Lots of questions here…

I am hoping to get some help or information about my fathers life insurance policies. My father passed away 2 months ago. My sister and I are the only living relatives of his. Since his passing we have become the executors of his estate. We found, what we believe are two life insurance policies. We called the insurance company (Athene) and they stated that neither my sister or I are listed as beneficiaries. The person on the phone accidentally let the name of the beneficiary slip and it is his 1st wife. My father was married twice and my mother being his second marriage. They have since divorced. He has been paying into the policies since the early 80’s. Athene will not give us any information as to what insurance is or what it is worth. We have submitted a claim against the beneficiary and now Athene’s legal team is looking at the issue. We have found his divorce decree and it states in there that these policies belong to my dad and will be his after the divorce. Do my sister and I have a valid claim? Is it possible that there could be a mix up in beneficiaries since the policies are so old? Like something was not filed properly? He got these policies a few years before we were born. We have found documents naming my sister and I as beneficiaries to old life insurance policies while he was in the military. We just find it hard to believe after all of these years that his first wife would be set as the beneficiary. When my father died, he was single. His longtime partner passed before him.

Another question is, could these policies be annuities? We have found 1099-INT’s for them.