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Life insurance in divorce is a critically important topic. 

If your ex will pay you any support, whether it is a child support or a spousal maintenance (the same as alimony), you want to make sure that he/she has a life insurance policy in effect which names you as the irrevocable beneficiary. The divorce agreement should describe this in detail, and safeguard you against his possible failure to make payments on the policy.

Here are a few important questions/issues that you should address when discussing life insurance in divorce:

1. How much life insurance should my ex or we maintain and for how long?
2. Who pays for the premiums?
3. How do I make sure that my ex keeps me as the beneficiary?
4. What if my ex can’t get a life insurance?
5. What happens if my ex does not die and “just” gets disabled?
6. How do you ‘divide’ up the cash value of the life insurance?

               
Denisa Tova MBA, CFP, CDFA provides divorce financial expertise to divorcing individuals and mediation services. She is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, Certified Financial Planner and Mediator.