Even though decedent failed to change beneficiary designation post-divorce, ex-wife denied life insurance
Farrell Partlow and his wife divorced after three years of marriage and in the judgment of divorce, each gave up their rights to the other's life insurance. Unfortunately, when Partlow died, it was discovered that he had never changed his beneficiary designation with the insurer. On that basis, MetLife insisted on paying the proceeds to his ex-wife, Julie Ann Person, rather than to his daughter.
The daughter sued when Person refused to surrender the policy proceeds and the court ruled that ex-wife Person enjoyed no legal interest in the money she had received. Hopefully it also awarded Partlow's daughter sanctions. For that matter, hopefully the ex- hadn't already spent whatever she received.