State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_HB2854

      755 ILCS 5/2-2            from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 2-2
          Amends the Probate Act of 1975.  Provides that  a  parent
      may  not  inherit  from  an  illegitimate decedent unless the
      parent, 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.  Notwithstanding the preceding, a parent
      may not inherit from an illegitimate decedent if  the  parent
      abandoned  the  decedent and that abandonment continued until
      the decedent's death.  (Now, the mother and her  descendants,
      but  not  the father and his descendants, may inherit from an
      illegitimate decedent.)
                                                     LRB9009388DJcd
                                               LRB9009388DJcd
 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 follows:
14        (a)  If there is a surviving spouse and also a descendant
15    of the decedent:  1/2 of the entire estate to  the  surviving
16    spouse and 1/2 to the decedent's descendants per stirpes.
17        (b)  If  there is no surviving spouse but a descendant of
18    the  decedent:   the  entire   estate   to   the   decedent's
19    descendants per stirpes.
20        (c)  If  there is a surviving spouse but no descendant of
21    the decedent:  the entire estate to the surviving spouse.
22        (d)  If there is no surviving spouse or descendant but  a
23    parent  the  mother or a descendant of a parent the mother of
24    the decedent:  the entire estate to the  parents  mother  and
25    their her descendants, allowing 1/2 to the parents mother and
26    1/2  to  their  her descendants per stirpes. A parent may not
27    inherit from a decedent under this  paragraph  (d),  however,
28    unless   the   parent,   during   the   decedent's  lifetime,
29    acknowledged the decedent as the parent's child,  established
30    a  parental relationship with the decedent, and supported the
31    decedent  as  the  parent's   child.    Notwithstanding   the
                            -2-                LRB9009388DJcd
 1    preceding  sentence, a parent may not inherit from a decedent
 2    under this paragraph (d) if the parent abandoned the decedent
 3    and that abandonment continued until the decedent's death.
 4        (e)  If there is no surviving spouse, descendant,  mother
 5    or  descendant  of the mother of the decedent, but a maternal
 6    grandparent or descendant of a maternal  grandparent  of  the
 7    decedent:   the  entire  estate  to  the  decedent's maternal
 8    grandparents in equal parts, or to the survivor of  them,  or
 9    if there is none surviving, to their descendants per stirpes.
10        (f)  If there is no surviving spouse, descendant, mother,
11    descendant  of the mother, maternal grandparent or descendant
12    of a maternal grandparent of the decedent:  the entire estate
13    to the decedent's maternal great-grandparents in equal  parts
14    or to the survivor of them, or if there is none surviving, to
15    their descendants per stirpes.
16        (g)  If there is no surviving spouse, descendant, mother,
17    descendant of the mother, maternal grandparent, descendant of
18    a   maternal   grandparent,   maternal  great-grandparent  or
19    descendant of a maternal great-grandparent of  the  decedent:
20    the  entire  estate  in equal parts to the nearest kindred of
21    the mother of the decedent in equal degree (computing by  the
22    rules of the civil law) and without representation.
23        (h)  If  there  is  no  surviving spouse or mother of the
24    decedent and no known kindred of the mother of the  decedent:
25    the  real  estate  escheats  to  the  county  in  which it is
26    located; the personal estate physically located  within  this
27    State  and  the  personal  estate  physically located or held
28    outside  this  State  which  is  the  subject  of   ancillary
29    administration  within  this  State escheats to the county of
30    which the decedent was a resident or, if the decedent was not
31    a resident of this State,  to  the  county  in  which  it  is
32    located;   all  other  personal  property  of the decedent of
33    every class and character, wherever situate, or the  proceeds
34    thereof,  shall escheat to this State and be delivered to the
                            -3-                LRB9009388DJcd
 1    Director of Financial Institutions of this State pursuant  to
 2    the Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act.
 3        An  illegitimate  person is heir of his mother and of any
 4    maternal ancestor and of any  person  from  whom  his  mother
 5    might  have  inherited,  if living; and the descendants of an
 6    illegitimate person shall represent such person and  take  by
 7    descent  any  estate  which  the  parent would have taken, if
 8    living.  If a  decedent  has  acknowledged  paternity  of  an
 9    illegitimate  person  or  if during his lifetime or after his
10    death a decedent has been adjudged to be  the  father  of  an
11    illegitimate person, that person is heir of his father and of
12    any paternal ancestor and of any person  from whom his father
13    might  have  inherited,  if living; and the descendants of an
14    illegitimate person shall represent that person and  take  by
15    descent  any  estate  which  the  parent would have taken, if
16    living.  If during his lifetime the decedent was adjudged  to
17    be  the  father  of  an  illegitimate  person  by  a court of
18    competent jurisdiction, an authenticated copy of the judgment
19    is sufficient proof of the paternity; but in all other  cases
20    paternity must be proved by clear and convincing evidence.  A
21    person  who was illegitimate whose parents intermarry and who
22    is acknowledged by  the  father  as  the  father's  child  is
23    legitimate.  After  an  illegitimate  person is adopted, that
24    person's relationship to his  or  her  adopting  and  natural
25    parents  shall  be  governed by Section 2-4 of this Act.  For
26    purposes of inheritance, the changes made by this  amendatory
27    Act  of  1997  apply  to  all  decedents  who die on or after
28    January 1, 1998.  For the purpose of determining the property
29    rights of any person under any instrument, the  changes  made
30    by  this  amendatory  Act  of  1997  apply to all instruments
31    executed on or after January 1, 1998.
32    (Source: P.A. 90-237, eff. 1-1-98.)

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