Interpleader Lawsuits Life Insurance Beneficiary Disputes

We are the leading law firm handling interpleader lawsuits nationwide, and most life insurance lawyers refer cases to us to resolve.

If there is another party trying to get your life insurance money, the insurer typically will file an interpleader lawsuit and put the policy amount with the court for the parties to battle out.

You should act fast by calling us if you received an interpleader complaint.

Best Life Insurance Lawyers Handling Interpleader Cases

WE fight interpleader cases:

The beneficiary of the policy was suspected of killing the insured;
The insured’s current and former spouses both claimed the right to receive the death benefit;
The insured had children from two different marriages and was required to keep the same policy as part of the child support agreements in both divorces;
The insured did not update the beneficiary after getting divorced and lived in a state where the law automatically cancels the ex-spouse’s claim to the policy proceeds;
The insured made a last-minute change to the beneficiary, raising doubts about possible coercion, pressure, or deception;
The insured did not name any beneficiary for the policy;
The insured assigned 100% of the policy proceeds to two different beneficiaries on the application form;
The insured and the beneficiary died at the same time, causing conflicts between their two estates and the backup beneficiaries;
The beneficiary murdered the insured and then killed himself or herself, resulting in a legal dispute between their two estates and the contingent beneficiaries;
The insured failed to follow the insurer’s rules for changing the beneficiary;
The insured intended to change the beneficiary, filled out the proper forms, but died before sending them to the insurer;
The insured changed his or her beneficiary while mentally incompetent;
The change of beneficiary looked suspicious.

Our life insurance interpleader lawyers just resolved a $3 million dollar interpleader lawsuit.

You may be the victim of a last-minute beneficiary change by a family member or caregiver, so don’t delay, call us today.

Top Interpleader Lawyers Will Win

The beneficiary of the policy was suspected of killing the insured;
The insured’s current and former spouses both claimed the right to receive the death benefit;
The insured had children from two different marriages and was required to keep the same policy as part of the child support agreements in both divorces;
The insured did not update the beneficiary after getting divorced and lived in a state where the law automatically cancels the ex-spouse’s claim to the policy proceeds;
The insured made a last-minute change to the beneficiary, raising doubts about possible coercion, pressure, or deception;
The insured did not name any beneficiary for the policy;
The insured assigned 100% of the policy proceeds to two different beneficiaries on the application form;
The insured and the beneficiary died at the same time, causing conflicts between their two estates and the backup beneficiaries;
The beneficiary murdered the insured and then killed himself or herself, resulting in a legal dispute between their two estates and the contingent beneficiaries;
The insured failed to follow the insurer’s rules for changing the beneficiary;
The insured intended to change the beneficiary, filled out the proper forms, but died before sending them to the insurer;
The insured changed his or her beneficiary while mentally incompetent;
The change of beneficiary looked suspicious.

We will investigate the case's legal aspects and advocate for you in front of the lawyers of the insurer and the other claimant. This will strengthen your stance and may persuade the other party to resolve the case out of court. If the conflict requires arbitration at times, we have the expertise to safeguard your rights as a life insurance beneficiary.

Our interpleader lawyers are experts in:

We will safeguard our clients' rights during and after the filing of an interpleader;
We will prevent the wrong party from receiving the contested life insurance benefit;
We will settle the dispute among the rival claimants;
We will handle the interpleader actions that are already in progress.

Interpleader Contingency Fee Basis

As we work on a contingency fee basis, you don’t pay us unless we win.

Other firms come to us to handle their interpleader cases as we have the reputation of being the top firm in the nation resolving these.

Some common interpleader questions

Interpleader Lawsuit Life Insurance

Definition: What Is an Interpleader Lawsuit?

A life insurance interpleader lawsuit is a type of legal action that occurs when there is a conflict over who is the rightful beneficiary of a life insurance policy. The life insurance company, as a neutral party, files the lawsuit and deposits the death benefit into the court’s escrow account. The competing claimants then have to resolve their dispute in court, and the court will decide who gets the money.

Some common scenarios where a life insurance interpleader lawsuit may happen are:

Divorce:. Some states have revocation-upon-divorce statutes that automatically remove the ex-spouse as a beneficiary, unless there is evidence of the policyholder’s intent to keep them. However, federal ERISA law may override this statute if the policy was issued through the policyholder’s employer12.

Multiple beneficiaries: If the policyholder named more than one beneficiary, there may be a dispute over how to split the death benefit, especially if the policyholder did not specify the percentage for each beneficiary. For example, if the policyholder named their children and their new spouse as beneficiaries, there may be a conflict between them over who deserves more12.

No beneficiary or invalid beneficiary: If the policyholder did not name a beneficiary, or named an invalid beneficiary (such as a deceased person, a minor, or an entity that does not exist), there may be a dispute over who should inherit the death benefit according to the state laws of intestacy. For example, if the policyholder did not name anyone and died without a will, their closest relatives may have to compete for the money.

Our top interpleader law firm resolves all interpleader lawsuits nationwide.

It is prudent to use a firm that has handled thousands of interpleader lawsuits.

The sooner you retain us, the sooner we can get this resolved.

Life Insurance Interpleader Examples

Our interpleader law firm has resolved thousands of interpleader cases.

Divorce

In a Metropolitan Life Insurance Company case a federal court in Alabama had to decide between two competing claims to a $250,000 life insurance policy. The policyholder had named his wife as the primary beneficiary and his mother as the contingent beneficiary. After he filed for divorce, he changed his beneficiary designation to make his mother the primary beneficiary and his sister the contingent beneficiary. However, he did not obtain his wife’s consent or notify her of the change. The court ruled that the change was invalid because it violated the state’s financial restraining order statute and awarded the policy proceeds to his wife.

In a Lincoln Benefit Life Company case, a federal court in Kansas had to decide between two competing claims to a $1 million life insurance policy. The policyholder had named his wife as the primary beneficiary and his children as the contingent beneficiaries. After he filed for divorce, he changed his beneficiary designation to make his girlfriend the primary beneficiary and his brother the contingent beneficiary. However, he did not obtain his wife’s consent or notify her of the change. The court ruled that the change was invalid because it violated the state’s financial restraining order statute and awarded the policy proceeds to his wife.

Last Minute Beneficiary Change

When a person changes their beneficiary shortly before they die, it may cause suspicion, especially if they are not mentally sound or able to understand and sign the documents. Such changes may be challenged by other parties who claim foul play. An insurance company would prefer to file an interpleader and let the court decide who gets the money, rather than making the decision itself.

Our beneficiary dispute lawyers have won thousands of interpleader lawsuits and beneficiary disputes.

Don’t trust your money to just any lawyer, retain our top life insurance law firm.

Beneficiary Not Named

When the person who bought the life insurance policy dies without naming anyone to receive the money and several people say they deserve it, the insurance company will file an interpleader and let the court decide who is right, unless the parties can resolve their conflict peacefully before going to court.

Our life insurance law firm handles life insurance interpleader cases nationwide.

The consultation is free so call our lawyers today.

Murder-Suicide Issues

There is a legal principle called the slayer rule that prevents anyone from inheriting from someone they murdered or conspired to murder. This rule applies to life insurance policies as well, meaning that if the beneficiary is found to be responsible for the death of the insured, they cannot receive the policy proceeds.

Instead, the life insurance company will pay the benefit to the next eligible beneficiary, such as a contingent beneficiary or the insured’s estate. If there is no other beneficiary, the policy proceeds may be subject to probate or escheat to the state.

However, the slayer rule is not always easy to apply. Sometimes, there may be a dispute over whether the beneficiary was involved in the murder or not. In such cases, the life insurance company may file an interpleader lawsuit and deposit the policy proceeds into the court. The court will then decide who should receive the money based on the evidence and the relevant laws.

Another complication may arise if the murder occurs within the first two years of the policy, which is called the contestability period. During this time, the life insurance company has the right to investigate any claim and deny it if they find any fraud or misrepresentation by the insured or the beneficiary. For example, if the insured lied about their health or lifestyle on their application, or if the beneficiary forged their signature or coerced them to buy the policy, the life insurance company may refuse to pay out.

Don’t trust any firm to handle your life insurance dispute, call us today.

Our life insurance dispute lawyers are here to help.

ERISA Interpleaders

Many group life insurance policies are governed by a federal law called ERISA. This law overrides any state laws that contradict it. If a person is designated as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy under ERISA, they can claim the money even if state laws cancel the beneficiary or block them from getting the benefit. However, this general rule has many exceptions, so interpleader lawsuits are common for ERISA policies when multiple parties dispute the benefit.

Our ERISA life insurance lawyers have successfully won thousands of ERISA cases.

Interpleader Complaint Issues

Don’t sit and do nothing if you have received an interpleader complaint, call us today.

Our interpleader lawyers handle all interpleader actions throughout the nation. Call today.

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