Q: I wanted to know if I can file a child custody petition from Illinois for children that live in Arizona
A: Probably not, unless the children have already been made subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Illinois. This may have happened if an Illinois court has issued a ruling on custody of the children, for example. It is likely that if an Illinois court ever exercised jurisdiction over the children it retained jurisdiction as to future matters. If you think this may be the case you should gather whatever documents you have regarding the matter and have them reviewed by an attorney who practices in this field so he or she can help you figure out whether you can do things here or must head to Arizona.
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