Complicated, COMPLICATED, divorce in IL

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

I'm doing this for a friend who is at her wit's end, the rhyming is unintentional. She has 5 kids, by 4 different men. She was married to the second man, who fathered 2 of the kids, and was separated from him when she had 2 of the others. She has been a stay-at-home mom since she has been married to him. He moved out both times they were separated, but kept paying all the bills as child support. When one of the kids that he didn't father was born, he signed the voluntary acknowledgement of paternity and birth certificate. My friend has no job and no car to find one. He has a car and the family van, but she has all the kids. When they were talking about the divorce, they were going to do it themselves, no lawyers. He was gonna pay child support for his 2 kids and give her the van, in return for her releasing him from responsibility for the child that is not his and not paying maintainence. She was in no way going to oppose this. But she just got the divorce papers. They state that she has 30 days to have an attorney respond, she can't afford one nor will any pro bono lawyers take her due to an unrelated case with one of her other kids. Her mother paid for the lawyer in that case until recently, but it is still considered income for my friend, disqualifying her. Her family will not help her because they don't agree with the divorce. Her papers also state that he is keeping the van, which makes two cars he owns, no alimony, and no support for the child that isn't his, on the grounds that she caused extreme and repeated mental cruelty.
On top of this case, my friend is being sued for lawyer fees that her mother was paying until recently on a custody battle with one of the other fathers. And ANOTHER case where she and her husband are being sued for his old medical bills during their marriage.
The question is, does anyone have any idea where she can find legal help for all these things with no money or prospects?! There are five children involved, and none of their fathers seem to want anything to do with them on a daily basis. Her only income is child support from 2 fathers and the unemployment that her live-in boyfriend (father #5, also no car) receives.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Frankly your friend needs to sign up for her own account. I guarantee you won't have the answers to the questions she'll be asked.

Sorry, she's here, she just refused to do this. Thinks it's a waste of time. She's in a dark place atm.

She could try legal aid, but frankly, I doubt if they'll touch it.

But if she's not interested in help, I'm not sure what good it does to ask questions and get answers.

She REALLY needs to get her life in order. 5 kids by 4 different fathers, no job, no means of support.???

I'm asking because I'm trying to give her some hope. She isn't giving up, she just has no idea where to turn. She has been on track to getting her life in order, step one was going to be getting a car so she could find a job. When her soon-to-be-ex told her he'd be giving her the van, she got her hopes up. Now it's not gonna happen and she is looking elsewhere. But she needs lots of legal help.

There really aren't that many options. Few attorneys are doing much pro bono work. Try legal aid. Try a local law school to see if they have a program for students to help (under supervision of the faculty, of course).

Other than that, she's going to need to spend a LOT of time learning the rules of procedure at the court she'll be dealing with.

Sigh.

OK. I'll give it a shot.


Who are the LEGAL fathers of ALL of the children? (not real names - Tom, Dick, Harry and/or Whomever will suffice), because I'm not 100% clear whether the husband is the legal father to four, three or two of the kids.


Let's start there.

Oh, the ages of the kids too. And how long your friend has been married.