Q: My girlfriend's ex husband passed away in January.
How can she find out if perhaps her name is on any insurance policy or bank accounts or any policies as she did not contest her divorce or return to texas because of his physically violent behavior.He was living in Bastrop,Texas when he passed away January 2 of this year. He had no family and she left all her belongings in the home.
A:
While your girlfriend can contact a life insurance company directly, the insurance company is only obliged to speak to someone who is named as the beneficiary and presents a death certificate. Similarly, she can present a death certificate to a bank and ask whether there was an account "pay on death" or "joint with right of survivorship" in her name. But there is no general registry.
It is not true that her ex-husband died without a family, even if only second or third or fourth cousins of whom she is unaware. In any event, as an ex-spouse she is not her former husband's heir.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
