44-1089 Benefits; exempt from claims of creditors; exceptions. - Nebraska Statutes

44-1089. Benefits; exempt from claims of creditors; exceptions.(1) No noninsurance benefit, charity, relief, or aid to be paid, provided, or rendered by any society shall be liable to attachment, garnishment, or other process, or to be seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or liability of a member or beneficiary, or any other person who may have a right thereunder, either before or after payment by the society.(2)(a) Except as provided in subdivision (2)(b) of this section, 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 (2)(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) A fraternal benefit society 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.(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) 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 fraternal benefit society 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. SourceLaws 1985, LB 508, § 18; Laws 1987, LB 335, § 2; Laws 1997, LB 47, § 2; Laws 2005, LB 465, § 4.