Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a)

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) is a commonly used form within Illinois. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a)

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a):

• This form pertains to the State of Illinois

• The current version of this form was last revised on January 1, 1970

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Illinois’s Form Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Illinois form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Illinois probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a), take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in IL are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Illinois.

5 reasons you should submit this form as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Illinois can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Illinois. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Illinois is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Illinois probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Illinois probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a), and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Illinois probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Illinois.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Illinois probate court office.

Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a) is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Illinois-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Illinois Form Beneficiary Claim Form (N/a). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

Secretary of State Beneficiary Claim Form Secretary of State Vehicle Services Department Titles Division 501 S. Second St. Springfield, IL 62756 217-785-3000 ilsos.gov This form must be used by the beneficiaries upon the death of a vehicle owner. Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. June 2023— 1 — VSD 774.5 This space for use by Secretary of State. The individual named as Transfer on Death Beneficiary (TOD), ___________________________________________________, certifies that the applicant is the TOD Beneficiary of __________________________________________________________, Name of Deceased w ho departed this life on_____________________, and that the deceased person was the lawful owner of the following vehicle: Date Year: _________________ Make: __________________ Model: ___________________ Body Type: __________________ Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Current Title Number: ________________________________ n Check box if you are unable to surrender the current title. I certify to the best of my knowledge that the odometer reading is: (check only one) n Actual mileage. n The mileage stated is in excess of its mechanical limits. n The odometer reading is not the actual mileage. n “W ARNING - ODOMETER DISCREPANCY.” nnnnnn Odometer reading I certify that the person shown on the face of the Illinois certificate of title for the above vehicle is the last registered owner of the vehicle listed above, and that I am listed on the title as successor upon the death of the previous owner. By my signature, I swear or affirm that this is a true and correct statement. I am aware that the law provides severe penalties for making false statements under oath. ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Applicant Signature Applicant Printed Name Date INSTRUCTIONS • Attach documentation indicating the vehicle was last titled in Illinois, the vehicle owner and TOD Beneficiary. Verification can be the title or an Illinois Secretary of State title screen print. • Attach a copy of certified death certificate for the owner shown on the Illinois title. • Complete and attach an Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD 190) along with the applicable title fee and any additional registration fee(s) if license plates are requested. The beneficiary does not have rights to the deceased owner’s vehicle registration. • Attach appropriate tax form and check payable to Illinois Department of Revenue. • If name of the beneficiary on the decedent’s title is not identical to the name stated on the beneficiary’s paperwork, an Affidavit of Correction (VSD 393), item number 6, must be completed. • Submit the completed affidavit and the above documentation to an Illinois Secretary of State facility when applying for an application for title. No tenths