Incorporation by Reference

In re ESTATE OF OLIVE CLINE MESKIMEN, 39 Ill. 2d 415 (1968).

In order for a document to be incorporated by reference in a will, three things are necessary: (1) the will itself must refer to such paper to be incorporated as being in existence at the time of the execution of the will and in such a way as to reasonably identify such paper in the will and in such a way as to show the testator's intention to incorporate the instrument in the will and make it a part thereof; (2) such document must in fact be in existence at the time of the execution of the will; (3) such instrument must correspond to the description in the will and must be shown to be the instrument therein referred to. All three requisites must coexist in order to incorporate an extrinsic document into a will.