Life Insurance Beneficiary Dispute Lawyer

No amount of money can make up for the loss of a loved one. But the significant amount of proceeds payable to a life insurance policy’s beneficiary can lead to disputes between those named in the policy and those who feel they were wrongfully excluded from its benefits or otherwise believe the beneficiary designation was invalid. Such situations raise a host of legal, financial, and interpersonal issues, as they are often among family members, and may involve casting doubt about the decedent’s intentions or decision-making capacity when they made or modified their beneficiary designation.

Even when a life insurance company is ready and willing to pay out a policy’s proceeds, beneficiary disputes will understandably give it pause and make it reluctant to cut a check. An insurer will be more than happy to hold on to the money and wait until the dust settles and the conflict is resolved either by agreement between claimants or by a judge’s decision. This, of course, can lead to lengthy delays that can deprive the rightful recipient of the policy’s proceeds for months or years.

At Life Legal, we appreciate the frustrations and challenges raised by life insurance beneficiary disputes. We also understand the complex legal issues that determine who will ultimately be entitled to policy proceeds. Our experienced life insurance attorneys work with clients to review and pursue their claims for insurance policy benefits. We use our deep knowledge and exclusive focus on insurance matters to achieve the best possible outcome and get them every dollar they deserve.

When someone purchases a life insurance policy, they may name one or more individuals (or a trust or similar entity) as the beneficiary. The beneficiary is the party to whom the policy proceeds are to be paid and who will make a claim with the insurer for those benefits after the insured’s death.

Often, due to life changes such as divorce, remarriage, adoption of stepchildren, or other interpersonal issues, the insured may modify their original beneficiary designation to name others as beneficiaries, either in addition to or instead of the initial beneficiary.

Those removed from a policy rarely take that news well. They may dispute the legitimacy of the beneficiary change, claiming the insured made the decision under duress, lacked the mental capacity to legally do so, or was the victim of fraud or undue influence. Other times, an insured’s spouse may be entitled to a portion of death benefits even if a different beneficiary is named on the policy. This is common in situations involving a policyholder who named a beneficiary other than their spouse at the time of their death.  

Death benefits may also be divided among the named beneficiary and others if the insured was a party to a divorce agreement that awarded all or part of the life insurance benefits to their ex-spouse or children. If a party presents evidence that a policyholder intended to change the beneficiary of their life insurance policy but passed away before they could do so, that party may argue that they should receive proceeds as the intended beneficiary.

Although the kinds of life insurance disputes that may arise vary, there is one thing they all have in common: they tend to be extremely complicated. Therefore, if you are facing a beneficiary dispute, you should seek the assistance of an experienced life insurance dispute lawyer. The variety of legal issues that can arise in life insurance disputes is extensive, and they can be practically impossible to address alone. One example of a difficult legal issue that sometimes arises in beneficiary dispute cases is when a family member of the insured party files a claim that competes with the claim of the named beneficiary. In this situation, the life insurance company will often send the competing claims to the court to determine which party is entitled to benefits under the policy, this type of proceeding is called an interpleader action.

To successfully navigate this type of proceeding, which is called an interpleader action, it is necessary to enlist the services of a knowledgeable and skilled insurance dispute attorney.

Regardless of the basis for a beneficiary dispute, those seeking to assert their rights to policy proceeds or challenge another’s rights face complicated legal, procedural, and evidentiary challenges they are unlikely equipped to navigate. But at Life Legal, representing people like you who face challenging insurance issues is all we do. Not only do we have unmatched experience handling these matters, but we will represent you at absolutely no cost unless we recover money for you. When we take on your case, we will cover the costs associated with your case upfront and recoup our costs and contingency fee from the sum we recover on your behalf.

When you come to Life Legal for assistance, we will:

• Help you understand your life insurance beneficiary rights.
• Work towards the successful settlement of your beneficiary dispute.
• Litigate complex life insurance issues.
• Ensure your rights are protected throughout the beneficiary contest process.
• Defend or contest a life insurance beneficiary designation.

If you are involved in a life insurance beneficiary dispute, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you to see how we can help. Please contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our talented attorneys.