How to Avoid Probate in Illinois Establish a Living Trust. Creating a living trust is one of the most effective ways to avoid probate. Joint Ownership of Property. Use of Transfer-on-Death Instruments. Payable-on-Death (POD) and Beneficiary Designations. Utilize the Illinois Small Estate Affidavit.
In Illinois, a property owner can create and record a transfer on death instrument, commonly referred to as a TODI, that designates who receives the property upon the owner's passing. If a TODI is properly drafted, signed and recorded, it can automatically transfer the property to the people you want upon your passing.
Simple estates might be settled within six months. Complex estates, those with a lot of assets or assets that are complex or hard to value can take several years to settle. If an estate tax return is required, the estate might not be closed until the IRS indicates its acceptance of the estate tax return.
When a person dies, Illinois law generally requires that the decedent's estate go through the probate process. The exception to this rule is if the decedent owned no real estate at the time of death, and the remainder of the estate is valued at less than $100,000.
Probate is just one way to settle an estate when someone dies. And it's not always required. Illinois law allows a different and simplified procedure for handling small estates. A small estate is one with no land and less than $100,000 in total assets.
In Illinois, the settlement of an estate typically involves the probate process. Probate is a legal procedure that includes validating a will, identifying and appraising assets, settling debts, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
You can get a Small Estate Affidavit from the Circuit Clerk, either online at .McHenryCircuitClerk or in person at the Circuit Clerk's Civil Division in Room 136.
Process to Obtain Letters Testamentary File a Petition: The executor must file a petition with the probate court in the county where the deceased resided. The petition includes the original will and a death certificate.
The state of Illinois does not set a specific time limit for settling an estate, but it does expect executors and probate courts to handle the process as efficiently and diligently as possible. Because of the variation in estates, the length of the process can vary from several months to several years.