What to do if my son-in-law committed suicide and on that same day he changed his beneficiary on his insurance policy?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if my son-in-law committed suicide and on that same day he changed his beneficiary on his insurance policy?
He was Assistant Chief with the fire dept. an needed to have a higher ranking person verify this change. The fire dept. did not notify his spouse, my daughter, of this change in fact lied to her to get pertinent information in order for them to file the insurance claim. What legal action can she claim?
Asked on September 12, 2013 under Insurance Law, New York
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 10 years ago | Contributor
I am so, so sorry for your loss and for the situation. Obviously your son in law was distraught and not in his right mind and your daughter needs to act quickly here. If the funds have yet to be distributed, she needs to file a claim with the insurance company and let them know that she is disputing the change in beneficiary designation and that she wants the insurance company to "interplead" the funds in to court. She should really do this no matter what the situation so that the insurance company is on notice. Send it by certified mail RRR. If they have distributed she has a different path. She needs to get appointed as the Personal Representative of his estate (executrix or administratrix) and bring an action against the fire department and the insurance company. Good luck to her.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.