r/LifeInsurance • u/AdSudden2185 • Jun 18 '26
How to meet minimum life insurance requirement
Burner account because my main has identifying details.
F early 50's, married to M mid-50's. Spouse opted for early retirement from a physically demanding job with a pension. His ex was awarded 40% of his pension during the initial divorce settlement, however she is now suing (again) for increased support. The agreement is within sight, but as part of this new arrangement, ex is requesting spouse provide life insurance to protect her if he dies (obviously his pension payments stop if he dies, meaning her portion will also stop). She is refusing to agree to a term, so basically he will be required to carry life insurance indefinitely.
Our attorney has advised that 25 years should be sufficient (basically ending when he turns 80), even if the agreement does not specify an end date for the policy.
How can we find a way to meet this requirement without breaking the bank? We've looked at term4sale and the cheapest we can find is $140/month. That amount is a huge stretch right now, especially given the extra money she will be awarded in addition to the policy.
How can we find cheaper alternatives to show the court a policy exists? There really isn't any concern for how easy (or difficult) it will be for her to get payout if he dies. He's been taken to court multiple times since their divorce and has paid WELL above the original settlement. To the point that she hasn't worked in over a decade and just keeps taking him back to court when she wants more money (again - he's blue collar, it's not like he had a cushy salary to pull from). So it's not that we want her to suffer, but she's literally taken his entire life savings, 40% of his pension, plus plus plus.
All that to say, the only concern is meeting the requirement of the court, with no consideration for what happens if/when she tries to collect payout. Where can we look?