State RegulationsOH specificDifficulty 2/5
An Ohio policyholder named his wife as beneficiary of his life policy. They later divorce, and he never files a change-of-beneficiary form. Under ORC 5815.33, how is the designation treated?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why D is correct
Under ORC 5815.33, Ohio's revocation-on-divorce provision, a divorce revokes a beneficiary designation naming the former spouse unless the policy or the divorce decree expressly provides otherwise, so the proceeds pass to the next taker under the policy, such as a contingent beneficiary or the policy's successor provision.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Filing a new form is not required; the divorce itself effects the revocation under ORC 5815.33.
- B) The provision does not suspend and revive designations; it revokes the designation at divorce.
- C) There is no statutory equal-split rule; proceeds follow the policy's succession provisions after revocation.
Memory hook
Divorce deletes the ex - unless the papers say keep them.