How to Collect Life Insurance After a Divorce
If you're still listed as the beneficiary on your ex-spouse's life insurance policy, the process of collecting the benefits if he dies remains unchanged. Your marital status has no effect on the provisions of a life insurance policy because it's a formal legal contract between the owner and the insurance company. Unless your ex-spouse changed the beneficiary designations after your divorce, the carrier will pay you the death benefit.
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Things You'll Need
- Life insurance policy
- Certified death certificate
- Life insurance claim form
Instructions
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Contact the life insurance company. After your ex-spouse has died, call the Claims Department of the life insurance company that issued his policy. Explain the situation and request the necessary paperwork to file a claim.
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Complete the claim forms. When the claim forms arrive, carefully read all included instructions. Enter the required information into the relevant sections of the paperwork. Be sure that you don't inadvertently skip any sections, as missing information will delay the processing of your claim.
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Obtain medical records. Contact your ex-spouse's physician and request copies of his current medical records. Many life insurance companies request this material, especially if your ex-spouse died within the first two years of purchasing the policy.
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Submit all documents to the insurance carrier. Mail the completed claim forms, medical records, and a certified copy of your ex-spouse's death certificate to the life insurance company's Claims Department.
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5
Respond to any requests for additional details or information. It's not uncommon for life insurance companies to have questions when processing death claims. If you receive a call or letter from the carrier asking for additional details, provide them as soon as possible.
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Tips & Warnings
Many life insurance companies make standard forms available for download online. Visit the life insurance company's website and search for claim forms. If available, download them to your home computer. Online availability of necessary forms eliminates the need to call the carrier, which speeds up the claims process.
When mailing the claim forms and other pertinent documents to the life insurance carrier, send them using certified mail, or via another method that allows shipment tracking and proof of delivery. This reduces the likelihood that your package will get lost in transit, and provides a legitimate record of when the information was received by the company.
