HB5161 Enrolled 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

 

 

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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     (c) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th
13 General Assembly apply to a decedent whose date of death is on
14 or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th
15 General Assembly.
16 (Source: P.A. 87-287.)
 
17     (755 ILCS 5/15-2)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 15-2)
18     Sec. 15-2. Child's award.
19     (a) If a minor or adult dependent child of the decedent
20 does not reside with the surviving spouse of the decedent at
21 the time of decedent's death, there shall be allowed to that
22 child, exempt from the enforcement of a judgment, garnishment
23 or attachment in the possession of the representative, a sum of
24 money that the court deems reasonable for the proper support of
25 the child for the period of 9 months after the death of the

 

 

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1 decedent, in a manner suited to the condition in life of the
2 minor child and to the condition of the estate. The award may
3 in no case be less than $10,000 $5,000 and shall be paid for
4 the benefit of the child to such person as the court directs.
5     (b) If a deceased resident of this State leaves no
6 surviving spouse, there shall be allowed to all children of the
7 decedent who were minors at the date of death and all adult
8 dependent children, exempt from the enforcement of a judgment,
9 garnishment or attachment in the possession of the
10 representative, a sum of money that the court deems reasonable
11 for the proper support of those children for the period of 9
12 months after the death of the decedent in a manner suited to
13 the condition in life of those children and to the condition of
14 the estate. The award may in no case be less than $10,000
15 $5,000 for each of those children, together with an additional
16 sum not less than $20,000 $10,000 that shall be divided equally
17 among those children or apportioned as the court directs and
18 that shall be paid for the benefit of any of those children to
19 any person that the court directs.
20     (c) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th
21 General Assembly apply to a decedent whose date of death is on
22 or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th
23 General Assembly.
24 (Source: P.A. 87-287.)
 
25     (755 ILCS 5/25-1)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-1)

 

 

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1     Sec. 25-1. Payment or delivery of small estate of decedent
2 upon affidavit.
3     (a) When any person or corporation (1) indebted to or
4 holding personal estate of a decedent, (2) controlling the
5 right of access to decedent's safe deposit box or (3) acting as
6 registrar or transfer agent of any evidence of interest,
7 indebtedness, property or right is furnished with a small
8 estate affidavit in substantially the form hereinafter set
9 forth, that person or corporation shall pay the indebtedness,
10 grant access to the safe deposit box, deliver the personal
11 estate or transfer or issue the evidence of interest,
12 indebtedness, property or right to persons and in the manner
13 specified in paragraph 11 of the affidavit or to an agent
14 appointed as hereinafter set forth.
15     (b)        Small Estate Affidavit
16     I,        (name of affiant)    , on oath state:
17     1.  (a) My post office address is:                     ;
18         (b) My residence address is:                   ; and
19         (c) I understand that, if I am an out-of-state
20 resident, I submit myself to the jurisdiction of Illinois
21 courts for all matters related to the preparation and use of
22 this affidavit. My agent for service of process in Illinois is:
23
NAME..........................
24
ADDRESS.......................
25
CITY..........................
26
TELEPHONE (IF ANY)............

 

 

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1 I understand that if no person is named above as my agent for
2 service or, if for any reason, service on the named person
3 cannot be effectuated, the clerk of the circuit court of
4 ......(County) (Judicial Circuit) Illinois is recognized by
5 Illinois law as my agent for service of process.
6     2. The decedent's name is            ;
7     3. The date of the decedent's death was            , and I
8 have attached a copy of the death certificate hereto.
9     4. The decedent's place of residence immediately before his
10 death was            ;
11     5. No letters of office are now outstanding on the
12 decedent's estate and no petition for letters is contemplated
13 or pending in Illinois or in any other jurisdiction, to my
14 knowledge;
15     6. The gross value of the decedent's entire personal
16 estate, including the value of all property passing to any
17 party either by intestacy or under a will, does not exceed
18 $100,000. (Here, list each asset, e.g., cash, stock, and its
19 fair market value.);
20    7. (a) All of the decedent's funeral expenses have been
21paid, or (b) The amount of the decedent's unpaid funeral
22expenses and the name and post office address of each person
23entitled thereto are as follows:
24Name and post office addressAmount
25(Strike either 7(a) or 7(b)).

 

 

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1    8. There is no known unpaid claimant or contested claim
2against the decedent, except as stated in paragraph 7.
3    9.  (a) The names and places of residence of any surviving
4spouse, minor children and adult dependent* children of the
5decedent are as follows:
6Name andPlace ofAge of
7RelationshipResidenceminor child
8
9*(Note: An adult dependent child is one who is unable to
10maintain himself and is likely to become a public charge.)
11    (b) The award allowable to the surviving spouse of a
12decedent who was an Illinois resident is $.......... ($20,000
13$10,000, plus $10,000 $5,000 multiplied by the number of minor
14children and adult dependent children who resided with the
15surviving spouse at the time of the decedent's death. If any
16such child did not reside with the surviving spouse at the time
17of the decedent's death, so indicate).
18    (c) If there is no surviving spouse, the award allowable to
19the minor children and adult dependent children of a decedent
20who was an Illinois resident is $.......... ($20,000 $10,000,
21plus $10,000 $5,000 multiplied by the number of minor children
22and adult dependent children), to be divided among them in
23equal shares.

 

 

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1    10. (a) The decedent left no will. The names, places of
2residence and relationships of the decedent's heirs, and the
3portion of the estate to which each heir is entitled under the
4law where decedent died intestate are as follows:
5Name, relationshipAge ofPortion of
6and place of residenceminorEstate
7OR
8
9    (b) The decedent left a will, which has been filed with the
10clerk of an appropriate court. A certified copy of the will on
11file is attached. To the best of my knowledge and belief the
12will on file is the decedent's last will and was signed by the
13decedent and the attesting witnesses as required by law and
14would be admittable to probate. The names and places of
15residence of the legatees and the portion of the estate, if
16any, to which each legatee is entitled are as follows:
17Name, relationshipAge ofPortion of
18and place of residenceminorEstate
19
20    (Strike either 10(a) or 10(b)).
21    (c) Affiant is unaware of any dispute or potential conflict
22as to the heirship or will of the decedent.
23    11. The property described in paragraph 6 of this affidavit
24should be distributed as follows:
25     Name        Specific sum or property to be distributed
 
 

 

 

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1 The foregoing statement is made under the penalties of
2 perjury*.
3
.........................
4
Signature of Affiant
     
5 *(Note: A fraudulent statement made under the penalties of
6 perjury is perjury, as defined in Section 32-2 of the Criminal
7 Code of 1961.)
8     (c) Appointment of Agent. If safe deposit access is
9 involved or if sale of any personal property is desirable to
10 facilitate distribution pursuant to the small estate
11 affidavit, all persons named in paragraph 11 of the small
12 estate affidavit (excluding minors and unascertained or
13 disabled persons) may in writing appoint one or more persons as
14 their agent for that purpose. The agent shall have power,
15 without court approval, to gain access to, sell, and distribute
16 the property for the benefit of all persons named in paragraph
17 11 of the affidavit; and the payment, delivery, transfer,
18 access or issuance shall be made or granted to or on the order
19 of the agent.
20     (d) Release. Upon payment, delivery, transfer, access or
21 issuance pursuant to a properly executed affidavit, the person
22 or corporation is released to the same extent as if the
23 payment, delivery, transfer, access or issuance had been made
24 or granted to the representative of the estate. Such person or
25 corporation is not required to see to the application or

 

 

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1 disposition of the property; but each person to whom a payment,
2 delivery, transfer, access or issuance is made or given is
3 answerable therefor to any person having a prior right and is
4 accountable to any representative of the estate.
5     (e) The affiant signing the small estate affidavit prepared
6 pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section shall indemnify and
7 hold harmless all creditors and heirs of the decedent and other
8 persons relying upon the affidavit who incur loss because of
9 such reliance. That indemnification shall only be up to the
10 amount lost because of the act or omission of the affiant. Any
11 person recovering under this subsection (e) shall be entitled
12 to reasonable attorney's fees and the expenses of recovery.
13     (f) The affiant of a small estate affidavit who is a
14 non-resident of Illinois submits himself or herself to the
15 jurisdiction of Illinois courts for all matters related to the
16 preparation or use of the affidavit. The affidavit shall
17 provide the name, address, and phone number of a person whom
18 the affiant names as his agent for service of process. If no
19 such person is named or if, for any reason, service on the
20 named person cannot be effectuated, the clerk of the circuit
21 court of the county or judicial circuit of which the decedent
22 was a resident at the time of his death shall be the agent for
23 service of process.
24     (g) Any action properly taken under this Section, as
25 amended by Public Act 93-877, on or after August 6, 2004 (the
26 effective date of Public Act 93-877) is valid regardless of the

 

 

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1 date of death of the decedent.
2     (h) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th
3 General Assembly apply to a decedent whose date of death is on
4 or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th
5 General Assembly.
6 (Source: P.A. 93-877, eff. 8-6-04; 94-57, eff. 6-17-05.)
 
7     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8 becoming law.