Article III - Simultaneous Deaths - Illinois Statutes

      (755 ILCS 5/Art. III heading)ARTICLE III SIMULTANEOUS DEATHS

(755 ILCS 5/3‑1) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 3‑1)     Sec. 3‑1. No sufficient evidence of survivorship.) If the title to property or its devolution depends upon priority of death and there is no sufficient evidence that the persons have died otherwise than simultaneously and there is no other provision in the will, trust agreement, deed, contract of insurance or other governing instrument for distribution of the property different from the provisions of this Section:     (a) The property of each person shall be disposed of as if he had survived.     (b) If 2 or more beneficiaries are designated to take successively by reason of survivorship under another person's disposition of property, the property so disposed of shall be divided into as many equal portions as there are successive beneficiaries and these portions shall be distributed respectively to those who would have taken if each designated beneficiary had survived.     (c) If 2 persons hold title to property as joint tenants, the property shall be distributed 1/2 as if one had survived and 1/2 as if the other had survived. If there are more than 2 joint tenants and all of them have so died, the property thus distributed shall be in the proportion that one bears to the whole number of joint tenants.     (d) If the insured and the beneficiary of a policy of life or accident insurance have so died, the proceeds of the policy shall be distributed as if the insured had survived the beneficiary. (Source: P.A. 79‑328.)

(755 ILCS 5/3‑2) (from Ch. 110 1/2, par. 3‑2)     Sec. 3‑2. Uniformity of interpretation.) This Article shall be so construed and interpreted as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law in those states which enact similar statutes. (Source: P.A. 79‑328.)