Do You Need A Will For Life Insurance? 
Having a will is definitely not a requirement for obtaining life insurance . Typically you must name a beneficiary when you apply for life insurance and that is who will receive the death benefit of the policy as long as it is in force when the insured dies . Unless the beneficiary died before the insured does . If there is no named beneficiary when the insured dies then the death benefit will become part of the estate . If then there is no will the estate will go to probate . 