Does A Will Trump Life Insurance? 
It is generally the other way around . The beneficiary of a life insurance policy will receive the death benefit at the death of the life insured . It is common for the spouse to be named as the beneficiary in a life insurance contract as it allows the death benefit to pass directly to the spouse without the need for probate . Its effect generally supersedes anything that a will or trust might say . At the death of the insured , the beneficiary simply produces the death certificate , and the beneficiarys interest in the benefit vests immediately and absolutely . That direct , absolute , and nearly immediate access is a powerful planning advantage . And , in most cases , the amounts paid directly to a beneficiary are not subject to the claims of creditors of the decedent . 