Minor Children's Rights When Not Listed as Beneficiaries

[vatman]

What is the name of your state? Colorado

I am asking this question for the benefit of my mother who lives in Colorado...

My Father passed away last week at the age of 66 and had a relatively small life insurance policy from General Motors for which my mother (his one and only spouse) was listed as the sole beneficiary. My father had retired from General Motors some 10 years ago.

My Father has had two illegitimate children with another woman outside of marriage in the 1990's. These two children are still minors. The woman who is the mother of these two minor children has acquired the services of an attorney and now has formally contested the life insurance policy to prevent my mother from receiving the death benefit. General Motors has informed my mother of this.

The woman is claiming that her children should receive the death benefit even though they are not specifically listed as beneficiaries just because they are minor children of my father.

What rights do these minor children have to receive the death benefit? They do have birth certificates showing my father as their father.

 

[Dandy Don]

It is going to be virtually impossible for the children to win this one, since the designated beneficiary is the only one who is going to get paid.

Does this estate have any other assets?

 

[vatman]

Dandy Don,

Thanks for the reply...This should put my mother at ease.

As far as assets are concerned, there wasn't much. However, any assets that were in my father's name were all transferred to my mother before his death.

Thanks.