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Paige Cerulli Last Updated On: August 26, 2025

What Happens to Life Insurance After Divorce?

After a divorce, you may need or want to change your life insurance policy beneficiary. If your ex-spouse had been listed as the beneficiary, you may want to change the beneficiary to be your children, another family member, a friend, or even a charity. You will need to contact your life insurance holder to update the beneficiary.

If your life insurance has a cash value component, like a whole life insurance policy, it can be considered a marital asset. You will need to include the policy in your list of marital assets during the divorce proceedings.

Additionally, you may find that you need a larger life insurance benefit amount after your divorce. If you’ve become a single parent and your children rely entirely on you financially, you may be more comfortable purchasing a policy or a rider with a larger benefit to leave to your children if you pass away. If you can afford the premiums, you might decide to increase your life insurance coverage for extra peace of mind.

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Life Insurance Options for Separated Individuals

Life insurance when separated can become even more important than it was when you were married, especially if you’re solely financially supporting your children. There are several life insurance options for separated individuals to consider:
  • Term life insurance provides coverage for a set term, such as 20 years, so it could help support your children if you pass away before they’re adults with established careers.
  • Whole life insurance is a permanent insurance policy that includes a cash value component. You can potentially access that cash value for emergency financial help, such as if you need to make a major home repair.
  • Universal life insurance is also a permanent type of insurance, but you have the option to adjust your premium payments and death benefits, which can be ideal as your children age and your financial situation changes.
  • Final expense insurance, which is called burial insurance, is a lower-cost option that can help cover your funeral expenses.

Life Insurance Tips for Divorced Individuals

If you’re getting divorced, take a careful look at your finances and your savings to determine if you need to adjust your life insurance benefit. This is also a good time to review your policy and ask any questions you might have about your coverage. If you decide you need more or different life insurance, you can get free life insurance quotes online today to explore and compare your options.

Paige Cerulli Paige Cerulli is a freelance content writer and journalist who specializes in personal finance topics. She graduated from Westfield State University and brings more than a decade of professional writing experience to the ConsumerCoverage team. Paige’s work has appeared in outlets including USA Today, Business Insider, and more.