I have a question about life insurance- my brother was executor of my mothers estate- she didn't have much but

Question

she told me before she died (on many occasions) that she had a life insurance policy through work that she left to me. $10,000. My brother and I haven't spoken since the funeral- is there any way for me to find out about this without going through him?

Answer 1

You have to find out.  The executor wouldn't necessarily know.  You have to make the claim as well.

Answer 2

A life insurance policy pays only to the named insured.  It does not become part of the probated estate.  You would have to search her personal records to locate the policy.  

Many people, howver, are told by loved ones that there are insurance policies and then that turns out to be untrue.  Employer life plans are group term insurance;  if the premium payments weren't kept up, that coverage probably lapsed.

Answer 3

he has no say when it comes to a life insurance policy

check with human resources where she worked at

Answer 4

If your brother was executor, there was a will. That will has to be read and/or published in most jurisdiction.

Check with the Clerk's Office in the County where your mother died and ask them when the will is going to be read or published.

If you mean that you were the beneficiary of the insurance policy, you need to find out what company it was through and make a claim.

If you were in the will, you should have gotten a copy.

You have my sympathy. When my mother died, an older sister was executrix. She and my other sister put their heads together and convinced my mother's lawyer that I had said I didn't want my third of the estate. They then put her house up for sale for about half what it was worth (I was out of town, on Army business). Luckily I had occasion to talk to the lawyer about something else and he mentioned my giving up my share, which was news to me. So I ended up with my share (we each lost about $10,000 due to their attempted end-run when the house was purchased for the listing price) and I also lost two sisters, or more to the point, they lost me.

Answer 5

No, there isn't.  

But  you don't have to worry, because the life insurance company would make the check out to YOU, not to your brother.  They make it out to the beneficiary, and mail it directly to them.  

The executor can't stop that from happening, as long as the claim has been filed.

You will have to ask him if he's filed the claim, or found the papers.  

If you're asking, is there a central database where you can look it up, the answer is no.