96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
HB5161

 

Introduced 1/29/2010, by Rep. Robert W. Pritchard

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
755 ILCS 5/15-1   from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 15-1
755 ILCS 5/15-2   from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 15-2
755 ILCS 5/25-1   from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-1

    Amends the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that the minimum surviving spouse award is $20,000 (instead of $10,000) with an additional minimum award of $10,000 (instead of $5,000) for a surviving minor child or an adult dependent child. Effective immediately.


LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5161 LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1     AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing
5 Sections 15-1, 15-2, and 25-1 as follows:
 
6     (755 ILCS 5/15-1)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 15-1)
7     Sec. 15-1. Spouse's award.
8     (a) The surviving spouse of a deceased resident of this
9 State whose estate, whether testate or intestate, is
10 administered in this State, shall be allowed as the surviving
11 spouse's own property, exempt from the enforcement of a
12 judgment, garnishment or attachment in the possession of the
13 representative, a sum of money that the court deems reasonable
14 for the proper support of the surviving spouse for the period
15 of 9 months after the death of the decedent in a manner suited
16 to the condition in life of the surviving spouse and to the
17 condition of the estate and an additional sum of money that the
18 court deems reasonable for the proper support, during that
19 period, of minor and adult dependent children of the decedent
20 who reside with the surviving spouse at the time of decedent's
21 death. The award may in no case be less than $20,000 $10,000,
22 together with an additional sum not less than $10,000 $5,000
23 for each such child. The award shall be paid to the surviving

 

 

HB5161 - 2 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1 spouse at such time or times, not exceeding 3 installments, as
2 the court directs. If the surviving spouse dies before the
3 award for his support is paid in full, the amount unpaid shall
4 be paid to his estate. If the surviving spouse dies or abandons
5 a child before the award for the support of a child is paid in
6 full, the amount unpaid shall be paid for the benefit of the
7 child to such person as the court directs.
8     (b) The surviving spouse is entitled to the award unless
9 the will of the decedent expressly provides that the provisions
10 thereof for the surviving spouse are in lieu of the award and
11 the surviving spouse does not renounce the will.
12 (Source: P.A. 87-287.)
 
13     (755 ILCS 5/15-2)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 15-2)
14     Sec. 15-2. Child's award.
15     (a) If a minor or adult dependent child of the decedent
16 does not reside with the surviving spouse of the decedent at
17 the time of decedent's death, there shall be allowed to that
18 child, exempt from the enforcement of a judgment, garnishment
19 or attachment in the possession of the representative, a sum of
20 money that the court deems reasonable for the proper support of
21 the child for the period of 9 months after the death of the
22 decedent, in a manner suited to the condition in life of the
23 minor child and to the condition of the estate. The award may
24 in no case be less than $10,000 $5,000 and shall be paid for
25 the benefit of the child to such person as the court directs.

 

 

HB5161 - 3 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1     (b) If a deceased resident of this State leaves no
2 surviving spouse, there shall be allowed to all children of the
3 decedent who were minors at the date of death and all adult
4 dependent children, exempt from the enforcement of a judgment,
5 garnishment or attachment in the possession of the
6 representative, a sum of money that the court deems reasonable
7 for the proper support of those children for the period of 9
8 months after the death of the decedent in a manner suited to
9 the condition in life of those children and to the condition of
10 the estate. The award may in no case be less than $10,000
11 $5,000 for each of those children, together with an additional
12 sum not less than $20,000 $10,000 that shall be divided equally
13 among those children or apportioned as the court directs and
14 that shall be paid for the benefit of any of those children to
15 any person that the court directs.
16 (Source: P.A. 87-287.)
 
17     (755 ILCS 5/25-1)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-1)
18     Sec. 25-1. Payment or delivery of small estate of decedent
19 upon affidavit.
20     (a) When any person or corporation (1) indebted to or
21 holding personal estate of a decedent, (2) controlling the
22 right of access to decedent's safe deposit box or (3) acting as
23 registrar or transfer agent of any evidence of interest,
24 indebtedness, property or right is furnished with a small
25 estate affidavit in substantially the form hereinafter set

 

 

HB5161 - 4 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1 forth, that person or corporation shall pay the indebtedness,
2 grant access to the safe deposit box, deliver the personal
3 estate or transfer or issue the evidence of interest,
4 indebtedness, property or right to persons and in the manner
5 specified in paragraph 11 of the affidavit or to an agent
6 appointed as hereinafter set forth.
7     (b)        Small Estate Affidavit
8     I,        (name of affiant)    , on oath state:
9     1.  (a) My post office address is:                     ;
10         (b) My residence address is:                   ; and
11         (c) I understand that, if I am an out-of-state
12 resident, I submit myself to the jurisdiction of Illinois
13 courts for all matters related to the preparation and use of
14 this affidavit. My agent for service of process in Illinois is:
15
NAME..........................
16
ADDRESS.......................
17
CITY..........................
18
TELEPHONE (IF ANY)............
19 I understand that if no person is named above as my agent for
20 service or, if for any reason, service on the named person
21 cannot be effectuated, the clerk of the circuit court of
22 ......(County) (Judicial Circuit) Illinois is recognized by
23 Illinois law as my agent for service of process.
24     2. The decedent's name is            ;
25     3. The date of the decedent's death was            , and I
26 have attached a copy of the death certificate hereto.

 

 

HB5161 - 5 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1     4. The decedent's place of residence immediately before his
2 death was            ;
3     5. No letters of office are now outstanding on the
4 decedent's estate and no petition for letters is contemplated
5 or pending in Illinois or in any other jurisdiction, to my
6 knowledge;
7     6. The gross value of the decedent's entire personal
8 estate, including the value of all property passing to any
9 party either by intestacy or under a will, does not exceed
10 $100,000. (Here, list each asset, e.g., cash, stock, and its
11 fair market value.);
12    7. (a) All of the decedent's funeral expenses have been
13paid, or (b) The amount of the decedent's unpaid funeral
14expenses and the name and post office address of each person
15entitled thereto are as follows:
16Name and post office addressAmount
17(Strike either 7(a) or 7(b)).
18    8. There is no known unpaid claimant or contested claim
19against the decedent, except as stated in paragraph 7.
20    9.  (a) The names and places of residence of any surviving
21spouse, minor children and adult dependent* children of the
22decedent are as follows:
23Name andPlace ofAge of
24RelationshipResidenceminor child
25

 

 

HB5161 - 6 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1*(Note: An adult dependent child is one who is unable to
2maintain himself and is likely to become a public charge.)
3    (b) The award allowable to the surviving spouse of a
4decedent who was an Illinois resident is $.......... ($20,000
5$10,000, plus $10,000 $5,000 multiplied by the number of minor
6children and adult dependent children who resided with the
7surviving spouse at the time of the decedent's death. If any
8such child did not reside with the surviving spouse at the time
9of the decedent's death, so indicate).
10    (c) If there is no surviving spouse, the award allowable to
11the minor children and adult dependent children of a decedent
12who was an Illinois resident is $.......... ($20,000 $10,000,
13plus $10,000 $5,000 multiplied by the number of minor children
14and adult dependent children), to be divided among them in
15equal shares.
16    10. (a) The decedent left no will. The names, places of
17residence and relationships of the decedent's heirs, and the
18portion of the estate to which each heir is entitled under the
19law where decedent died intestate are as follows:
20Name, relationshipAge ofPortion of
21and place of residenceminorEstate
22OR
23

 

 

HB5161 - 7 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1    (b) The decedent left a will, which has been filed with the
2clerk of an appropriate court. A certified copy of the will on
3file is attached. To the best of my knowledge and belief the
4will on file is the decedent's last will and was signed by the
5decedent and the attesting witnesses as required by law and
6would be admittable to probate. The names and places of
7residence of the legatees and the portion of the estate, if
8any, to which each legatee is entitled are as follows:
9Name, relationshipAge ofPortion of
10and place of residenceminorEstate
11
12    (Strike either 10(a) or 10(b)).
13    (c) Affiant is unaware of any dispute or potential conflict
14as to the heirship or will of the decedent.
15    11. The property described in paragraph 6 of this affidavit
16should be distributed as follows:
17     Name        Specific sum or property to be distributed
 
 
18 The foregoing statement is made under the penalties of
19 perjury*.
20
.........................
21
Signature of Affiant
     
22 *(Note: A fraudulent statement made under the penalties of
23 perjury is perjury, as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal
24 Code of 1961.)

 

 

HB5161 - 8 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1     (c) Appointment of Agent. If safe deposit access is
2 involved or if sale of any personal property is desirable to
3 facilitate distribution pursuant to the small estate
4 affidavit, all persons named in paragraph 11 of the small
5 estate affidavit (excluding minors and unascertained or
6 disabled persons) may in writing appoint one or more persons as
7 their agent for that purpose. The agent shall have power,
8 without court approval, to gain access to, sell, and distribute
9 the property for the benefit of all persons named in paragraph
10 11 of the affidavit; and the payment, delivery, transfer,
11 access or issuance shall be made or granted to or on the order
12 of the agent.
13     (d) Release. Upon payment, delivery, transfer, access or
14 issuance pursuant to a properly executed affidavit, the person
15 or corporation is released to the same extent as if the
16 payment, delivery, transfer, access or issuance had been made
17 or granted to the representative of the estate. Such person or
18 corporation is not required to see to the application or
19 disposition of the property; but each person to whom a payment,
20 delivery, transfer, access or issuance is made or given is
21 answerable therefor to any person having a prior right and is
22 accountable to any representative of the estate.
23     (e) The affiant signing the small estate affidavit prepared
24 pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section shall indemnify and
25 hold harmless all creditors and heirs of the decedent and other
26 persons relying upon the affidavit who incur loss because of

 

 

HB5161 - 9 - LRB096 16089 AJO 35395 b

1 such reliance. That indemnification shall only be up to the
2 amount lost because of the act or omission of the affiant. Any
3 person recovering under this subsection (e) shall be entitled
4 to reasonable attorney's fees and the expenses of recovery.
5     (f) The affiant of a small estate affidavit who is a
6 non-resident of Illinois submits himself or herself to the
7 jurisdiction of Illinois courts for all matters related to the
8 preparation or use of the affidavit. The affidavit shall
9 provide the name, address, and phone number of a person whom
10 the affiant names as his agent for service of process. If no
11 such person is named or if, for any reason, service on the
12 named person cannot be effectuated, the clerk of the circuit
13 court of the county or judicial circuit of which the decedent
14 was a resident at the time of his death shall be the agent for
15 service of process.
16     (g) Any action properly taken under this Section, as
17 amended by Public Act 93-877, on or after August 6, 2004 (the
18 effective date of Public Act 93-877) is valid regardless of the
19 date of death of the decedent.
20 (Source: P.A. 93-877, eff. 8-6-04; 94-57, eff. 6-17-05.)
 
21     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
22 becoming law.