(760 ILCS 35/1) (from Ch. 148, par. 301)
Sec. 1. (a) Unless the governing instrument or the judgment of judicial termination of marriage expressly provides otherwise, judicial termination of the marriage of the settlor of a trust revokes every provision which is revocable by the settlor pertaining to the settlor's former spouse in a trust instrument or amendment thereto executed by the settlor before the entry of the judgment of judicial termination of the settlor's marriage, and any such trust shall be administered and construed as if the settlor's former spouse had died upon entry of the judgment of judicial termination of the settlor's marriage.
(b) A trustee who has no actual knowledge of a judgment of judicial termination of the settlor's marriage, shall have no liability for any action taken or omitted in good faith on the assumption that the settlor is married. The preceding sentence is intended to affect only the liability of the trustee and shall not affect the disposition of beneficial interests in any trust.
(c) "Trust" means a trust created by a nontestamentary instrument executed after the effective date of this Act, except that, unless in the governing instrument the provisions of this Act are made applicable by specific reference, the provisions of this Act do not apply to any (a) land trust; (b) voting trust; (c) security instrument such as a trust deed or mortgage; (d) liquidation trust; (e) escrow; (f) instrument under which a nominee, custodian for property or paying or receiving agent is appointed; or (g) a trust created by a deposit arrangement in a bank or savings institution, commonly known as "Totten Trust".
(d) The phrase "provisions pertaining to the settlor's former spouse" includes, but is not limited to, every present or future gift or interest or power of appointment given to the settlor's former spouse or right of the settlor's former spouse to serve in a fiduciary capacity.
(e) A provision is revocable by the settlor if the settlor has the power at the time of the entry of the judgment of judicial termination of the settlor's marriage to revoke, modify or amend said provision, either alone or in conjunction with any other person or persons.
(f) "Judicial termination of marriage" includes, but is not limited to, divorce, dissolution, annulment or declaration of invalidity of marriage.
(Source: P.A. 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)
Last modified: February 18, 2015