Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

My father passed away 4 years ago and was with the Motion Pictures Health and Welfare and this year he would have been 65 years old. At the time of him completing the paperwork he listed a girlfriend as the beneficiary. Recently the benefits department has me, his youngest daughter, obtain results for the past 10 years to see if he was married or divorced to the listed beneficiary since they were unable to locate her. Me and my sister were told that if they were not married and they were unable to locate her they would award my father's pension to me and my sister. This all began back in late september. Today we received information that they have found the beneficiary even after we proved they were never married. Is there any way to dispute her claim to receive my father's pension?


Asked on 11/02/10, 10:23 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Aaron Feldman Feldman Law Group

It would require reviewing the rules for the pension fund to determine if you have a grievance. You say that you have "proved" that your father was never married to the named beneficiary, but this may need to be presented in a more formal manner. For instance, are there rules about how you can initiate some administrative appeal of this decision? They may have a formal review process and even an arbitration process. I would confirm those steps first, but you should definately consult with an attorney as soon as possible.

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Answered on 11/07/10, 10:34 am


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