(755 ILCS 5/Art. XXV heading)
(755 ILCS 5/25-1) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-1)
Sec. 25-1. Payment or delivery of small estate of decedent upon affidavit.
(a) When any person, corporation, or financial institution (1) indebted to or holding personal estate of a decedent, (2) controlling the right of access to decedent's safe deposit box or (3) acting as registrar or transfer agent of any evidence of interest, indebtedness, property or right is furnished with a small estate affidavit in substantially the form hereinafter set forth, that person, corporation, or financial institution shall pay the indebtedness, grant access to the safe deposit box, deliver the personal estate or transfer or issue the evidence of interest, indebtedness, property or right to persons and in the manner specified in the affidavit or to an agent appointed as hereinafter set forth.
(b) Small Estate Affidavit
I, (name of affiant) , on oath state:
1. (a) My post office address is: ;
(b) My residence address is: ; and
(c) I understand that, if I am an out-of-state resident, I submit myself to the jurisdiction of Illinois courts for all matters related to the preparation and use of this affidavit. My agent for service of process in Illinois is: NAME.......................... ADDRESS....................... CITY.......................... TELEPHONE (IF ANY)............ I understand that if no person is named above as my agent for service or, if for any reason, service on the named person cannot be effectuated, the clerk of the circuit court of ......(County) (Judicial Circuit) Illinois is recognized by Illinois law as my agent for service of process.
2. The decedent's name is ;
3. The date of the decedent's death was , and I have attached a copy of the death certificate hereto.
4. The decedent's place of residence immediately before his death was ;
5. No letters of office are now outstanding on the decedent's estate and no petition for letters is contemplated or pending in Illinois or in any other jurisdiction, to my knowledge;
6. The gross value of the decedent's entire personal estate, including the value of all property passing to any party either by intestacy or under a will, does not exceed $100,000. (Here, list each asset, e.g., cash, stock, and its fair market value.);
7. (a) All of the decedent's funeral expenses and other debts have been paid, or
(b) All of the decedent's known unpaid debts are listed and classified as follows (include the name, post office address, and amount):
Class 1: funeral and burial expenses, which include reasonable amounts paid for a burial space, crypt, or niche; a marker on the burial space; and care of the burial space, crypt, or niche; expenses of administration; and statutory custodial claims as follows:
..........................................................
Class 2: the surviving spouse's award or child's award, if applicable, as follows:
..........................................................
Class 3: debts due the United States, as follows:
..........................................................
Class 4: money due employees of the decedent of not more than $800 for each claimant for services rendered within 4 months prior to the decedent's death and expenses attending the last illness, as follows:
..........................................................
Class 5: money and property received or held in trust by the decedent which cannot be identified or traced, as follows:
..........................................................
Class 6: debts due the State of Illinois and any county, township, city, town, village, or school district located within Illinois, as follows:
..........................................................
Class 7: all other claims, as follows:
..........................................................
(Strike either 7(a) or 7(b)).
7.5. I understand that all valid claims against the decedent's estate described in paragraph 7 must be paid by me from the decedent's estate before any distribution is made to any heir or legatee. I further understand that the decedent's estate should pay all claims in the order set forth above, and if the decedent's estate is insufficient to pay the claims in any one class, the claims in that class shall be paid pro rata.
8. There is no known unpaid claimant or contested claim against the decedent, except as stated in paragraph 7.
9. (a) The names and places of residence of any surviving spouse, minor children and adult dependent* children of the decedent are as follows:
| Name and | Place of | Age of |
| Relationship | Residence | minor child |
*(Note: An adult dependent child is one who is unable to maintain himself and is likely to become a public charge.)
(b) The award allowable to the surviving spouse of a decedent who was an Illinois resident is $.......... ($20,000, plus $10,000 multiplied by the number of minor children and adult dependent children who resided with the surviving spouse at the time of the decedent's death. If any such child did not reside with the surviving spouse at the time of the decedent's death, so indicate).
(c) If there is no surviving spouse, the award allowable to the minor children and adult dependent children of a decedent who was an Illinois resident is $.......... ($20,000, plus $10,000 multiplied by the number of minor children and adult dependent children), to be divided among them in equal shares.
10. (a) The decedent left no will. The names, places of residence and relationships of the decedent's heirs, and the portion of the estate to which each heir is entitled under the law where decedent died intestate are as follows:
| Name, relationship | Age of | Portion of |
| and place of residence | minor | Estate |
| OR |
(b) The decedent left a will, which has been filed with the clerk of an appropriate court. A certified copy of the will on file is attached. To the best of my knowledge and belief the will on file is the decedent's last will and was signed by the decedent and the attesting witnesses as required by law and would be admittable to probate. The names and places of residence of the legatees and the portion of the estate, if any, to which each legatee is entitled are as follows:
| Name, relationship | Age of | Portion of |
| and place of residence | minor | Estate |
(Strike either 10(a) or 10(b)).
(c) Affiant is unaware of any dispute or potential conflict as to the heirship or will of the decedent.
10.3. My relationship to the decedent or the decedent's estate is as follows:.
10.5. (The following paragraph should appear in bold type and in not less than 14-point font):
11. After payment by me from the decedent's estate of all debts and expenses listed in paragraph 7, any remaining property described in paragraph 6 of this affidavit should be distributed as follows:
Name
(c) Appointment of Agent. If safe deposit access is involved or if sale of any personal property is desirable to facilitate distribution pursuant to the small estate affidavit, the affiant under the small estate affidavit may in writing appoint one or more persons as the affiant's agent for that purpose. The agent shall have power, without court approval, to gain access to, sell, and distribute the property in the manner specified in paragraphs 7.5 and 11 of the affidavit; and the payment, delivery, transfer, access or issuance shall be made or granted to or on the order of the agent. The affiant may appoint himself or herself as the designated representative to exercise the powers and perform the duties of an agent described in this subsection (c).
(d) Reliance and Release. Any person, corporation, or financial institution who acts in good faith reliance on a copy of a document purporting to be a small estate affidavit that is substantially in compliance with subsection (b) of this Section shall be fully protected and released upon payment, delivery, transfer, access or issuance pursuant to such a document to the same extent as if the payment, delivery, transfer, access or issuance had been made or granted to the representative of the estate. Such person, corporation, or financial institution is not required to see to the application or disposition of the property; but each person to whom a payment, delivery, transfer, access or issuance is made or given is answerable therefor to any person having a prior right and is accountable to any representative of the estate.
(e) Distributions pursuant to an affidavit substantially in the form set forth in subsection (b) of this Section may be made to the affiant, if so specified in paragraph 11, notwithstanding the disclosure of known unpaid debts. The affiant, acting on behalf of the decedent's estate, is obligated to pay all valid claims against the decedent's estate before any distribution is made to any heir or legatee. The affiant signing the small estate affidavit prepared pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section shall indemnify and hold harmless all creditors, heirs, and legatees of the decedent and other persons, corporations, or financial institutions relying upon the affidavit who incur loss because of such reliance. That indemnification shall only be up to the amount lost because of the act or omission of the affiant. Any person, corporation, or financial institution recovering under this subsection (e) shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and the expenses of recovery.
(f) The affiant of a small estate affidavit who is a non-resident of Illinois submits himself or herself to the jurisdiction of Illinois courts for all matters related to the preparation or use of the affidavit. The affidavit shall provide the name, address, and phone number of a person whom the affiant names as his agent for service of process. If no such person is named or if, for any reason, service on the named person cannot be effectuated, the clerk of the circuit court of the county or judicial circuit of which the decedent was a resident at the time of his death shall be the agent for service of process.
(g) Any action properly taken under this Section, as amended by Public Act 93-877, on or after August 6, 2004 (the effective date of Public Act 93-877) is valid regardless of the date of death of the decedent.
(h) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly apply to a decedent whose date of death is on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.
(i) The changes made by this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly apply to a decedent whose date of death is on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly.
(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13; 98-836, eff. 1-1-15.)
(755 ILCS 5/25-2) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-2)
Sec. 25-2. When appointment of representative of ward unnecessary.) Upon receiving an affidavit that the personal estate of a ward does not exceed $10,000 in value, that no representative has been appointed for his estate and that the affiant is a parent or a person standing in loco parentis to the minor or is the spouse of the ward or, if there is no spouse of the ward, that affiant is a relative having the responsibility of the support of the person under legal disability or ward, any person or corporation indebted to or holding personal estate of the ward may pay the amount of the indebtedness or deliver the personal estate to the affiant. In the same manner and upon like proof, any person or corporation having the responsibility for the issuance or transfer of stocks, bonds or other personal estate may issue or transfer the stocks, bonds or other personal estate to or in the name of the affiant. Upon the payment, delivery, transfer or issuance pursuant to the affidavit, the person or corporation is released to the same extent as if the payment, delivery, transfer or issuance had been made to the legally qualified representative of the ward and is not required to see to the application or disposition of the property.
(Source: P.A. 90-307, eff. 8-1-97.)
(755 ILCS 5/25-3) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-3)
Sec. 25-3. Recovery upon refusal to pay or deliver.) If a person or corporation to whom an affidavit under Section 25-1 or Section 25-2 is delivered refuses to pay, deliver, transfer or issue the personal estate as provided by this Article, it may be recovered in a civil action by or on behalf of the person entitled to receive it upon proof of the facts required to be stated in the affidavit. For the purpose of the action the affidavit is prima facie proof of the facts stated therein.
(Source: P.A. 79-328.)
(755 ILCS 5/25-4) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 25-4)
Sec. 25-4. Sale of small real estate interest of ward. If the interest of a ward in any parcel of real estate does not exceed $2,500 in value and a private sale thereof can be made for cash, the interest may be sold as provided in this Section instead of as prescribed elsewhere in this Act. The representative of the estate of the ward may file a petition setting forth: (a) the description of the real estate, the interest of the ward therein and the value of the interest sought to be sold; (b) the name and post office address of the ward; (c) a private sale of the ward's interest can be made for cash; and (d) it is for the best interests of the ward that his interest in the real estate be sold. Upon the filing of the petition the court shall set it for hearing not less than 20 days thereafter. Not less than 15 days before the date of hearing of the petition, the clerk of the court shall mail a notice of the time and place of the hearing to the ward. No guardian ad litem need be appointed for the ward unless the court finds it necessary for the ward's protection. If on the hearing the court finds that the ward's interest in the real estate to be sold does not exceed $2,500 in value, a private sale of the ward's interest can be made for cash and it is for the best interests of the ward that the sale be made, the court shall direct the petitioner to sell the ward's interest at private sale for cash for such price as the court determines and upon receipt of the purchase price to execute and deliver a deed to the purchaser. The court shall require the representative to furnish a bond conditioned upon his disposing of the proceeds of sale in the manner required by law, and with or without sureties and in such amount as the court directs; and it is the duty of the representative to file the bond in and have it approved by the court.
(Source: P.A. 102-72, eff. 1-1-22.)