The moment a life insurance claim needs to be filed is not the moment you want to figure out how it works. Here is what the process looks like, what to expect, and how to make it go smoothly.
We have filed claims with most of the major Canadian carriers. The process is more consistent than most people expect, and it moves faster when the right documentation is ready.
Who files the claim
In most cases, the beneficiary files the claim — or a family member files it on the beneficiary’s behalf. If we placed the policy, we file it with you. We handle the paperwork, communicate with the carrier, and follow up until payment is confirmed.
If you hold a policy we did not place, the process is the same — the steps below apply regardless of which advisor arranged the coverage.
What you will need
The carrier will ask for:
- A completed claim form (the carrier provides this)
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- The original policy document, if available (carriers can locate it with the policy number if the document has been lost)
- Proof of identity for the beneficiary
For large claims — typically above $250,000 — the carrier may request additional documentation, including the deceased’s medical records. This is standard. It is not a signal that the claim is in jeopardy.
For critical illness and disability claims, the documentation requirements differ. The carrier will want attending physician statements, diagnostic reports, and, for disability claims, confirmation from an employer of the loss of income.
How long it takes
A straightforward life insurance claim with complete documentation typically pays within ten to fifteen business days of the carrier receiving the full file.
Delays happen when documentation is incomplete, when the cause of death is under investigation, or when the policy has been in force for less than two years. That last point deserves explanation.
Most Canadian life insurance policies contain a two-year contestability clause. During the first two years, the carrier has the right to review the application for misrepresentation before paying a claim. After two years, that right lapses. Claims on policies older than two years are almost never contested.
This is why we review applications carefully before submission. A disclosure error that feels minor at application can become significant at claim time.
What we do
When a client calls us after a loss, the first thing we do is locate the policy details and confirm coverage is in force. We then request the claim package from the carrier and walk through the documentation requirements with the family.
We submit the file. We follow up with the carrier on the family’s behalf. If there are questions or requests for additional information, we manage that communication. The family does not need to become expert in the claims process at the worst possible time.
For disability and critical illness claims, the process is ongoing — these benefits often pay monthly, which means ongoing documentation and carrier communication. We handle that as well.
A note on beneficiary designations
The single most common complication in a life insurance claim is a beneficiary designation that has not been updated.
A policy written fifteen years ago may still name an ex-spouse, a parent who has since died, or simply “estate” — which routes the benefit through probate rather than directly to the family. The result is delay, legal fees, and in some cases a meaningfully smaller payout.
We review beneficiary designations with clients at every policy anniversary. If you hold a policy you have not reviewed in several years, it is worth a look. The form to update a designation is two pages and takes ten minutes.
The claim is the whole point
We say this plainly to every client: the premium you pay is not the product. The claim payment is the product. Everything else — the application, the policy document, the annual statement — is the process by which you secure the right to that payment.
We take claims seriously because they are why the coverage exists. If you need to file one, call us first.