Application concerning entitlement to proceeds of a life insurance policy where the insured had first designated a sibling as revocable beneficiary and later designated a spouse and child in a will.
The will was subsequently revoked by operation of law upon the insured’s later marriage.
The court held that the beneficiary designation contained in the will constituted a “declaration” under the Insurance Act that revoked the earlier designation.
When the will was later revoked by marriage, the revocation did not revive the earlier beneficiary designation, leaving no valid beneficiary designation in effect.
Accordingly, the proceeds of the life insurance policy were payable to the estate.
