Illinois Additional Defendant/Respondent Information

What the Additional Defendant/Respondent Information form is

Additional Defendant/Respondent Information (form ATJ 562.1, approved 02/2026) is a one-page attachment to the Illinois statewide Complaint or Petition. Section B of the complaint has room for 3 defendants. If you are suing more than 3 people or businesses, this form gives you space for 7 more, each with a name and location. The official copy is on the Illinois Courts Complaint or Petition page.

The form says to use it only if you are suing more than 3 people or businesses, to follow the instructions in section B of the complaint, and to attach it as an additional page and file them together. It states it is approved by the Illinois Supreme Court and must be accepted in all Illinois Circuit Courts.

How it fits with the other forms

The Illinois Complaint or Petition set includes:

• Complaint or Petition: the main form that starts a civil case.
• Additional Defendant/Respondent Information (this form): room for more defendants.
• Additional Reasons for Lawsuit: more numbered paragraphs for section C.

In section B of the complaint, check the box that reads "I am suing more than 3 people or businesses in this lawsuit. I have filled out and attached the Additional Defendant (Complaint or Petition) form."

Can you sue several defendants in one case?

The official How to File a Complaint or Petition instructions say you can sue more than one person or business in the same case if the reasons are connected, which usually means they were involved in the same event or the claims rest on the same facts or issues. You must clearly explain what each defendant did. Whether your defendants qualify is a legal question, so check the instructions or ask a lawyer or legal aid office. Adding defendants often means more facts in section C, so you may need the Additional Reasons form too.

What to have ready

• The full name of each extra person, or the full legal name of each business. For an incorporated business, the instructions point to the Illinois Secretary of State business search.
• The county and state where each person lives or each business is located.
• Your Complaint or Petition, so the caption matches.

How to fill it out online

Click "Fill Template Now", type into the fields, and download the PDF to file with your complaint. The form has two parts.

Case caption

Select the County and enter the Plaintiff/Petitioner or In Re and Defendants/Respondents names as they appear on your other court documents. Leave Case Number blank if the clerk has not assigned one yet.

Defendant list

Under "I am suing:" there are 7 rows. Each row has a Defendant field (first, middle, and last name, or business name) and a County, State Where Person Lives or Business Located field. List only the defendants beyond the 3 already named in section B of the complaint, and do not repeat those.

The form has no signature line. Your signature on page 4 of the Complaint or Petition covers the filing. If you need more than 10 defendants in total, the form does not say how to continue, so ask the Circuit Clerk or Illinois Court Help.

Filing in Illinois: e-filing, exemptions, and fees

As of October 2026, the Illinois courts state that e-filing is mandatory in all civil cases in the Supreme, Appellate, and Circuit Courts (Illinois Courts e-filing information for filers without lawyers). The official instructions say most people e-file through Odyssey eFileIL at ilcourts.info/efile, which accepts PDF files, so the completed PDF you download is the kind of document you upload.

The instructions list people who do not have to e-file, such as self-represented people in prison or jail and people with a disability that keeps them from e-filing. Others may qualify for an exemption, for example if they have no internet or computer access at home, no email account, no credit card, debit card, or bank account, or trouble reading, writing, or speaking English. To ask for one, file the Certification for Exemption from E-Filing (ilcourts.info/exempt) with your forms at the Circuit Clerk's office or by mail.

There may be a filing fee, and it varies by county and case type, so check with your Circuit Clerk. If you cannot afford the costs, the instructions point to the statewide Application for Waiver of Court Fees at ilcourts.info/fee-waiver-forms.

After you file

Every defendant must be served. Each person or business you list will need to be served with a Summons and the Complaint or Petition by the sheriff or a licensed private process server, not by you.

Common mistakes

• Repeating the first 3 defendants instead of listing only the extra ones.
• Leaving out the county and state for a defendant.
• Using a brand name instead of a business's full legal name.
• Not checking the matching box in section B of the complaint.
• Not explaining in section C what each added defendant did.

Illinois court self-help resources

• Illinois Courts Complaint or Petition form set, including the How to File a Complaint or Petition instructions.
• Illinois Court Help: call or text 833-411-1121, or visit ilcourthelp.gov.
• Illinois Legal Aid Online's directory of local legal self-help centers, plus its legal glossary.

These resources explain court procedure. They, and this page, cannot tell you whether you have a claim, what to ask for, or which law applies. For that, talk to a lawyer or a legal aid organization.