What to do if my husband passed away and I just found out the his former in-laws have a life insurance policy on him?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if my husband passed away and I just found out the his former in-laws have a life insurance policy on him?
He had been divorced from his previous wife for over 13 years. Are they allowed to carrier life insurance on him?
Asked on April 8, 2013 under Insurance Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
In order to have a valid life insurance policy on someone, the owner must have what is called an "insurable interest". This means they must possess a legal justification as to why they have taken out such a policy on someone. For example, the breadwinner of the family may want to take a policy out on themself in order provide for their spouse and children in the event of their death or, in the case of a divorce, an ex-wife may want to insure her ex-husband's life if he is to provide spousal support for her and/or child support for their children. However, an in-law having an insurable interest would be peculiar under normal circumstances, and the fact that your husband was their ex-son-in-law further makes having a policy on him even more peculiar. However, that's not to say there is no justifiable reason for having a policy taken out (perhaps they still had joint business interests of some kind), just that it's quite out of the ordinary. Bottom line, the insurer will make the call has to whether or not to pay out on such a claim.
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.