AB645: Bill Text

AB645, s. 112 Section 112. 852.03 (4) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB645,26,5 852.03 (4) Posthumous heirs. Inheritance rights of a person specified in s. 852.01 (1) who was born after the death of the decedent are governed by s. 854.21 (5).

AB645, s. 113 Section 113. 852.03 (5) and (6) of the statutes are created to read:

AB645,26,8 852.03 (5) Related through 2 lines. Inheritance rights of a person who is related to the decedent through 2 lines of relationship are governed by s. 854.21 (6).

AB645,26,11 (6) Taking through or by alien. No person is disqualified from taking as an heir because the person or a person through whom he or she claims is not or at some time was not a U.S. citizen.

AB645, s. 114 Section 114. 852.05 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 852.05 (1) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB645,26,16 852.05 (1) (intro.) A nonmarital child or the child's issue is entitled to take in the same manner as a marital child by intestate succession from and through his or her mother, and from and through his or her father if the any of the following applies:

AB645,26,19 (a) The father has either been adjudicated to be the father in a paternity proceeding under ch. 767, or by final order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction in another state.

AB645,26,20 (b) The father has admitted in open court that he is the father, or.

AB645,26,22 (c) The father has acknowledged himself to be the father in writing signed by him.

AB645, s. 115 Section 115. 852.05 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB645,27,2 852.05 (2) Property of a nonmarital child passes in accordance with s. 852.01 except that the father or the father's kindred can inherit only if the father has been adjudicated to be the father in a paternity proceeding under ch. 767 or by final order or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction in another state.

AB645, s. 116 Section 116. 852.05 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB645,27,6 852.05 (3) This section does not apply to a child who becomes a marital child by the subsequent marriage of the child's parents under s. 767.60. The status of a nonmarital child who is legally adopted is governed by s. 851.51 854.20.

AB645, s. 117 Section 117. 852.05 (4) of the statutes is created to read:

AB645,27,8 852.05 (4) Section 895.01 (1) applies to paternity proceedings under ch. 767.

AB645, s. 118 Section 118. 852.09 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB645,27,12 852.09 Assignment of home to surviving spouse. If the intestate estate includes an interest in a home, assignment of that interest to the surviving spouse is governed by s. 861.21.

AB645, s. 119 Section 119. 852.10 of the statutes is created to read:

AB645,27,16 852.10 Disinheritance from intestate share. (1) A decedent's will may exclude or limit the right of an individual or class to succeed to property passing by intestate succession.

AB645,27,20 (2) If part of the testator's estate passes by intestacy, the share of the intestate estate that would have passed to the individual or class described in sub. (1) passes as if the individual or each member of the class had disclaimed his or her intestate share under s. 854.13.

AB645,27,22 (3) This section does not apply if the individual or all members of the class described in sub. (1) predecease the testator.

AB645, s. 120 Section 120. 852.11 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB645,27,25 852.11 Advancement. The effect of a lifetime gift by the decedent on the intestate share of an heir is governed by s. 854.09.

AB645, s. 121 Section 121. 852.12 of the statutes is created to read:

AB645,28,6 852.12 Debts to decedent. If an heir owes a debt to the decedent, the debt shall be charged against the intestate share of the debtor, regardless of whether the debt has been discharged in bankruptcy. If the debtor fails to survive the decedent, the debt shall not be taken into account in computing the intestate shares of the debtor's issue.

AB645, s. 122 Section 122. 852.13 of the statutes is amended to read:

AB645,28,10 852.13 Right to disclaim intestate share. Any person to whom property would otherwise pass under s. 852.01 may disclaim all or part of the property as provided under s. 853.40 854.13.

AB645, s. 123 Section 123. Subchapter I (title) of chapter 853 [precedes 853.01] of the statutes is created to read:

AB645,28,13 Chapter 853

AB645,28,15 Subchapter I General rules

AB645, s. 124 Section 124. 853.03 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB645,28,18 853.03 Execution of wills. (intro.) Every will in order to be validly executed must be in writing and executed with all of the following formalities:

AB645, s. 125 Section 125. 853.03 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB645,28,24 853.03 (1) It must be signed by the testator, by the testator with the assistance of another person with the testator's consent or in the testator's name by one of the witnesses or some other another person at the testator's express direction and in the testator's conscious presence, such a proxy signing either to take place or to be acknowledged by the testator in the presence of the witnesses; and .

AB645, s. 126 Section 126 . 853.03 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 853.03 (2) (intro.) and amended to read:

AB645,29,5 853.03 (2) (intro.) It must be signed by 2 or more witnesses in the presence of the testator and in the presence of each other., each of whom signed within a reasonable time after witnessing any of the following:

AB645, s. 127 Section 127. 853.03 (2) (a), (b) and (c) of the statutes are created to read:

AB645,29,7 853.03 (2) (a) The signing of the will as provided under sub. (1).

AB645,29,9 (b) The testator's implicit or explicit acknowledgement, within the witness' conscious presence, of the testator's signature on the will.

AB645,29,11 (c) The testator's implicit or explicit acknowledgement, within the witness' conscious presence, of the will.

AB645, s. 128 Section 128. 853.04 of the statutes is created to read:

AB645,29,18 853.04 Self-proved will. (1) One-step procedure. A will may be simultaneously executed, attested and made self-proved by acknowledgment by the testator and affidavits of the witnesses. The acknowledgment and affidavits must be made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state in which execution occurs and must be evidenced by the officer's certificate, under official seal, in substantially the following form:

AB645,29,20 (a) I, ...., the testator, sign my name to this instrument this .... day of ...., and being first duly sworn, declare to the undersigned authority all of the following:

AB645,29,21 1. I sign and execute this instrument as my will.

AB645,29,22 2. I sign this will willingly (or willingly direct another to sign for me).

AB645,29,24 3. I execute this will as my free and voluntary act for the purposes expressed therein.

AB645,30,2 4. I am 18 years of age or older, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.

AB645,30,3 Testator: ....

AB645,30,5 (b) We, ...., ...., the witnesses, being first duly sworn, sign our names to this instrument and declare to the undersigned authority all of the following:

AB645,30,6 1. The testator signs and executes this instrument as his or her will.

AB645,30,8 2. The testator signs it willingly (or willingly directs another to sign for him or her).

AB645,30,10 3. Each of us, in the conscious presence of the testator, hereby signs this will as witness.

AB645,30,12 4. To the best of our knowledge, the testator is 18 years of age or older, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.

AB645,30,13 Witness: ....

AB645,30,14 Witness: ....

AB645,30,15 State of ....

AB645,30,16 County of ....

AB645,30,18 (c) Subscribed, sworn to and acknowledged before me by ...., the testator, and subscribed and sworn before me by ...., and ...., witnesses, this .... day of ...., .....

AB645,30,19 (Seal) ....

AB645,30,20 (Signed): ....

AB645,30,21 (Official capacity of officer): ....

AB645,31,2 (2) Two-step procedure. An attested will may be made self-proved at any time after its execution by the acknowledgment by the testator and the affidavits of the witnesses. The acknowledgment and affidavit must be made before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the state in which the acknowledgment occurs and must be evidenced by the officer's certificate, under official seal, attached or annexed to the will in substantially the following form:

AB645,31,3 State of ....

AB645,31,4 County of ....

AB645,31,7 (a) We, ...., ...., and ...., the testator and the witnesses, respectively, whose names are signed to the attached or foregoing instrument, being first duly sworn, do hereby declare to the undersigned authority all of the following:

AB645,31,8 1. The testator signed and executed the instrument as his or her will.

AB645,31,10 2. The testator signed willingly (or willingly directed another to sign for him or her).

AB645,31,11 3. The testator executed the will as a free and voluntary act.

AB645,31,13 4. Each of the witnesses, in the conscious presence of the testator, signed the will as witness.

AB645,31,16 5. To the best of the knowledge of each witness, the testator was, at the time of execution, 18 years of age or older, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.

AB645,31,17 Testator: ....

AB645,31,18 Witness: ....

AB645,31,19 Witness: ....

AB645,31,21 (b) Subscribed, sworn to and acknowledged before me by ...., the testator, and subscribed and sworn to before me by ...., and ...., witnesses, this .... day of ...., .....

AB645,31,22 (Seal) ....

AB645,31,23 (Signed): ....

AB645,31,24 (Official capacity of officer): ....

AB645,32,3 (3) Effect of affidavit. (a) A signature affixed to a self-proving affidavit attached to a will is considered a signature affixed to the will, if necessary to prove the due execution of the will.

AB645,32,6 (b) Inclusion in a will of an acknowledgment and affidavit in substantially the form under sub. (1) or (2) is conclusive evidence that the will was executed in compliance with s. 853.03.

AB645, s. 129 Section 129. 853.05 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB645,32,10 853.05 Execution of wills outside the state or by nonresidents within this state. (1) A will is validly executed if it is in writing and any of the following applies:

AB645,32,11 (a) The will is executed according to s. 853.03.

AB645,32,13 (b) The will is executed in accordance with the law, at the time of execution or at the time of death, of any of the following:

AB645,32,14 1. The place where the will was executed.

AB645,32,16 2. The place where the testator resided, was domiciled or was a national at the time of execution.

AB645,32,18 3. The place where the testator resided, was domiciled or was a national at the time of death.

AB645,32,20 (2) Any will under sub. (1) (b) has the same effect as if executed in this state in compliance with s. 853.03.

AB645, s. 130 Section 130. 853.07 (2) of the statutes is amended to read: