Contesting Beneficiary

[desertrose0317]

Is it possible to contest beneficiary?

My brother Mel died of a massive heart attack in his car while attempting to drive home from work. My oldest brother Manny showed me a Beneficiary Change Form that my brother Mel had signed & dated showing that his life insurance is to be split between my oldest brother Manny (to split with his brothers and sister) and his wife. He said that he and my brother Mel drove to the post office to mail it together. He also said that our brother Mel wanted to be sure his brothers and sister were taken care of in the event of his death and that his wife will still get his 401K, half of the life insurance, and his social security survivors benefits. He was insured for $250,000.

My oldest brother Manny phoned the insurance company to inquire about how to file claims and he was told he had no right to file a claim because he was not named as the beneficiary. Manny told them that he has a signed copy that he and my brother Mel mailed together at the post office. The rep told him that since my brother Mel was insured for $250,000 but since he died close to his place of employment it has doubled so now the beneficiary will receive $500,000. My brother Manny offered to send the rep a copy of the insurance Change Beneficiary Form but the rep said it was not necessary since they never received it and that my sister in law will receive the entire amount.

Is there anything we can do to change that decision?

My brother Manny wrote my sister in law pleading with her to do the right thing but she refuses to even talk to him so my brother asked me to call her since she refuses to take his calls. She said that she will not give him (she said he's so greedy) or anyone of us nothing. She also said that she will bury my brother's ashes (she did not pick up his ashes until 2 weeks after his funeral) and not tell us where she buried him. My brother died without a will so we're not even sure if he wanted to be cremated and she said that is what he wanted. She also said he wanted to be buried on her side of the family's lot in the Philippines. I told her she can't bury him there because we cannot afford to fly to visit his grave and that all his relatives are here (this was before she picked up his ashes). She never even consulted us about his wish to be cremated or burial wishes.

She was upset at my brother Manny because my brother's wife questioned why she's never around whenever my brother Mel has an emergency. The first time he was in a coma she was in Cancun. She luckily came home and found him scrambling around at home (he didn't even know who he was). He was diabetic. Had she not come home when she did, he would of died.

This time, she was in Las Vegas when he died. So Manny's wife was upset with her because she felt that knowing my brother's condition she should have been around him more and not traveling or leaving him home alone. My brother Manny and his wife feel that she is partly responsible for his death because she's too busy traveling instead of taking care of her husband. My brother worked for the airlines that's why his wife was always traveling.

Can anything be done?