[Letterhead of] SIDLEY AUSTIN BROWN & WOOD LLP


                               September 15, 2004


Hartford Life Insurance Company
200 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, Connecticut  06089

                 Re: HARTFORD LIFE GLOBAL FUNDING TRUST 2004-001 INCOMENOTES(sm)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     This opinion letter is delivered to you in connection  with the issuance by
Hartford  Life  Global  Funding  Trust  2004-001  (the  "Trust")  of  $5,000,000
aggregate  principal amount of the Trust's 3.75%  IncomeNotes(sm)  due 2009 (the
"Notes") related to funding  agreement No.  FA-404001 (the "Funding  Agreement")
executed by Hartford  Life  Insurance  Company,  a  Connecticut  life  insurance
company  ("Hartford  Life").  The Trust was  formed  on  September  9, 2004 (the
"Formation  Date")  and the  Notes  will be issued on  September  15,  2004 (the
"Issuance Date").

     We have acted as special  counsel to Bear Stearns & Co. Inc., in connection
with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission")  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended (the  "Act"),  by
Hartford Life, of a Registration  Statement on Form S-3 (File Nos.  333-112244),
as  amended by  Amendment  No. 1 filed with the  Commission  on March 16,  2003,
Amendment  No. 2 filed with the  Commission  on May 4, 2004 and  Amendment No. 3
filed  with the  Commission  on July 27,  2004 (the  "Registration  Statement"),
including a prospectus (the "Prospectus") relating to secured notes to be issued
by newly formed statutory trusts formed under the laws of the State of Delaware,
a prospectus  supplement  relating to secured  medium-term notes to be issued by
the  trusts  (the  "Institutional   Prospectus  Supplement")  and  a  prospectus
supplement relating to Hartford Life  IncomeNotes(sm) to be issued by the trusts
(the "Retail Prospectus  Supplement").  The Registration Statement provides for:
(i) the registration of up to $2,000,000,000, or the equivalent amount in one or
more foreign currencies, aggregate principal amount of notes to be issued by the
trusts and (ii) the  registration  of up to  $2,000,000,000,  or the  equivalent
amount in one or more foreign currencies,  of Hartford Life's funding agreements
to be sold to the trusts in connection with the sale of notes.





SIDLEY AUSTIN BROWN & WOOD LLP                                          NEW YORK

Hartford Life Insurance Company
September 15, 2004
Page 2


     In  furnishing  this  opinion,  we  have  reviewed:  (i)  the  Registration
Statement,  the  Prospectus,  the  Institutional  Prospectus  Supplement and the
Retail Prospectus  Supplement,  and the pricing  supplement related to the Notes
dated as of the  Formation  Date,  (ii)  the  trust  agreement,  dated as of the
Formation Date (the "Trust  Agreement"),  between  Wilmington Trust Company,  as
trustee,  and AMACAR Pacific Corp., as trust beneficial owner,  which adopts and
incorporates the standard trust terms dated July 23, 2004, (iii) the indentures,
dated as of the Issuance Date (the "Indenture"), between JPMorgan Chase Bank, as
indenture  trustee (the  "Indenture  Trustee")  and the Trust,  which adopts and
incorporates  the  standard  indenture  terms  dated  July  23,  2004,  (iv) the
distribution  agreement,  dated  as of the  Formation  Date  (the  "Distribution
Agreement"), between Hartford Life, Bear Stearns & Co. Inc., on behalf of itself
and each of the other agents,  and the Trust,  which adopts and incorporates the
standard  distribution  agreement  terms  dated July 23,  2004,  (v) the omnibus
instrument,  dated as of the Formation Date, which includes the Trust Agreement,
Indenture and Distribution Agreement executed in connection with the creation of
the  Trust  and the  issuance  by the  Trust  of the  Notes,  (vi)  the  closing
instrument, dated as of the Issuance Date, related to the Trust, (vii) the Notes
and (viii) the Funding Agreement.

     We have also reviewed the trust action of the Trust in connection  with the
issuance of the Notes, and have examined,  and have relied as to matters of fact
upon, originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction,
of  such  records,  agreements,   documents,  and  other  instruments  and  such
certificates  or  comparable  documents of public  officials and of officers and
representatives of the Trust, and have made such other further investigations as
we have deemed  relevant and  necessary as a basis for the opinions  hereinafter
set  forth.  In  such  examination,  we have  assumed  the  authenticity  of all
documents submitted to us as originals,  the genuineness of all signatures,  the
legal  capacity of all  natural  persons and the  conformity  with the  original
documents of any copies submitted to us for our  examination.  We have relied as
to factual  matters  upon,  and have assumed the  accuracy of,  representations,
statements and  certificates of or from public officials and of or from officers
and representations of all persons whom we have deemed appropriate.

     Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations
stated  herein,  we  are of the  opinion  that  upon  the  execution,  issuance,
authentication  and  delivery  of the  Notes,  the  Notes  will be the valid and
binding  obligations of the Trust,  enforceable  against the Trust in accordance
with their terms.

     The above opinions with regard to the  enforceability of the Notes: (i) are
qualified by the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency,  reorganization,  moratorium
or similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general
principles of equity  (regardless of whether such principles are considered in a
proceeding  in  equity  or  at  law),  and  (ii)  are  subject  to  the  further
qualification  that, to the extent that the Notes are  denominated in a currency
other than United  States  dollars,  a claim  thereunder  (or  foreign  currency
judgment in respect to such claim) would be converted into United States dollars
at a rate of exchange  prevailing  on a date  determined  pursuant to applicable
law.





SIDLEY AUSTIN BROWN & WOOD LLP                                          NEW YORK

Hartford Life Insurance Company
September 15, 2004
Page 3


     We express no  opinion  as to the laws of any  jurisdiction  other than the
laws of the State of New York, as currently in effect.  This opinion is rendered
as of the date  hereof  based  upon the facts and law in  existence  on the date
hereof.  We assume no obligation to update or supplement  this letter to reflect
any circumstances  which may hereafter come to our attention with respect to the
opinion and statements set forth above,  including any changes in applicable law
which may hereafter occur.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this letter as an exhibit to the Current
Report on Form 8-K filed by Hartford  Life in  connection  with the issuance and
sale of the Notes,  incorporated by reference in the Registration  Statement. In
giving such consent,  we do not thereby  concede that we are within the category
of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder.


                                              Very truly yours,

                                              /s/ SIDLEY AUSTIN BROWN & WOOD LLP