Do life insurance proceeds go through probate?
Whether proceeds from your life insurance policy will have to go through probate depends on who you have named as your beneficiary. If you name an individual (other than yourself) or a trust as the beneficiary of the policy, the money is transferred outside of probate directly to the beneficiary, saving time and money in the process. If your goal is to make those proceeds available to your family to cover expenses, this would be the way to go. Conversely, if you have named your estate as the beneficiary of the policy or have chosen no beneficiary at all, the proceeds will become part of your estate and must go through probate. The insurer will issue the check to the probate court, which will then distribute the proceeds, net of probate fees and attorney fees, according to your will.
