Frankie Valli is the legendary singer in The Four Seasons, but he has been in the news for other reasons in recent months. Valli won a divorce case in the California Supreme Court which strengthened California's current property division laws. The court ruled unanimously that a $3.75 million life insurance policy that was purchased by Valli in 2003 was community property. This means that the singer and his wife at the time owned it in common even though she was designated as the sole owner and beneficiary on the policy.

The court determined that anything a spouse buys from a joint bank account during marriage becomes community property unless the spouse agrees in writing to give up his or her rightful 50% share. The ruling overturned a lower-court decision which said that a divorcing spouse could claim ownership of property that was in that spouse's name. Valli and his wife separated back in 2004, but the question of this life insurance policy has been an issue ever since the divorce took place.

According to the San Francisco Gate, he bought a life insurance policy in his wife's name after being hospitalized with heart problems. He claimed during divorce proceedings that he still owned half of the life insurance policy because he purchased it from a joint account. His wife claimed that it was hers to keep because it was in her name. As the value of the insurance policy grew, this debate intensified.

A Los Angeles County judge ruled that the policy, purchased from a joint account, was community property and that the policy should stay with Frankie Valli, who could pay his wife for her half share. The appellate court disagreed with this, and ruled with Valli's wife, claiming that she should receive the full policy. The case went to the California Supreme Court, where the appellate verdict was overruled. The Supreme Court declared that unless a person says in writing that he or she will relinquish his or her half to an item purchased with mutual funds, the spouses must divide the property 50/50. Contact a local family attorney if you want more information about divorce cases and how the right attorney can help you!