John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance v. Sheridan

When the policy which gave rise to this bill was issued in 1938, it named as beneficiary the insured’s brother, Joseph Sheridan. The right to change the beneficiary was reserved by the insured, and the policy provided that the beneficiary might be changed “from time to time, by written request upon the blanks of the Company filed at its Home Office, but such change shall take effect only upon endorsement” upon the policy.

On June 11, 1946, the beneficiary was changed in accordance with these provisions, and the defendant Herbert J. Sheridan, brother of the insured, was named beneficiary. Then,…