Exhibit 5.1
                               THE MONY GROUP INC.
                                  1740 Broadway
                            New York, New York 10019

Bart Schwartz
Senior Vice President and General Counsel

                                                                November 1, 2001

The MONY Group Inc.
1740 Broadway
New York, New York 10019

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I am Senior Vice President and General Counsel of The MONY Group Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"). I am familiar with the Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed by the Company
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), relating to the
registration of shares of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share
(the "Shares"), to be issued pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated
as of October 8, 2001 (the "Merger Agreement") among the Company, The Advest
Group, Inc., Lebenthal & Co., Inc. and the other parties thereto.

     I or other in-house attorneys for the Company over whom I exercise general
supervisory authority have reviewed such documents and records as we have deemed
necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth herein. In making
such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal
capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to
us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted
to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the
originals of such copies.

     Based upon and subject to the limitations, assumptions, qualifications and
exceptions set forth herein, I am of the opinion that, when issued in accordance
with the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully
paid and non-assessable.

     I am a member of the bar of the State of New York and I do not express an
opinion herein concerning any laws other than the laws of the United States of
America and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

     I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the references to me under the caption "Legal
Opinion" in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement.

                                                              Very truly yours,



                                                              /s/ Bart Schwartz
                                                              -----------------
                                                              Bart Schwartz