Metropolitan Life Insurance Company v. Richard E. Hanslip, Administrator of the Estate of Robert Louis Hanslip, Deceased, Ardith McCool

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding, without construing the anti-alienation clause, that the beneficiary designation on file with the plan administrator controls only in the absence of a divorce decree which dictates otherwise
• stating that “absent any applicable divorce decree dictating otherwise,” the former spouse who was the designated beneficiary was entitled to life insurance proceeds, given that state statute requiring otherwise was preempted by ERISA
• noting that an “applicable divorce decree” may change a beneficiary designation
• state statute by which any portions of an insurance contract in favor of an insured’s former spouse are revoked upon insured’s divorce from the former spouse does not regulate insurance
• state statute by which any portions of an insurance contract in favor of an insured’s former spouse are revoked upon insured’s divorce from the former spouse relates to an ERISA plan and is pre-empted by ERISA
• suggesting waiver was possible, but not stating test

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).