In Re Monreal Estate

On December 29, 1969, Robert Mon-real obtained a default judgment of divorce from Catherine Monreal in the Genesee Circuit Court. The couple had five children. The divorce judgment provided, almost verbatim from a property settlement, that Robert Monreal was to designate the children as beneficiaries of a life insurance policy provided by his employer.

Mr. Monreal initially complied with the provision, but, in January of 1972, made his second wife Zetta the beneficiary of his life insurance. Robert and Zetta were divorced in 1980. As part of this divorce judgment, Zetta was to give up any…