On October 23, 2002, the Department of Children and Family Services (department) amended rules relating to parental fitness and general adoption policies in title 89 of the Illinois Administrative Code.

On October 17, 2002, the Appellate Court of Illinois, Third District, reversed and remanded the order of the circuit court of Rock Island County granting a petition to modify a visitation order to allow the mother to move to Florida with the parties' child.

On February 6, 2002 the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District, addressed a question of first impression regarding the meaning of "substantially prevailed" in the attorney fees provision of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, 750 ILCS 5/508(a)(3.1).

On November 21, 2001, the Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the appellate court ruling that obtaining DNA test results disproving paternity is a condition precedent to the filing of an action to declare the nonexistence of a parent and child relationship.