Quick legal question re insurance & suicide

[Clarinet60]

No, the H hasn't finally driven me over the edge.

It's to solve an argument with a friend, who didn't know that insurance is invalid if the insured has committed suicide. I thought everyone knew this. Did I dream it?

(She's not about to top herself either, she's just trying to solve a puzzle over why an acquantance ended it all recently).

You're right the insurance is invalid if you DIY.

Has she not seen Fletch? (where he's supposedly paid to kill a man who says he wants to commit suicide but can't or the insurance won't pay out).

However it is unreasonable. It's not as if anyone would kill themselves in order to collect the cash. Maybe it depends on the type of policy you have.

From what I have read, payment is not paid out if the suicide is within 2 years of the policy being started. Otherwise, the premiums paid up until 2 years prior to the death are repaid to the beneficiary. Do a search on google.

Good advice mears, thanks.
I haven't seen that film.
Presumably, she thought it was so at least his family would be provided for.

Our neighbour walked in front of a train in May while suffering from severe clinical depression. They still haven't held the inquest but his widow received the life insurance straight away, on production of the interim Death Cert, no problems.

I had a friend whose dp killed himself. She received the insurance money although they hadn't had the policy that long. I guess policies differ.

Ooh, looks like I might have to eat humble pie. I thought they never paid out on suicides.

Droile, as far as I know, insurance companies don't pay out if cause of death is suicide. There may be the odd policy that covers it, but I'm unsure about that.

I know of a woman who died last year after being given a drug, and the insurance company wouldn't pay out until the police investigations proved that she didn't take the drug herself. They paid up once the death certificate was issued, showing that it wasn't suicide. So as far as I know, you're correct. It might be one of those things that you'd have to check out with insurance companies.

We once took out policies that had a no-pay clause for suicide in the first two years, so the insurance companies must pay up sometimes.

Thanks everyone. Not quite sure what to say to my friend. i suppose I could dig out our policy and see what it says, but it's under a Mount Everest of paper in the box room.