THE ILLINOIS ADOPTION ACT 750 ILCS 50 CO
RECORDS CONFIDENTIAL.
(750 ILCS 50/18)(from Ch. 40, par. 1522)
Sec. 18. Records confidential.
(a)
The word "illegitimate", the words "born out of wedlock", and words of
similar import shall not be used in any adoption proceeding in any
respect.
(b) The court call of adoption proceedings shall not identify any
of the parties by name. The parties may be identified by initials or
pseudonyms. The case shall be identified by its general number. The
names of the lawyers representing the parties may appear on the court
call, and the type of application that is being made to the court may
also be identified.
(c) All adoption records maintained by each circuit clerk shall be
impounded in accordance with the procedures provided by the Illinois
Supreme Court's General Administrative Order on Recordkeeping and shall
be opened for examination only upon specific order of the court, which
order shall name the person or persons who are to be permitted to
examine the file. Certified copies of all papers and documents
contained in any file so impounded shall be made only on like order.
The guardian ad litem for a minor sought to be adopted shall have the
right to inspect the court file without leave of court during the
pendency of the proceeding. The attorney of record for the petitioners
and other parties may inspect the file only with leave of court. The
petitioners to the adoption, the attorney of record for the
petitioners, and the guardian ad litem of the person who is the subject
of the proceeding shall be entitled to receive certified copies of the
order of adoption in the proceeding at any time within 30 days after
the entry of the judgment of adoption without order of court. After 30
days from the entry of the judgment of adoption, no copies may be
obtained without prior order of court, but good cause is not necessary
to be shown by one of the petitioners to the adoption.
(d) If an appeal is taken from an adoption proceeding, the papers
filed in the court of review and the opinion of the reviewing court
shall not identify the true names of the parties; instead, initials or
pseudonyms shall be used to identify the parties.
(Source: P.A. 86‑493; 87‑620.)