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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0288

HB2220 Enrolled                                LRB9205825WHcs

    AN ACT concerning rights and remedies.

    Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The Wrongful Death Act is amended by changing
Section 2.1 as follows:

    (740 ILCS 180/2.1) (from Ch. 70, par. 2.1)
    Sec.  2.1.  In  the  event  that  the  only  asset of the
deceased estate is a cause of action arising under this  Act,
and  no  petition for letters of office for his or her estate
has been filed, the court, upon  motion  of  any  person  who
would  be  entitled  to  a recovery under this Act, and after
such notice to the party's heirs or  legatees  as  the  court
directs,  and  without  opening  of  an estate, may appoint a
special administrator for the deceased party for the  purpose
of prosecuting or defending the action. If there is more than
one   special   administrator   appointed   and  one  of  the
administrators  is  a  corporation  qualified  to  act  as  a
representative of  the  estate  of  a  decedent  and  if  the
compensation  of  the  attorney or attorneys representing the
special  administrators  is   solely   determined   under   a
contingent  fee  arrangement, then upon petition and approval
by  the  court,  the  special  administrator   which   is   a
corporation  shall  not  participate  in  or have any duty to
review the prosecution of the action, to  participate  in  or
review  the  appropriateness of any settlement of the action,
or to participate in  or  review  any  determination  of  the
appropriateness  of  any  fees  awarded  to  the  attorney or
attorneys employed in the prosecution of the action.
    If a judgment is entered or  the  action  is  settled  in
favor   of   the  special  administrator,  he  or  she  shall
distribute the proceeds as provided by law,  except  that  if
proceeds  in excess of $5,000 are distributable to a minor or
person  under  legal  disability,  the  court   shall   allow
disbursements  and  fees to the special administrator and his
or her attorney and the balance  shall  be  administered  and
distributed  under the supervision of the probate division of
the court if the circuit court has a probate division.
(Source: P.A. 87-435; 87-1260.)

    Section 10.  The Probate Act of 1975 is amended by adding
Section 19-14 as follows:

    (755 ILCS 5/19-14 new)
    Sec. 19-14. Administrator or executor; legal  proceeding;
participation.  If  there  is  more than one administrator or
executor of a decedent's estate and one of the administrators
or  executors  is  a  corporation  qualified  to  act  as   a
representative  of  the  estate  of  a  decedent  and  if the
administrators or executors of the decedent's  estate  appear
for  and  represent the estate in a legal proceeding in which
the compensation of the attorney  or  attorneys  representing
the  administrators or executors is solely determined under a
contingent fee arrangement, then upon petition  and  approval
by the court, the administrator or executor of the decedent's
estate  which  is  a  corporation shall not participate in or
have any duty to review the prosecution  of  the  action,  to
participate   in   or   review  the  appropriateness  of  any
settlement of the action, or to participate in or review  any
determination  of  the appropriateness of any fees awarded to
the attorney or attorneys employed in the prosecution of  the
action.

    Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.
    Passed in the General Assembly May 17, 2001.
    Approved August 09, 2001.

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