...

Divorcing in Texas? Know how to protect yourself and your family by having proper insurance

Of all the topics in the world that I could think to write about, I can’t think of many that are less exciting than divorce and insurance. Imagine yourself at a party and think of what the person you’re talking to will do when you bring up one of these topics. Run the other way? Stare off into space? Quickly change the subject? I think any of these options are viable ones. I can’t say that I would blame that person. Nobody has fun thinking about divorce or insurance.

However, that does not change the fact that both of these subjects are important. Adults have to come to grips and take seriously a range of unpleasant topics out of doing the right thing and taking responsibility for our actions. If you find yourself in a position where you are getting a divorce or are about to start that process, you not only need to know about divorce but about the potential ramifications on your life.

Changes to your life mean that you need to take stock of what sort of insurance coverage you have and what changes need to be made in light of your personal life. We discussed earlier this week how you might need to update life insurance beneficiaries after your divorce. If you owe child support, you may be required to open up a life insurance policy so that in the event you pass away before your child turns 18, the life insurance proceeds could be invested to help raise your child.

Likewise, we covered everybody’s favorite topic of health insurance and what you can do if you get divorced and lose your insurance. These are real-life issues that will impact you in the years beyond your divorce. However, there is so much else in a divorce that we can quickly lose track of less obvious, yet still significant, topics like insurance.

Today we will wrap up this topic and hopefully share some additional insights with you that can positively impact your divorce case and the rest of your life. The reality is that nothing you read about insurance will be earth-shattering, but it can have a lasting impact- especially if you learn something you had no clue about previously. When it comes to divorce, what you don’t know can hurt you, as you quickly discover.

Disability insurance and divorce

Disability insurance is one of those things that most folks don’t consider as being relevant. If you work a “typical” desk job in an office, the chances of you being injured on the job are pretty slim. Most of us don’t live lives that require a great deal of danger, either. Stepping on one of our kids’ toys or being rear-ended in traffic are about the extent to which we could be injured daily, which results in a disabling condition.

However, allow me to paint a worst-case scenario picture for you to consider. What happens if you do get hurt and are forced to stop working for some time? Would your job hold open your position while you were out? Would your work allow you to come back on restricted duty? Many employers will not take the steps necessary to accommodate you as an injured worker. There may be liability issues in play for your employer if they allow you to work while impaired physically or mentally. As a result, there is a higher likelihood than you may be considering that you could be let go from your job.

On top of that, we can add another issue- your divorce. If you are going to be the custodial parent of your children, you will be responsible for their daily care. While you will likely be receiving child support, it will not be enough in all likelihood to support you and your kids on a full-time basis. Therefore, you will still need some income to make sure your rent/mortgage is paid, and your kids can eat. If you are injured and cannot work, where would that money come from?

As you can see, disability insurance can potentially be a necessity as far as insurance is concerned. The likelihood that you are injured and become disabled is far higher than your dying in an accident or of natural causes. Disability insurance works this way: you will be paid a monthly benefit by the insurance company if you meet their definition of disabled and cannot work. Typical disability insurance policies allow you to be paid a certain percentage of your monthly income or a set amount of money every month.

Ordered to pay child support? Getting disability insurance is crucial.

Suppose that you are a father of three kids and have just gone through a divorce. In that divorce, you were ordered to pay your ex-wife $1500 in child support for your kids. Your attorney has repeatedly told you how important it is to deliver the child support in full at the beginning of each month. On a practical level, you want your kids to do all the things they need, so child support is essential. On another level, you also want to keep the state of Texas, the judge, and your ex-wife off your back.

Your monthly salary allows you to pay the child support without much issue each month. However, what would you do if you either lost your job or became injured and were unable to work? Do you have a fallback option to take advantage of in that circumstance? Do you have money in the bank? Even if you have money in the bank, will you be able to pay your child support and live off your savings until you can heal up.

There are a lot of considerations you need to make after your divorce about disability insurance, child support, and the support of your own life. You don’t want to put your kids in a position where they will have to go without something essential because you could not pay child support for a couple of months while you are recuperating from an injury. You also do not want to deal with a judge yelling at you about not paying child support.

A court may be able to allow you some period of grace as far as paying back the child support that you owe. You may also have an ex-spouse who is considerate of your situation and won’t even bring a child support enforcement case due to your circumstances. However, the possibility exists that your ex-spouse does get a child support enforcement case against you to hold you accountable for violations regarding the payment of child support.

Should you hang your hat on receiving Social Security benefits if you become injured?

Let me take some time to talk to you about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These are programs funded through the Social Security Administration that provide disabled people with income. However, the gap between thinking you are disabled and is found to be disabled by the Social Security Administration is a wide one.

SSDI is the insurance benefits that you contribute throughout your working life. By paying those taxes, you build up credits that allow you to take advantage of SSDI. Think of these credits as health insurance premiums. As long as you are working, you are paying taxes and building up credits. Once you stop working, you have a finite period (usually five years) to apply for disability and still have sufficient praises to receive SSDI. So, you cannot stop working this year and then apply for SSDI in 2026 and expect to receive benefits.

On the other hand, almost every American adult is eligible for Supplemental Security. While SSDI tends to pay folks somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 per month, SSI tends to produce closer to $750. These are the benefits available to folks who have either never worked or have worked so long ago not to have any credits to allow SSDI to be paid. SSI is essentially welfare.

The process of being approved for either SSDI or SSI is reasonably straightforward but is tricky in terms of getting approved. First off, to qualify for disability benefits or SSI, you need to have not been working for at least the past 12 months. Next, you need to be suffering from a “severe impairment” as defined by the Social Security Administration that has lasted or is expected to last at least one year in duration.

After that, they will review your past 15 years’ worth of income to determine what jobs you have worked on a full-time basis. Suppose you are thought to return to work any of those jobs, you will not be found to be disabled. Finally, if you cannot work any of those jobs, an analysis of the national economy will be done to see if there are any jobs you can work.

If you can pass all of these tests, only then will you be found to be disabled? Social Security will allow you to appeal your first couple of denials to a judge who will bring you into their offices for an appeal hearing. There you will answer questions about your daily life, past work, and medical treatment to provide the judge with additional information about you and your case.

Overall, the rates of success in applying for disability are not high enough for me to tell you with any confidence that you will be successful in an application for disability benefits. This is true even if you have medical records from your doctors that state you cannot work. My overall point is that do not hang your hat on receiving disability benefits and opt not to insure yourself properly by purchasing disability insurance.

Homeowner’s Insurance

If you own a home, then you likely know that homeowner’s insurance covers losses and other damage to your home, as well as personal property inside of your home. If a person is injured on your property, then homeowner’s insurance will typically provide coverage in those circumstances.

As you begin your divorce case, I would recommend that you take photos of the items in your home before things go “missing.” I’m not telling you that someone will come in and take your items- but you never know. People are not themselves during a divorce, so your spouse may end up removing an item thinking it was theirs.

Your homeowner’s insurance policy is up for renewal every month. Depending on how long your divorce case takes, it may need to be paid during your case. The temporary orders phase will determine how that policy will be paid. Considering how important an asset your home is, it would be terrible if your home incurred damage during the divorce and you could not pay for it. Most mortgage lenders require homeowner’s insurance to be current, as well.

Questions about the material from today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan

If you have any questions about the information that we covered in today’s blog post, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed family law attorneys offer free of charge consultations six days a week where we can discuss your case and provide you with specific feedback about your particular circumstances.

Our attorneys represent our clients with a great deal of pride in all of the family courts of southeast Texas. We strive to provide excellent representation and customer service to each of our clients and their families. We thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog post and hope you will join us back here tomorrow.

Questions about the material contained in today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan

If you have any questions about the material contained in today’s blog post, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed family law attorneys offer free of charge consultations six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn more about the world of Texas family law as well as how your family’s circumstances may be impacted by the filing of a divorce or child custody case.

Book an appointment with Law Office of Bryan Fagan using SetMore

Ebook

Adobe Stock 62844981[2]If you want to know more about what you can do, CLICK the button below to get your FREE E-book: 16 Steps to Help You Plan & Prepare for Your Texas Divorce

Other Articles you may be interested in:

  1. What is and Why do I need to do Discovery in my Texas Divorce?
  2. You’ve filed your Divorce… now what? The “Discovery Process” and why it’s important
  3. 6 things You Need to Know Before You File for Divorce in Texas
  4. I Want a Texas Divorce but My Husband Doesn’t: What can I do?
  5. Am I Married? – Marital Status in Texas
  6. Can I sue my spouse’s mistress in Texas?
  7. 6 Tips – On How to prepare for a Texas Divorce
  8. Roadmap of Basic Divorce Procedure in Texas
  9. 6 Mistakes that can Destroy Your Texas Divorce Case
  10. Does it Matter who Files First in a Texas Divorce?

Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC | Spring Divorce Attorneys

The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC routinely handles matters that affect children and families. If you have questions regarding divorce, it’s important to speak with one of our Spring, TX Divorce Attorneys immediately to protect your rights.

Our divorce attorneys in Spring TX are skilled at listening to your goals during this trying process and developing a strategy to meet those goals. Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC by calling (281) 810-9760 or submit your contact information in our online form. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC handles Divorce cases in Spring, TexasCypressSpringKleinHumble, KingwoodTomballThe Woodlands, the FM 1960 area, and surrounding areas, including Harris CountyMontgomery CountyLiberty County, Chambers CountyGalveston CountyBrazoria CountyFort Bend County, and Waller County.

Categories

Share this article

Category

Categories

Contact Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC Today!

At the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, PLLC, the firm wants to get to know your case before they commit to work with you. They offer all potential clients a no-obligation, free consultation where you can discuss your case under the client-attorney privilege. This means that everything you say will be kept private and the firm will respectfully advise you at no charge. You can learn more about Texas divorce law and get a good idea of how you want to proceed with your case.

Office Hours

Mon-Fri: 8 AM – 6 PM Saturday: By Appointment Only

"(Required)" indicates required fields