How Long Does A Life Insurance Company Have To Pay Out? 
They CAN take a long time . The good ones build their reputation on settling claims as quickly as possible . Most wo n't start a claim until they have recieved a certified death certificate and claim form . The majority will pay within 30-days of receiving that . There are some that make a sport out of dragging on the claims process . The longest I 've personally seen was 8-months and about 6 of those 8-months was because they had n't had time to look at it yet . It was inexcusable . The very best will pay the claim within 24-hours of death with no death certificate needed . The claims process does n't get any better than that . If the death occurs with in the first 2-years it will be contestable and that will slow down the process . But it should still be within 2months . 