44-371. Annuity contract; insurance proceeds and benefits; exempt from claims of creditors; exceptions.
(1)(a) Except as provided in subdivision (1)(b) of this section and in section 68-919, all proceeds, cash values, and benefits accruing under any annuity contract, under any policy or certificate of life insurance payable upon the death of the insured to a beneficiary other than the estate of the insured, or under any accident or health insurance policy shall be exempt from attachment, garnishment, or other legal or equitable process and from all claims of creditors of the insured and of the beneficiary if related to the insured by blood or marriage, unless a written assignment to the contrary has been obtained by the claimant.
(b) Subdivision (1)(a) of this section shall not apply to:
(i) An individual's aggregate interests greater than one hundred thousand dollars in all loan values or cash values of all matured or unmatured life insurance contracts and in all proceeds, cash values, or benefits accruing under all annuity contracts owned by such individual; and
(ii) An individual's interest in all loan values or cash values of all matured or unmatured life insurance contracts and in all proceeds, cash values, or benefits accruing under all annuity contracts owned by such individual, to the extent that the loan values or cash values of any matured or unmatured life insurance contract or the proceeds, cash values, or benefits accruing under any annuity contract were established or increased through contributions, premiums, or any other payments made within three years prior to bankruptcy or within three years prior to entry against the individual of a money judgment which thereafter becomes final.
(c) An insurance company shall not be liable or responsible to any person to determine or ascertain the existence or identity of any such creditors prior to payment of any such loan values, cash values, proceeds, or benefits.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, proceeds, cash values, and benefits accruing under any annuity contract or under any policy or certificate of life insurance payable upon the death of the insured to a beneficiary other than the estate of the insured shall not be exempt from attachment, garnishment, or other legal or equitable process by a judgment creditor of the beneficiary if the judgment against the beneficiary was based on, arose from, or was related to an act, transaction, or course of conduct for which the beneficiary has been convicted by any court of a crime punishable only by life imprisonment or death. No insurance company shall be liable or responsible to any person to determine or ascertain the existence or identity of any such judgment creditor prior to payment of any such proceeds, cash values, or benefits. This subsection shall apply to any judgment rendered on or after January 1, 1995, irrespective of when the criminal conviction is or was rendered and irrespective of whether proceedings for attachment, garnishment, or other legal or equitable process were pending on March 14, 1997.
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Annotations
Where this section is not applicable, an oral assignment or pledge of a life insurance policy by the named beneficiary, after the death of the insured, to secure a debt or obligation of the beneficiary, accompanied by delivery of the policy, constitutes a pledge entitling the pledgee to an equitable lien upon the proceeds of the policy. Albracht v. Prudential Ins. Co., 201 Neb. 249, 267 N.W.2d 511 (1978).
Exemption is not applicable to proceeds of policy where premiums are paid by funds wrongfully misappropriated. Mullikin v. Pedersen, 161 Neb. 22, 71 N.W.2d 485 (1955).
Money received by insured upon surrender of the insurance contract wherein such amount is payable to the insured personally is not exempt. Bank of Brule v. Harper, 141 Neb. 616, 4 N.W.2d 609 (1942).