Q: if no beneficiary listed for life insurance and goes to estate, does it go to only one in the will or do all heirs get
A: A life insurance policy with no beneficiary becomes an asset of the estate. The estate passes according to the terms of the will unless someone successfully challenges the validity of the will. The larger the life insurance policy, the larger the incentive to challenge the will by disinherited heirs.
A: The insurance company contract dictates who receives the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Some company contracts state the estate receives the proceeds when no beneficiary is listed. Other company contracts say the heirs or next of kin receive the proceeds. You first need to get a copy of the insurance policy to determine what this particular contract says. If it says the estate gets the proceeds, then a valid will governs who inherits the money after the payment of all estate debts.
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