|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | AN ACT concerning State government.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Section 5. The Secretary of State Act is amended by adding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Section 5.15 as follows: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | (15 ILCS 305/5.15 new) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Sec. 5.15. Deposit of wills. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | (a) Definitions. As used in this Section: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | "Depositor" means an attorney licensed or formerly | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | licensed to practice in the State of Illinois, the attorney's | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | representative, the guardian for the attorney, or the personal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | representative of the attorney's decedent's estate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | "Testator" means a person who executed a will, other than | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | as a witness or official to whom acknowledgment of signing was | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | given. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | "Will" refers to an original: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | (1) will; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | (2) codicil; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | (3) will and one or more codicils; | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | (4) trust; or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | (5) trust and one or more trust amendments. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | (b) Deposit of wills. A depositor may deposit a will with | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | the Secretary of State if the depositor certifies in writing to |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | the Secretary of State that the depositor is unable to locate | ||||||
2 | the testator after a diligent search. This Section applies | ||||||
3 | whether it is known or unknown whether the testator is living.
| ||||||
4 | (c) Assumptions. The Secretary of State may assume, without | ||||||
5 | inquiring into the facts, that the depositor has first made a | ||||||
6 | diligent search for the testator. | ||||||
7 | (d) Fee. The Secretary of State shall collect a fee of $25 | ||||||
8 | for each deposit of a will. The Secretary of State shall not | ||||||
9 | collect a separate fee for additional documents concurrently | ||||||
10 | deposited in relation to a single testator or for a single | ||||||
11 | joint will prepared for a husband and wife.
| ||||||
12 | (e) Duty of Secretary of State upon receipt. Upon receipt | ||||||
13 | of a will under this Section, the Secretary of State shall: | ||||||
14 | (1) provide the depositor with a receipt for the will, | ||||||
15 | which receipt shall contain the information designated on | ||||||
16 | the envelope in accordance with paragraph (3) of this | ||||||
17 | subsection; | ||||||
18 | (2) place the will or wills deposited concurrently in | ||||||
19 | relation to a single testator in one envelope and seal the | ||||||
20 | envelope securely in the presence of the depositor or | ||||||
21 | depositor's agent; | ||||||
22 | (3) designate on the envelope: | ||||||
23 | (A) the date of deposit; | ||||||
24 | (B) the name, address, and telephone number of the | ||||||
25 | depositor; | ||||||
26 | (C) the name and last known address of the |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | testator; | ||||||
2 | (D) at the depositor's option, any and all of the | ||||||
3 | following information: | ||||||
4 | (i) alternate names by which the testator may | ||||||
5 | have been known; | ||||||
6 | (ii) the testator's birth date, and | ||||||
7 | (iii) the last 4 digits of the testator's | ||||||
8 | Social Security number; and | ||||||
9 | (E) with respect to each document enclosed: | ||||||
10 | (i) a short description of the document, | ||||||
11 | including, if shown, its date of execution; and | ||||||
12 | (ii) the number of pages in the document; and | ||||||
13 | (4) index the will alphabetically by the name of the | ||||||
14 | testator, and by the alternate names set forth by which the | ||||||
15 | testator may have been known. | ||||||
16 | (f) Status as a public record. An envelope and will | ||||||
17 | deposited under this Section are not public records. The index | ||||||
18 | created under item (4) of subsection (e) is a public record. | ||||||
19 | (g) Duty of Secretary of State during testator's lifetime. | ||||||
20 | During the testator's lifetime, the Secretary of State shall: | ||||||
21 | (1) keep the envelope containing the will sealed; and | ||||||
22 | (2) deliver the envelope to: | ||||||
23 | (i) the testator; | ||||||
24 | (ii) a person authorized, in a writing signed by | ||||||
25 | the testator and notarized, to
receive the envelope; or | ||||||
26 | (iii) a person, entity, court, or government |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | agency authorized to receive the
envelope pursuant to | ||||||
2 | an order entered by a court of competent
jurisdiction. | ||||||
3 | (h) Duty of Secretary of State upon notification of death | ||||||
4 | of testator. If the Secretary of State has custody of the will | ||||||
5 | after the death of the testator and is notified of the death of | ||||||
6 | the testator by means of a certified copy of the testator's | ||||||
7 | death certificate or by a certified copy of an order of court | ||||||
8 | determining the testator to be deceased, upon receipt of | ||||||
9 | payment of a retrieval fee in the amount of $10, the Secretary | ||||||
10 | of State shall deliver the sealed will envelope to the court | ||||||
11 | that has jurisdiction of the administration of the decedent's | ||||||
12 | estate within 30 days after receiving notification of the | ||||||
13 | testator's death. If there is any doubt as to whom a will | ||||||
14 | should be delivered, the Secretary of State, or any other | ||||||
15 | person, may apply to the circuit court having jurisdiction over | ||||||
16 | the testator's estate for directions as to whom the Secretary | ||||||
17 | of State should deliver the will. | ||||||
18 | (i) Duties of Secretary of State upon inquiry. Upon inquiry | ||||||
19 | by a person identified in paragraph (2) of subsection (g), or | ||||||
20 | upon inquiry of any person presenting a certified copy of the | ||||||
21 | testator's death certificate or a certified copy of an order of | ||||||
22 | a court determining the testator to be deceased, the Secretary | ||||||
23 | of State shall inform the person whether the name of the | ||||||
24 | relevant testator appears in the Secretary of State's index of | ||||||
25 | wills. For the purposes of this subsection, the Secretary of | ||||||
26 | State need not be certain that the testator is the one being |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | inquired about, but may release that information if it is | ||||||
2 | possible that the testator is that one. | ||||||
3 | (j) Destruction of will. The Secretary of State may destroy | ||||||
4 | a will deposited under this Section if: | ||||||
5 | (1) the Secretary of State has not received notice of | ||||||
6 | the death of the testator; and | ||||||
7 | (2) at least 100 years have passed since the date the | ||||||
8 | will was deposited.
| ||||||
9 | (k) All fees received by the Secretary of State under this | ||||||
10 | Section must be deposited into the Secretary of State Special | ||||||
11 | Services Fund.
|