Life insurance of the deceased

Your life insurance may or may not be part of your succession (i.e. the property you transfer to your heirs after your death). It is part of your succession if your life insurance policy indicates that the insurance is payable: 

• “to the succession”;
• “to the estate”;
• “to the heirs”;
• “to the liquidators”;
• “to the legal representatives”;
• or to any other person referred to by a similar expression.

Your life insurance is not part of your succession if you have specifically named a beneficiary in the insurance policy. In this event, the insurance proceeds are paid to the named beneficiary after your death, regardless of whether the succession is accepted.

However, if your named beneficiary is your former spouse, the designation becomes null upon:

• your divorce;
• the annulment of your marriage or civil union;
• the dissolution of your civil union.

Where this is the case, and if there are no other designated beneficiaries, your life insurance is considered to be without a beneficiary and will form part of your succession.