In a West Virginia divorce, there can be unanticipated issues that can possibly slow the divorce agreement as the parties realize that they are more complicated than they originally thought. One of these possible issues is life insurance, which may not be as simple as just picking a required amount of coverage and writing it into the divorce agreement.
One problem is choosing the amount of required coverage. Parties cannot just randomly choose a number because they have no way of knowing how much it will cost to raise children or support a spouse in the future. The proper amount of life insurance coverage involves an educated analysis of what the possible expenses would be until the children reach the age of majority.
Another issue is that the cost of coverage could change as the insured gets older. It may be burdensome to that spouse to mandate a level of insurance that could double in price at the next policy renewal. Not only that, but the insured may not be able to qualify for a policy if they develop certain health conditions. The parties may not think about these issues when they are focused on the big picture items such as a custody agreement and the division of the marital estate.
A divorce attorney may think about these issues and bring up any future potential problems so that they may be addressed in the divorce agreement. It is often difficult to stay focused in a divorce, and an attorney might help their client consider the details that they may have otherwise overlooked. Life insurance is one of those things that people try to shortcut by taking a generic solution when there may be different options that could work. It is best to approach this with foresight.
