Source: Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) / Illinois Courts
Jurisdiction: IL
Topic: service

Title: Serving your spouse & procedural basics (Illinois)
Heading: Service by publication (when you cannot find your spouse)

If you truly can't find your spouse after making a real effort to look, Illinois lets you serve them 'by publication.' You file an affidavit laying out the search you did, and notice of the case then runs in a county newspaper. Publication comes with its own rules and a waiting period, and the exact newspaper, the fee, and the timing are set locally, so confirm them with the circuit clerk before you rely on them.

Tags: service
service by publication
cannot locate
affidavit
diligent search
newspaper
URL: https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/getting-divorce
Retrieved: 2026-06-03
License: Facts summarized in our own words; this is not ILAO's text. See the source URL for ILAO's full guidance. Exact deadlines and the publication notice period are county- and clerk-specific, so verify them before relying on them.