Exemption of proceeds of certain policies.
1. If a policy of insurance, whether issued before, on or after January 1, 1972, is effected by any person on his own life, or on another life, in favor of a person other than himself, or, except in cases of transfer with intent to defraud creditors, if a policy of life insurance is assigned or in any way made payable to any such person, the lawful beneficiary or assignee thereof, other than the insured or the person so effecting such insurance or executors or administrators of the insured or the person so effecting such insurance, is entitled to its proceeds and avails against the creditors and representatives of the insured and of the person effecting the same, whether or not the right to change the beneficiary is reserved or permitted and whether or not the policy is made payable to the person whose life is insured or to the executors or administrators of such person if the beneficiary or assignee predeceases the person. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, such proceeds and avails are exempt from all liability for any debt of the beneficiary existing at the time the proceeds and avails are made available for his use. Subject to the statute of limitations, the amount of any premiums for such insurance paid with intent to defraud creditors, with interest thereon, inures to the benefit of the creditors from the proceeds of the policy. The insurer issuing the policy is discharged of all liability thereon by payment of its proceeds in accordance with its terms, unless, before the payment, the insurer has received written notice at its home office, by or in behalf of a creditor, of a claim to recover for transfer made or premiums paid with intent to defraud creditors, with specification of the amount claimed along with such facts as will assist the insurer to ascertain the particular policy.
2. For the purposes of subsection 1, a policy shall also be deemed to be payable to a person other than the insured if and to the extent that a facility-of-payment clause or a similar clause in the policy permits the insurer to discharge its obligation after the death of the individual insured by paying the death benefits to a person as permitted by such a clause.
3. This section does not apply to insurance issued pursuant to this Code to a creditor covering his debtors to the extent that such proceeds are applied to payment of the obligation for the purpose of which the insurance was so issued.
Last modified: February 27, 2006