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90_SB1755enr 755 ILCS 5/2-2 from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 2-2 Amends the Probate Act of 1975. In the provisions for inheritance after the death of an illegitimate child, changes who may inherit from the illegitimate child from spouses, descendants, and maternal ancestors and their descendants, to spouses, descendants, and the eligible parent and that parent's ancestors and their descendants. Defines an eligible parent as a parent of the decedent who, during the decedent's lifetime, acknowledged the decedent as the parent's child, established a parental relationship with the decedent, and supported the decedent as the parent's child. Provides that if both parents are eligible parents or if neither parent is an eligible parent, inheritance shall be determined under the general rules of descent and distribution. Provides that the changes made by this amendatory Act of 1998 apply to all decedents who die on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998 and to all instruments executed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998. Effective immediately. LRB9011678SMdv SB1755 Enrolled LRB9011678SMdv 1 AN ACT to amend the Probate Act of 1975 by changing 2 Section 2-2. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by 6 changing Section 2-2 as follows: 7 (755 ILCS 5/2-2) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 2-2) 8 Sec. 2-2. Illegitimates. The intestate real and 9 personal estate of a resident decedent who was illegitimate 10 at the time of death and the intestate real estate in this 11 State of a nonresident decedent who was illegitimate at the 12 time of death, after all just claims against his estate are 13 fully paid, descends and shall be distributed as provided in 14 Section 2-1 if both parents are eligible parents. As used in 15 this Section, "eligible parent" means a parent of the 16 decedent who, during the decedent's lifetime, acknowledged 17 the decedent as the parent's child, established a parental 18 relationship with the decedent, and supported the decedent as 19 the parent's child. "Eligible parent" does not mean a parent 20 who abandoned a decedent if that abandonment continued until 21 the decedent's death. 22 If neither parent is an eligible parent, the intestate 23 real and personal estate of a resident decedent who was 24 illegitimate at the time of death and the intestate real 25 estate in this State of a nonresident decedent who was 26 illegitimate at the time of death, after all just claims 27 against his or her estate are fully paid, descends and shall 28 be distributed as provided in Section 2-1, but the parents of 29 the decedent shall be treated as having predeceased the 30 decedent. 31 If only one parent is an eligible parent, the intestate SB1755 Enrolled -2- LRB9011678SMdv 1 real and personal estate of a resident decedent who was 2 illegitimate at the time of death and the intestate real 3 estate in this State of a nonresident decedent who was 4 illegitimate at the time of death, after all just claims 5 against his or her estate are fully paid, descends and shall 6 be distributed as follows: 7 (a) If there is a surviving spouse and also a descendant 8 of the decedent: 1/2 of the entire estate to the surviving 9 spouse and 1/2 to the decedent's descendants per stirpes. 10 (b) If there is no surviving spouse but a descendant of 11 the decedent: the entire estate to the decedent's 12 descendants per stirpes. 13 (c) If there is a surviving spouse but no descendant of 14 the decedent: the entire estate to the surviving spouse. 15 (d) If there is no surviving spouse or descendant but 16 the eligible parentmotheror a descendant of the eligible 17 parentmotherof the decedent: the entire estate to the 18 eligible parentmotherand the eligible parent'sher19 descendants, allowing 1/2 to the eligible parentmotherand 20 1/2 to the eligible parent'sherdescendants per stirpes. 21 (e) If there is no surviving spouse, descendant, 22 eligible parent,motheror descendant of the eligible parent 23motherof the decedent, but amaternalgrandparent on the 24 eligible parent's side of the family or descendant of sucha25maternalgrandparent of the decedent: the entire estate to 26 the decedent'smaternalgrandparents on the eligible parent's 27 side of the family in equal parts, or to the survivor of 28 them, or if there is none surviving, to their descendants per 29 stirpes. 30 (f) If there is no surviving spouse, descendant, 31 eligible parentmother, descendant of the eligible parent 32mother,maternalgrandparent on the eligible parent's side of 33 the family, or descendant of sucha maternalgrandparent of 34 the decedent: the entire estate to the decedent'smaternalSB1755 Enrolled -3- LRB9011678SMdv 1 great-grandparents on the eligible parent's side of the 2 family in equal parts or to the survivor of them, or if there 3 is none surviving, to their descendants per stirpes. 4 (g) If there is no surviving spouse, descendant, 5 eligible parentmother, descendant of the eligible parent 6mother,maternalgrandparent on the eligible parent's side of 7 the family, descendant of sucha maternalgrandparent, 8maternalgreat-grandparent on the eligible parent's side of 9 the family, or descendant of sucha maternal10 great-grandparent of the decedent: the entire estate in 11 equal parts to the nearest kindred of the eligible parent 12motherof the decedent in equal degree (computing by the 13 rules of the civil law) and without representation. 14 (h) If there is no surviving spouse, descendant, or 15 eligible parentmotherof the decedent and no known kindred 16 of the eligible parentmotherof the decedent: the real 17 estate escheats to the county in which it is located; the 18 personal estate physically located within this State and the 19 personal estate physically located or held outside this State 20 which is the subject of ancillary administration within this 21 State escheats to the county of which the decedent was a 22 resident or, if the decedent was not a resident of this 23 State, to the county in which it is located; all other 24 personal property of the decedent of every class and 25 character, wherever situate, or the proceeds thereof, shall 26 escheat to this State and be delivered to the Director of 27 Financial Institutions of this State pursuant to the Uniform 28 Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act. 29 For purposes of inheritance, the changes made by this 30 amendatory Act of 1998 apply to all decedents who die on or 31 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998. For 32 the purpose of determining the property rights of any person 33 under any instrument, the changes made by this amendatory Act 34 of 1998 apply to all instruments executed on or after the SB1755 Enrolled -4- LRB9011678SMdv 1 effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998. 2 An illegitimate person is heir of his mother and of any 3 maternal ancestor and of any person from whom his mother 4 might have inherited, if living; and the descendants of an 5 illegitimate person shall represent such person and take by 6 descent any estate which the parent would have taken, if 7 living. If a decedent has acknowledged paternity of an 8 illegitimate person or if during his lifetime or after his 9 death a decedent has been adjudged to be the father of an 10 illegitimate person, that person is heir of his father and of 11 any paternal ancestor and of any person from whom his father 12 might have inherited, if living; and the descendants of an 13 illegitimate person shall represent that person and take by 14 descent any estate which the parent would have taken, if 15 living. If during his lifetime the decedent was adjudged to 16 be the father of an illegitimate person by a court of 17 competent jurisdiction, an authenticated copy of the judgment 18 is sufficient proof of the paternity; but in all other cases 19 paternity must be proved by clear and convincing evidence. A 20 person who was illegitimate whose parents intermarry and who 21 is acknowledged by the father as the father's child is 22 legitimate. After an illegitimate person is adopted, that 23 person's relationship to his or her adopting and natural 24 parents shall be governed by Section 2-4 of this Act. For 25 purposes of inheritance, the changes made by this amendatory 26 Act of 1997 apply to all decedents who die on or after 27 January 1, 1998. For the purpose of determining the property 28 rights of any person under any instrument, the changes made 29 by this amendatory Act of 1997 apply to all instruments 30 executed on or after January 1, 1998. 31 (Source: P.A. 90-237, eff. 1-1-98.) 32 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 33 becoming law.