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Life insurance is an important term in a divorce agreement

On Behalf of | Mar 13, 2020 | Family Law

Couples in Illinois who are getting a divorce often devote most of their thought to settling issues such as custody and division of the marital estate. There are other details that may get lost in the shuffle that are no less important. This can include things like life insurance.

The most critical life insurance decision in a family law matter is how much coverage the spouses must maintain. This involves an estimation of the costs of raising the children until the age of majority. There are many variables that are difficult to forecast such as inflation and the exact needs of the children. It is important to have enough life insurance but also critical not to force spouses to overpay for unnecessary insurance with their limited resources.

Another possible issue is the increased cost of life insurance as one ages. Any assumption about premiums changes for a policy renewal because insurance for older people costs more. In addition, there may be the possibility that one may not even be able to qualify for a policy if they have developed certain health conditions. Any one of these details can have major impacts years down the line if the proper terms are not included in the divorce agreement at the time of signing.

A family law attorney may help their clients stay focused on all of the details when it comes to negotiating a divorce agreement. People in the middle of a divorce are usually being pulled in many different directions, and the attorney might be able to foresee things that people would otherwise miss. Then, they could help their client in negotiating the agreement and structuring the important terms so that they can prevent their client from being taken by surprise years into the future when a key term is missing.