The Illinois Affidavit for Service by Publication is a legal form used when a party to a case (the petitioner) is unable to locate the other party (the respondent) to serve them with legal documents. It is an affidavit that states the petitioner has made reasonable efforts but was unable to locate the respondent due to their absence or whereabouts being unknown. The petitioner must then publish a notice of the court action in a newspaper or other publication in the jurisdiction where the respondent is likely to be found. The affidavit must then be filed with the court prior to the hearing. There are two types of Illinois Affidavit for Service by Publication: General Affidavit and Limited Notice Affidavit. The General Affidavit must provide sufficient information to identify the parties and must be approved by the court. The Limited Notice Affidavit is used when the petitioner is unable to provide enough information to identify the parties, such as when the respondent’s whereabouts are unknown. In this case, the petitioner must provide the court with a description of the action and the relief sought.