103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3409

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Randy E. Frese

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
755 ILCS 5/8-1  from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 8-1
755 ILCS 5/8-2  from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 8-2

    Amends the Will Contests Article of the Probate Act of 1975. Provides that persons who stood to inherit under a previous will, including stepchildren, have standing and are entitled to institute a proceeding for the administration of the testator's estate or to contest the denial of admission of a will. Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as Karen's Law.


LRB103 30975 LNS 57566 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3409LRB103 30975 LNS 57566 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. This Act may be referred to as Karen's Law.
 
5    Section 5. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by changing
6Sections 8-1 and 8-2 as follows:
 
7    (755 ILCS 5/8-1)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 8-1)
8    Sec. 8-1. Contest of admission of will to probate; notice.
9    (a) Within 6 months after the admission to probate of a
10domestic will in accordance with the provisions of Section 6-4
11or Section 20-20 or 20-25 of the Electronic Wills and Remote
12Witnesses Act, or of a foreign will in accordance with the
13provisions of Article VII of this Act, any interested person
14may file a petition in the proceeding for the administration
15of the testator's estate or, if no proceeding is pending, in
16the court in which the will was admitted to probate, to contest
17the validity of the will.
18    (b) The petitioner shall cause a copy of the petition to be
19mailed or delivered to the representative, to his or her
20attorney of record, and to each heir and legatee whose name is
21listed in the petition to admit the will to probate and in any
22amended petition filed in accordance with Section 6-11, at the

 

 

HB3409- 2 -LRB103 30975 LNS 57566 b

1address stated in the petition or amended petition. Filing a
2pleading constitutes a waiver of the mailing or delivery of
3the notice to the person filing the pleading. Failure to mail
4or deliver a copy of the petition to an heir or a legatee does
5not extend the time within which a petition to contest the will
6may be filed under subsection (a) of this Section or affect the
7validity of the judgement entered in the proceeding.
8    (c) Any contestant or proponent may demand a trial by
9jury. An issue shall be made whether or not the instrument
10produced is the will of the testator. The contestant shall in
11the first instance proceed with proof to establish the
12invalidity of the will. At the close of the contestant's case,
13the proponent may present evidence to sustain the will. An
14authenticated transcript of the testimony of any witness or
15other party taken at the time of the hearing on the admission
16of the will to probate, or an affidavit of any witness or other
17party received as evidence under subsection 6-4(b), paragraphs
18(c) and (e) of Section 20-20 of the Electronic Wills and Remote
19Witnesses Act, or Section 20-25 of the Electronic Wills and
20Remote Witnesses Act, is admissible in evidence.
21    (d) The right to institute or continue a proceeding to
22contest the validity of a will survives and descends to the
23heir, legatee, representative, grantee or assignee of the
24person entitled to institute the proceeding. Persons who stood
25to inherit under a previous will, including stepchildren, have
26standing and are entitled to institute a proceeding.

 

 

HB3409- 3 -LRB103 30975 LNS 57566 b

1    (e) It is the duty of the representative to defend a
2proceeding to contest the validity of the will. The court may
3order the representative to defend the proceeding or prosecute
4an appeal from the judgment. If the representative fails or
5refuses to do so when ordered by the court, or if there is no
6representative then acting, the court, upon its motion or on
7application of any interested person, may appoint a special
8administrator to defend or appeal in his stead.
9    (f) An action to set aside or contest the validity of a
10revocable inter vivos trust agreement or declaration of trust
11to which a legacy is provided by the settlor's will which is
12admitted to probate shall be commenced within and not after
13the time to contest the validity of a will as provided in
14subsection (a) of this Section and Section 13-223 of the Code
15of Civil Procedure.
16    (g) This amendatory Act of 1995 applies to pending cases
17as well as cases commenced on or after its effective date.
18(Source: P.A. 102-167, eff. 7-26-21.)
 
19    (755 ILCS 5/8-2)  (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 8-2)
20    Sec. 8-2. Contest of denial of admission of will to
21probate.
22    (a) Within 6 months after the entry of an order denying
23admission to probate of a domestic will in accordance with the
24provisions of Section 6-4 or Section 20-20 or 20-25 of the
25Electronic Wills and Remote Witnesses Act, or of a foreign

 

 

HB3409- 4 -LRB103 30975 LNS 57566 b

1will in accordance with the provisions of Article VII of this
2Act, any interested person desiring to contest the denial of
3admission may file a petition to admit the will to probate in
4the proceeding for the administration of the decedent's estate
5or, if no proceeding is pending, in the court which denied
6admission of the will to probate. The petition must state the
7facts required to be stated in Section 6-2 or 6-20, whichever
8is applicable.
9    (b) The petitioner shall cause a copy of the petition to be
10mailed or delivered to the representative, to his or her
11attorney of record, and to each heir and legatee whose name is
12listed in the petition to admit the will to probate and in any
13amended petition filed in accordance with Section 6-11, at the
14address stated in the petition or amended petition. Filing a
15pleading constitutes a waiver of the mailing or delivery of
16the notice to the person filing the pleading. Failure to mail
17or deliver a copy of the petition to an heir or legatee does
18not extend the time within which a petition to admit the will
19to probate may be filed under subsection (a) of Section 8-1 or
20affect the validity of the judgment entered in the proceeding.
21    (c) Any proponent or contestant may demand a trial by
22jury. An issue shall be made whether or not the instrument
23produced is the will of the testator. The proponent shall in
24the first instance proceed with proof to establish the
25validity of the will and may introduce any evidence competent
26to establish a will. Any interested person may oppose the

 

 

HB3409- 5 -LRB103 30975 LNS 57566 b

1petition and may introduce any evidence admissible in a will
2contest under Section 8-1. At the close of the contestant's
3case, the proponent may present further evidence to sustain
4the will.
5    (d) The right to institute or continue a proceeding to
6contest the denial of admission of a will to probate survives
7and descends to the heir, legatee, representative, grantee or
8assignee of the person entitled to institute the proceeding.
9Persons who stood to inherit under a previous will, including
10stepchildren, have standing and are entitled to institute a
11proceeding.
12    (e) The court may order the representative to defend a
13proceeding to probate the will or prosecute an appeal from the
14judgment. If the representative fails or refuses to do so when
15ordered by the court, or if there is no representative then
16acting, the court, upon its motion or on application of any
17interested person, may appoint a special administrator to do
18so in his stead.
19    (f) A person named as executor in a will that has been
20denied admission to probate has no duty to file or support a
21petition under Section 8-2.
22    (g) This amendatory Act of 1995 applies to pending cases
23as well as cases commenced on or after its effective date.
24(Source: P.A. 102-167, eff. 7-26-21.)