An adaptive finite element method for analyzing two-dimensional and axisymmetric nonlinear elastic fracture mechanics problems with cracks is presented. The J-integral is used as a parameter to characterize the severity of stresses and deformation near crack tips. The domain integral technique, for which all relevant quantities are integrated over any arbitrary element areas around the crack tips, is utilized as the J-integral solution scheme with 9-node degenerated crack tip elements. The solution accuracy is further improved by incorporating an error estimation procedure onto a remeshing algorithm with a solution mapping scheme to resume the analysis at a particular load level after the adaptive remeshing technique has been applied. Several benchmark problems are analyzed to evaluate the efficiency of the combined domain integral technique and the adaptive finite element method.