Cases split on fees for insurer in interpleader

Trial Notebook

By Steven P. Garmisa

Hoey & Farina

Posted November 24, 2020 11:04 AM

As plaintiff in an interpleader case that was prompted by a dispute about who was entitled to the payout on a $300,000 life insurance policy, Genworth Life Insurance Co. deposited the money with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and asked for $15,000 in fees and costs based on a general rule from traditional equity practice. With conflicting precedent on this issue — exemplified by two decisions from federal judges in Wisconsin — the question for Judge Robert W. Gettleman was whether to apply a …

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