Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Illinois

No. Any unfound assets still belong to the beneficiary of the Will. It does no good legally to hide assets from the intended recipient. Property over which a decedent has power of appointment are such things as bank accounts (TOD or JT Accounts), insurance policies left to specific beneficiaries, ins. policies left to "the Estate" become the property of the Estate beneficiary, pension funds not specifically left to a surviving spouse by the terms of the pension documents. These are a few examples. If the intent of the decedent was that his friend receive all of his property, not left to someone else, then all of the decedent's property belongs to the friend at the time the decendent passes. Hiding such property is theft and can be prosecuted as any other crime.