Does Life Insurance Go Into Estate? 
There may be two questions being asked here . 1 . Are the death benefits of life insurance considered as part of a deceased 's estate ? 2 . Do these life insurance proceeds go into the probate process after death ? Life insurance proceeds and value can be considered a part of the OWNER 'S estate for estate tax purposes if it is either owned by the person at the time of the insured 's death , or had been transferred away within the past three years . This can get complicated , and should be discussed with a professional in your area who can help you understand better . Now , for the second question . If structured correctly , just like Jerry said above , one of the benefits of life insurance is that it BYPASSES probate and is not dragged into that process . To take advantage of this , you should have your beneficiary designations reviewed on a regular basis by a trusted professional in your area . 