Life Insurance & Divorce
Why You Should Be Talking About Life Insurance During Your Divorce
When a divorce includes provisions for alimony or child support, it is a common practice to include an agreement stating that the supporting spouse should have a life insurance policy. This can guarantee that the child will still be provided for in the event that the supporting parent suffers an untimely death.
You can also include a provision in your divorce agreement stating that, if your ex-spouse changes the beneficiary designation or they allow the policy to lapse, you and/or your children would be entitled to a portion of your ex-spouse’s estate equal in value to the death benefit of the insurance policy.
How Long Will the Life Insurance Policy Be Maintained?
The amount of time the policy is maintained will depend on what the policy is intended for. If the life insurance policy is meant to provide financial security for a minor child, it can usually be terminated once the dependent child reaches the age of 21 in New York.
The supporting parent can maintain the policy beyond their child’s formative years if they so choose. If the life insurance policy is meant to guarantee alimony or a property settlement, it can be maintained for as long as the alimony payments are required, or until the business value is transferred.
Call Lois M. Brenner, Esq. to Learn More About Your Options
Lois M. Brenner, Esq., a highly acclaimed divorce lawyer, seasoned litigator, accredited mediator and psychologically trained medical professional, has been serving and protecting families throughout New York for more than three decades. She has even been featured as a family law expert on television programs like Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and CNN – just to name a few.
If you need help protecting your family’s financial security, call our team at Lois M. Brenner, Esq. today. You can schedule your initial consultation by calling (646) 663-4546.
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I had a complicated situation wherein I had to get a divorce through publication as my husband and I had not been in contact for 5 years and I was out of the US for a few years. (it was an abusive marriage) I reside in Buffalo and I spoke with several attorneys locally but I did not feel that any of the local attorneys were able able to understand my situation. Some suggested that I locate my husband, and each one of them wanted to start by identifying and listing the assets. Unsatisfied, I started looking for attorneys in NY city, and I found Ms. Brenner through Avvo. During the consultation, she was extremely kind and understanding and agreed to take on my case. Ms. Brenner helped me get a divorce through publication and she/her team took care of everything. All I had to do was provide her with documentation. I am grateful to Ms. Brenner for helping me get out of a sticky stressful situation. I would definitely recommend her to anybody in a similar situation. Thank you, Ms. Brenner.
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I had read about Lois’ unusual divorce method in one of her blog posts. It was refreshing to see someone was working with the psychological issues in divorce. My husband is bipolar and getting him to agree to a divorce and commit to the process was tough. When we met with Lois she really understood him. She immediately identified his mental health issues, and because she has a psych background, she was empathetic to his needs and was skillful at guiding him through her divorce mediation process. It took a while but she really got us to a point where we could actually discuss things without my husband blowing up. Her method is unique and it really helped in our situation. She actually recommended a great psychiatrist who changed my husband’s meds at her urging (she has a medical degree too), and my husband is coping much better. We can’t thank her enough for her compassion and advice! If you need a divorce attorney, especially if mental illness is a part of the fabric of your marriage, go see Lois! Thanks Lois - Lorna P.
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Connecting with Lois was the best thing that could have happened during what has been very difficult and fraught divorce. Lois took on my case with knowledge, wisdom and care that have been above and beyond in every way. She recognized abusive and unstable behavior in my ex-husband, and offered both strong legal guidance, as well as personal encouragement and strength to stand up to him. Her support has been invaluable to me, and I am so deeply grateful for everything she has done in helping forge a better more stable future for me and for my son.- SC
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Amazing, Skillful Mediator!!!! We went to see Lois Brenner for a mediation consultation. We had pretty much decided our marriage was over. We just wanted to end things fair and amicably. Lois Brenner spent so much time with us, and gave us great insight as to how the process would help us, we hired her on the spot. Our sessions thereafter were stealth. She organized us, helped us identify and address all the issues. She showed us how to communicate effectively throughout the process. We were able to address all our issues, especially property and finances, arrive at a comfortable settlement agreement, and now we are waiting for the judge to sign our divorce. What an extraordinary process. I highly recommend Lois Brenner and mediation. She’s super, and mediation really works.- Maggie and Josh
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I met with Lois Brenner nine months ago, and my life has been changed for the better! She and her legal team really encouraged me to leave a very abusive husband. They gave me the knowledge and courage to take the necessary legal steps. My parents were helping me and found Lois to be smart, and compassionate. My whole family felt really comfortable having her handle my case. I am finally divorced, away from an abusive man and ready to start a new life. I can’t thank Lois and her legal team enough for all the support I received. I got a much better settlement than I expected because they were relentless in locating money my husband had hidden. Thank you so much!- Kim B.
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Lois acted as the mediator in my divorce, and she was absolutely excellent. It was a very difficult time for me personally, but Lois made the process as easy and painless as it could possibly have been. She listened to each of us separately, and made thoughtful and helpful suggestions. She is fair, and seemed to genuinely care about finding a solution that was best for both parties. Lois is perfectly qualified to handle this type of situation, given her background in psychology. She truly understands people, and used this ability to keep my ex-husband and I calm, and smoothly navigate a few tricky situations. I felt very understood by Lois, and think that she not just a top-quality attorney, but also a very decent person. She is responsive, and answered my emails within a couple of minutes every time. Highly rated!
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Lois Brenner, her colleagues, team of experts and staff are phenominal. I hired them to help me to see my son who had been taken out of state by my wife during this insane pandemic. She decided to take him to stay with family but then she sideswiped me with a divorce. I was devastated. Lois Brenner and her litigation partner fought for me and made it possible for me to see my son. They are handling my divorce now and their strength and support is getting me through a really tough time. They are smart, tough and highly experienced.
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Going through with our divorce was very difficult time for me and my ex husband. Finding the right lawyer was very confusing, frustrating and time consuming. I was very lucky to find Lois. She is professional and human at the same time. In a few sessions she answered all of our questions, gave us great advice and filled and filed all paperwork for us. Our divorce was finalized very quickly and thanks to Lois it was very smooth process. If my best friend would need a divorce lawyer I would recommend Lois without any reservations.!!! Christina C.- Christine C.
