Exhibit 5.2

                [Letterhead of Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.]

                                 June 21, 2005


MetLife Capital Trust II
One Madison Avenue
New York, New York  10010

     Re:        MetLife Capital Trust II

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as special Delaware counsel for MetLife, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and MetLife Capital Trust II, a Delaware statutory
trust (the "Trust"), in connection with the matters set forth herein.  At your
request, this opinion is being furnished to you.

     For purposes of giving the opinions hereinafter set forth, our examination
of documents has been limited to the examination of copies of the following:

     (a) The Certificate of Trust of the Trust, dated as of May 17, 2001, as
filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the
"Secretary of State") on May 17, 2001, as amended by the Certificate of
Amendment thereto, as filed in the office of the Secretary of State on January
16, 2004, and the Certificate of Amendment pursuant to Section 3807(E) of the
Delaware Statutory Trust Act, as filed in the office of the Secretary of State
on March 14, 2005, by Chase Bank USA, National Association (collectively, the
"Certificate");

     (b) The Declaration of Trust of the Trust, dated as of May 17, 2001, among
the Company and the trustees of the Trust named therein;

     (c) The Removal and Appointment of Trustees of the Trust, dated as of
January 16, 2004;

     (d) The Removal and Appointment of Trustees of the Trust, dated as of June
15, 2005;

     (e) The Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust (including
Exhibits B-3 and C thereto), dated as of June 21, 2005 (the "Declaration"),

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June 21, 2005
Page 2



among the Company, the trustees of the Trust named therein, and the holders,
from time to time, of undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust;

     (f) A Current Report on Form 8-K, as proposed to be filed by the Company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about June 21, 2005 (the
"Current Report");

     (g) The Prospectus, dated April 27, 2005, as supplemented by the Prospectus
Supplement, dated June 15, 2005 (as so supplemented, the "Prospectus") relating,
inter alia, to the preferred securities of the Trust, representing undivided
beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust (each, a "Preferred Security"
and collectively, the "Preferred Securities"); and

     (h) A Certificate of Good Standing for the Trust, dated June 20, 2005,
obtained from the Secretary of State.

     Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are used as defined
in the Declaration.

     For purposes of this opinion, we have not reviewed any documents other than
the documents listed in paragraphs (a) through (h) above.  In particular, we
have not reviewed any document (other than the documents listed in paragraphs
(a) through (h) above) that is referred to in or incorporated by reference into
the documents reviewed by us.  We have assumed that there exists no provision in
any document that we have not reviewed that is inconsistent with the opinions
stated herein.  We have conducted no independent factual investigation of our
own but rather have relied solely upon the foregoing documents, the statements
and information set forth therein and the additional matters recited or assumed
herein, all of which we have assumed to be true, complete and accurate in all
material respects.

     With respect to all documents examined by us, we have assumed that (i) all
signatures on documents examined by us are genuine, and (ii) all documents
submitted to us as copies conform with the originals of those documents.

     For purposes of this opinion, we have assumed (i) that the Declaration and
the Certificate are in full force and effect and have not been amended, (ii)
except to the extent provided in paragraph 1 below, that each of the parties to
the documents examined

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June 21, 2005
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by us has been duly created, organized or formed, as the case may be, and is
validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction governing
its creation, organization or formation, (iii) the legal capacity of each
natural person who is a signatory to the documents examined by us, (iv) that
each of the parties to the documents examined by us has the power and authority
to execute and deliver, and to perform its obligations under, such documents,
(v) that each of the parties to the documents examined by us has duly
authorized, executed and delivered such documents, (vi) the receipt by each
Person to whom a Preferred Security has been issued by the Trust (collectively,
the "Preferred Security Holders") of a Trust Preferred Securities Certificate
for such Preferred Security and the payment for the Preferred Security acquired
by it, in accordance with the Declaration and the Prospectus, and (vii) that the
Preferred Securities have been issued and sold to the Preferred Security Holders
in accordance with the Declaration and the Prospectus. We have not participated
in the preparation of the Current Report or the Prospectus and assume no
responsibility for their contents.

     This opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Delaware (excluding the
securities and blue sky laws of the State of Delaware), and we have not
considered and express no opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction,
including federal laws and rules and regulations relating thereto.  Our opinions
are rendered only with respect to Delaware laws and rules, regulations and
orders thereunder that are currently in effect.

     Based upon the foregoing, and upon our examination of such questions of law
and statutes of the State of Delaware as we have considered necessary or
appropriate, and subject to the assumptions, qualifications, limitations and
exceptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:

     1. The Trust has been duly created and is validly existing in good standing
as a statutory trust under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C. ss.3801,
et seq. (the "Trust Act").

     2. The Preferred Securities have been duly authorized and represent valid
and, subject to the qualifications set forth in paragraph 3 below, fully paid
and nonassessable undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust.

     3. The Preferred Security Holders, as beneficial owners of the Trust, are
entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders
of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law
of the State of

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Delaware.  We note that the Preferred Security Holders may be obligated to make
payments as set forth in the Declaration.

     We consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange
Commission as an exhibit the to the Company's filing of the Current Report.  In
giving the foregoing consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the
category of Persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission thereunder.  Except as stated above, without our prior
written consent, this opinion may not be furnished or quoted to, or relied upon
by, any other Person for any purpose.

                                             Very truly yours,


                                             /s/ Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.

BJK/RSM