARS since the petitioner to the declarat
Read more

Parenting Plan

A parenting plan is a legally-binding document that orders the allocation of parental responsibilities (custody arrangement), parenting time (visitation rights), or both.The content of a parenting plan may include, but is not limited to the following information:which parent(s) has primary custody of the child(s)how much parenting time (visitation
Read more

Adjudication of Parentage

An adjudication of parentage refers to a court order (or a legally equivalent administrative order) that establishes a parent-child relationship between the adjudicated parent and a child. A judge or the Department of Family Services (HFS) may adjudicate parentage on the basis of DNA testing, or because of the relevant facts of the situation. Pare
Read more

Contempt of Court

Being held in contempt of court is typically the result of a failure to follow the directions of a court order. It may also be the result of child support enforcement. If you are held in contempt or court, you may be subject to certain penalties, such as a fine or a short period of incarceration.
Read more

(Marital) Settlement Agreement

A (marital) settlement agreement is a legally-binding court order made between two spouses when getting a divorce or two partners when dissolving a civil union. Settlement agreement can order one or both parties to make certain payments to the other, or to divide certain assets, including: alimony payments child support payments for minor children
Read more
Hide all related Definitions
Hide all related Definitions

Articles

What Does it Mean to Quash Service?

This article offers an overview of what it means to quash service. The word "quash" is used to mean something is invalid. Quashing service refers to the process of filing a motion to tell the courts you believe there was invalid service of process in your case. Below, we discuss when and how a person can make a request to quash service to help thei
Read more

Limited Scope Representation

It is no secret that hiring a private attorney is expensive. Recognizing this, some private attorneys offer a cheaper arrangement for providing legal help. One such arrangement is called limited scope representation (AKA unbundled, or a la carte legal services). This article provides an overview of limited scope representation – what it is, and wha
Read more

When do I have to pay Court Fees?

If you wish to resolve your legal problem in court, you may be required to pay court fees. The requirement to pay court fees depends on the type of legal problem you would like the courts to help with. In this article, we will cover when individuals will have to pay court fees. Additionally, we discuss what to do if you can't afford your court fees
Read more
Show all related Articles
Hide all related Definitions

Articles

What Does it Mean to Quash Service?

This article offers an overview of what it means to quash service. The word "quash" is used to mean something is invalid. Quashing service refers to the process of filing a motion to tell the courts you believe there was invalid service of process in your case. Below, we discuss when and how a person can make a request to quash service to help thei
Read more

Limited Scope Representation

It is no secret that hiring a private attorney is expensive. Recognizing this, some private attorneys offer a cheaper arrangement for providing legal help. One such arrangement is called limited scope representation (AKA unbundled, or a la carte legal services). This article provides an overview of limited scope representation – what it is, and wha
Read more

When do I have to pay Court Fees?

If you wish to resolve your legal problem in court, you may be required to pay court fees. The requirement to pay court fees depends on the type of legal problem you would like the courts to help with. In this article, we will cover when individuals will have to pay court fees. Additionally, we discuss what to do if you can't afford your court fees
Read more
Hide all related Articles
Hide all related Definitions
SAEF Legal Aid is not a law firm and does not provide any legal advice. SAEF is a legal information provider and is not a substitute for an attorney or law firm. By using SAEF to obtain referrals to legal service providers, you do not enter any form of an attorney-client relationship with SAEF, nor with any of the attorneys to which you are referred.
SAEF is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, Illinois. SAEF's tax identification number is 85-0832245
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