---
title: "When a Parent Dies in Illinois: The Paperwork | Kin Papers"
description: "The paperwork after a parent dies in Illinois, in order: death certificates, the will, Social Security, credit bureaus, IRS Form 56 and the affidavit."
canonical: "https://kinpapers.com/when-a-parent-dies-in-illinois"
markdown: "https://kinpapers.com/when-a-parent-dies-in-illinois.md"
last_updated: "2026-10-19"
---

# When a parent dies in Illinois

When a parent dies in Illinois, the paperwork runs in a rough order: certified death certificates, the original will filed with the circuit court clerk immediately, Social Security and the credit bureaus told, IRS Form 56 and an estate EIN when someone is acting for the estate, and the accounts collected, often with a small estate affidavit when the personal property is worth $150,000 or less. In probate, creditors get at least six months.

By [the Kin Papers team](https://kinpapers.com/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026

## Where do you get death certificates?

From the [Illinois Department of Public Health](https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/birth-death-other-records/death-records.html), which notes that a certified copy is the kind used to settle an estate or claim a will, and that mail orders take about 12 weeks. Banks, Social Security, the credit bureaus and the small estate affidavit each ask for one.

## What happens to the will?

Whoever has the original will must file it with the clerk of the circuit court “immediately” upon the death, under [755 ILCS 5/6-1](https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/075500050K6-1.htm). Hiding a will for 30 days after the death is known is a crime under the same section. A small estate affidavit requires the will to be on file first.

## How does Social Security find out?

Usually through the funeral home. The [Social Security Administration](https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies) says funeral homes generally report deaths, so families often don’t need to, and suggests giving the funeral director your parent’s Social Security number. If no funeral home reports it, SSA asks family to call 1-800-772-1213 with the name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death.

Two things follow. A [one-time $255 payment](https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies/lump-sum-death-payment) can go to a surviving spouse who lived with your parent, or in some cases lived apart, and otherwise to certain children; it must be applied for within two years of the death. And under [SSA’s survivors guide](https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10008.pdf), the benefit paid for the month of death and any later months must be returned: uncashed checks are sent back, and direct deposits are returned through the bank.

## How do you tell the credit bureaus?

By mail or online, with a copy of the death certificate, sent to one bureau. [Equifax](https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/relative-death-contact-credit-bureaus/), [Experian](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/reporting-death-of-relative/) and [TransUnion](https://www.transunion.com/blog/credit-advice/reporting-a-death-to-tu) each say that the bureau you contact notifies the other two. Only a spouse or a legally authorized person, such as an executor or administrator, can ask; Equifax asks anyone other than the spouse to include the court papers that authorize them. The bureaus call the result a deceased notice or deceased alert on the file.

## What does the IRS need?

- **Form 56.** The executor, administrator or person holding the estate’s property tells the IRS they’re acting for your parent with [Form 56](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i56), generally when that role begins: one form in your parent’s name and one in the estate’s. [Publication 559](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p559) says to file it as soon as the information, including the estate’s EIN, is available.
- **An EIN for the estate.** Publication 559 calls this the first step for a personal representative. It’s applied for online at IRS.gov/EIN or with Form SS-4.
- **The final Form 1040.** It covers your parent’s income up to the date of death and is generally due April 15 of the year after the death.
- **Form 1041, if needed.** An estate files an income tax return for any year it has gross income of $600 or more, under the [Form 1041 instructions](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1041).

## How are the bank accounts collected?

For personal property worth $150,000 or less, not counting registered vehicles, for deaths since August 15, 2025, Illinois lets someone collect accounts with a [small estate affidavit](https://kinpapers.com/illinois) given straight to the bank, with no waiting period in the statute. Larger estates and real estate generally go through probate.

## What other Illinois deadlines are there?

In a probate case, the representative publishes a notice to creditors once a week for three weeks, and the claim date is at least six months after the first publication or three months after notice is mailed or delivered, whichever is later, under [755 ILCS 5/18-3](https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/075500050K18-3.htm).

## Is Kin Papers a law firm?

No. Kin Papers isn’t a law firm and doesn’t give legal advice. This page lists what Illinois’s statutes and the federal agencies’ own pages say, with links to each, in the order families usually meet them. It doesn’t say which steps apply to your parent’s estate. The probate court clerk can explain filings, and a lawyer can advise on your situation.

## Sources

- [Death records](https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/birth-death-other-records/death-records.html), Illinois Department of Public Health. Certified copies for settling an estate and mail processing time. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [755 ILCS 5/6-1, Duty to file will](https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/075500050K6-1.htm), Illinois General Assembly. Filing the will immediately and the 30-day criminal rule. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [755 ILCS 5/25-1, Small estate affidavit](https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=075500050K25-1), Illinois General Assembly. The $150,000 small estate affidavit. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [755 ILCS 5/18-3, Publication of notice to creditors](https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/075500050K18-3.htm), Illinois General Assembly. The creditor notice and claim date. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [What to do when someone dies](https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies), Social Security Administration. That funeral homes usually report the death, and the number to call. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Lump-sum death payment](https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies/lump-sum-death-payment), Social Security Administration. The $255 payment, who can get it and the 2-year deadline. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Survivors Benefits, Publication 05-10008](https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10008.pdf), Social Security Administration. Returning the benefit for the month of death. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Instructions for Form 56](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i56), Internal Revenue Service. Who files Form 56, when, and one form for the person and one for the estate. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Publication 559, Survivors, Executors, and Administrators](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p559), Internal Revenue Service. The estate EIN, filing Form 56 once the EIN is available, and the final Form 1040 due date. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Instructions for Form 1041](https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1041), Internal Revenue Service. The $600 gross income threshold for an estate income tax return. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Contacting the credit bureaus after a relative’s death](https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/relative-death-contact-credit-bureaus/), Equifax. Who can request a deceased notice, how, and that one bureau notifies the others. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Reporting the death of a relative](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/reporting-death-of-relative/), Experian. Who can report a death and how. Checked October 19, 2026.
- [Reporting a death to TransUnion](https://www.transunion.com/blog/credit-advice/reporting-a-death-to-tu), TransUnion. Reporting by mail and the five business days to note it. Checked October 19, 2026.

## Related pages

- [Illinois small estate affidavit](https://kinpapers.com/illinois): The Illinois small estate affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/25-1: the $150,000 limit for deaths since August 15, 2025, no waiting period and the notary.

## About this document

This is the Markdown version of a page on Kin Papers (https://kinpapers.com). Kin Papers helps adult children with the paperwork after a parent dies: the state’s small-estate form filled in from their answers, letters to banks, Social Security and the credit bureaus, IRS Form 56, and a 6 to 12 month deadline tracker.

- Site index for AI assistants: https://kinpapers.com/llms.txt
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