Texas Family Code 7.005 – Insurance Coverage Not Specifically Awarded
(a) If in a decree of divorce or annulment the court does not specifically award all of the rights of the spouses in an insurance policy other than life insurance in effect at the time the decree is rendered, the policy remains in effect until the policy expires according to the policy’s own terms.
(b) The proceeds of a valid claim under the policy are payable as follows:
(1) if the interest in the property insured was awarded solely to one former spouse by the decree, to that former spouse;
(2) if an interest in the property insured was awarded to each former spouse, to those former spouses in proportion to the interests awarded; or
(3) if the insurance coverage is directly related to the person of one of the former spouses, to that former spouse.
Terms Used In Texas Family Code 7.005
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) The failure of either former spouse to change the endorsement on the policy to reflect the distribution of proceeds established by this section does not relieve the insurer of liability to pay the proceeds or any other obligation on the policy.
(d) This section does not affect the right of a former spouse to assert an ownership interest in an undivided life insurance policy, as provided by Subchapter D, Chapter 9.