Debts need to be paid from the Estate before it is distributed, but if there is not enough money in the Estate to pay the debts then the creditors will have to make do with what's in the Estate. (I recall also that funeral costs can be paid first before other debts but there must be some restriction on the amount that can be spent).
It's not a bad tactic Eddie if you know when you're going to die, but generally we don't know so it's hard to make it work