Fewer couples are making the choice to say “I do” than in the past, and fewer people are getting divorced too. These rates vary from state to state, and Alabama has one of the biggest decreases when it comes to marriage rates. The state’s divorce rate is going down too, but plenty of couples are still choosing to end their unhappy marriages, so here are a few things they should keep in mind.
Most people already know that they will have to split up marital property and possibly deal with things like spousal or child support. But amid all of these issues, many forget about a few important things. For example, a person who is covered by his or her spouse’s health insurance will most likely lose coverage after divorce. He or she should be sure to look into other insurance options — such as workplace plans or Medicaid — and secure new coverage before the divorce is finalized or at least soon after.
There is also life insurance to think about. Someone with life insurance coverage usually chooses to name his or her spouse as the beneficiary. Even if that policyholder gets an Alabama divorce, it does not invalidate the ex-spouse’s beneficiary designation. This means that the policyholder should be sure to change the beneficiary as soon as possible, unless he or she wants the ex-spouse to remain the beneficiary.
These are just two examples of what a person might overlook during a divorce. It is surprisingly easy to overlook things like this, even when they impact a person’s life in a pretty big way, like health insurance. This is why someone might find that working with an attorney who has experienced with Alabama family law.
