(a) An appeal may be taken to the Appellate Court from an order of the court empowering the
guardian of the person of a minor to consent to the adoption of such a minor.
Rule 663.Adoption-Appointment of a Guardian With Power to Consent
Article VI. Appeals in Criminal Cases, Post-Conviction Cases, and Juvenile Court Proceedings · Last amended 2001 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 663 allows an appeal from an order giving a minor’s guardian the power to consent to the minor’s adoption, and requires the minor’s name to be shielded in the case caption.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 663
(b) The caption on an appeal taken from an order of the court empowering the guardian of the
person of a minor to consent to the adoption of such a minor shall not include the name of the minor. Rather, the minor shall be identified by first name and last initial or by initials only. The preferred method is by first name and last initial. The alternative method of initials only is to be used when, due to an unusual first name or spelling, the preferred method would create a substantial risk of revealing the minor’s identity.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 663 makes a narrow order appealable: one that empowers the guardian of a minor’s person to consent to that minor’s adoption. The appeal goes to the Appellate Court.
As with other juvenile appeals, the minor’s identity is protected in the caption — first name and last initial ordinarily, or initials alone when an unusual name or spelling would otherwise risk revealing who the minor is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What order can be appealed under Rule 663?
An order empowering a minor’s guardian to consent to the minor’s adoption.
Which court hears this appeal?
The Appellate Court.
How must the minor be identified in the appeal’s caption?
By first name and last initial, or initials only if needed to avoid revealing identity.
When is the initials-only approach required instead of first name and last initial?
When an unusual name or spelling would create a real risk of identifying the minor.
Does this rule apply to the adoption proceeding itself?
No, it applies to the appeal from the specific order giving the guardian power to consent, not to the adoption case generally.
Committee Comments
Rule 663, added in 1975, makes an order empowering a guardian of the person of a minor to consent to the minor’s adoption appealable. See Rule 307(a)(6). Paragraph (b) was added effective October 1, 2001, to help protect the identities of minors. The amendment requires that their first name and last initial, or their initials only, appear in the caption.
Amendment History
Adopted September 8, 1975, effective October 1, 1975; amended October 1, 2001, effective immediately.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: adoption guardian consent appeal Illinoisappeal order empowering guardian to adoptminor identity protection adoption appealrule 663 caption requirement