How long it takes to receive life insurance money depends upon the specific situation. If your initial claim was approved, you should have the life insurance money in anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. When denials must be appealed, factor in the time it takes you to prepare your appeal and your insurer to review it. Assuming your appeal is successful, this process can increase how long it takes to receive life insurance money by several more months. If you must take legal action to try and get the death benefit, it may take significantly longer. One of our denied life insurance attorneys can counsel you about possible timing based on your unique circumstances.