Q & A: Answers to the Questions Our Clients Ask
We get questions like this from time-to-time at the office and it’s always a hard conversation to have:
Hi Brian,
I am going through a separation/divorce from my spouse, and I do not want them listed on my insurance policy any longer. Can I remove them?
Luckily, for us, we’re not lawyers, and this request does get into some legal territory. In general, most insurance companies will not allow the spouse’s removal until a formal divorce settlement document is available.
The way in which the property is titled is also an essential factor.
Some individuals are successful in getting this done without the document, however, it generally involves an someone not providing all of the facts to the insurance company. It is the insurance company’s job to protect the legal owners of the property. That ownership can be defined by the title of the property as well as your legal marriage. The separation of property document that is provided after the divorce, gives the insurance company the documents that are needed to remove names from the insurance policy.
One more example is when a couple is not married, but both are listed as insureds on the policy, and they separate. Our policy is that we do not make changes to the policy unless we have authorization from both parties. This includes changes in coverages as well as adding and removing vehicles.
We respect our client’s privacy, and our goal is to fill service requests as quickly as possible. Divorce and separations are stressful. When it comes to insurance policies’ legalities and their protection, we do our best to work with your current situation. Our goal is to always be able to tell you that everything will be ok in the event of an accident.