Does stepmother get all of father's life insurance?

What happens to someone's life insurance depends on how they filled out the beneficiary designation from.

Attorney Tom Olsen: -and you're on News 96.5. Go ahead.

Dan: Yes, my question is-- My father passed away, my stepmom did all the arrangements for the funeral. She was very hush-hush about the insurance policy that would have paid for stuff. I understand that the siblings would be able to have part of that settlement.

Attorney Tom Olsen: All right.

Dan: Is there any way to find out, is there some kind of registry that would have a record about the payout?

Attorney Tom Olsen: Dan, the answer is no. There is no public source that you can go and find out if your dad had a life insurance policy. However, if he had a life insurance policy and if you were one of the beneficiaries, the only way they could write that check would be payable to all of you. There's no way your stepmom could negotiate that check without your signatures. So, Dan, it leads me to believe that I'm slightly doubtful that you were a beneficiary under his life insurance policy. Does that make sense to you?

Dan: Well, yes. I mean because I haven't heard anything, and I'm sure plenty of time's passed and it should've been paid out.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Yes. So, you might've been a contingent beneficiary, but she was, probably, primary beneficiary and that means that she ended up with all the proceeds.

Dan: I don't really need it, but one of my sisters could really use the kick, but there's no way we can be a part of that, is what you're telling me.

Attorney Tom Olsen: That's what I'm telling you, Dan. That's what it sounds like to me.