Not all love is everlasting, and neither is all alimony if the breadwinner in the family isn’t alive to pay it.
According to New Jersey attorney Vikki Ziegler, star of Bravo’s reality TV show Untying the Knot, that’s why divorcing partners need to discuss alimony insurance before they’re no longer a married couple.
“Alimony is what people need to live on [after a divorce], and it’s important to make sure it does not go away … in the event of the breadwinner’s death,” she says.
Ziegler says times have changed and women are increasingly assuming the position of family breadwinner.
“In my 21-22 years of practice, we’re seeing about 25% to 30% of women being the breadwinner, while before it was 90% of men,” she says.
She says alimony insurance, which is actually a life insurance policy, guarantees the continuation of spousal support until its designated date of conclusion or in the event the payor passes away.
“Did you know that the median age of divorce in this country is 32 years old?” Ziegler says. “So [divorcing couples] can get these policies relatively inexpensively. [That’s why] in every prenup I draw up, I include a life insurance policy because it’s a no-brainer.”
According to Ziegler, couples in their 30s and 40s can get a $1 million policy for just $1,000 as long as they’re healthy, but if they’re older and smoke, it gets more expensive.
“In a lot of senses, it’s cost prohibitive, but if they’re heavy, heavy net worth, it’s worth [the added cost],” she says.
Ziegler says there are two priorities she urges her clients to keep in mind when shopping for alimony insurance: No. 1, find a policy that’s economical, and No. 2, don’t miss any of the policy payments or there won’t be enough money to support the surviving ex and his or her family if the breadwinner dies.