Paying For Your Child’s Medical Care After Divorce

Posted by: Gerald A. Maggio, Esq.

Orange County divorce mediation; California Divorce MediatorsIn most cases, divorce means one parent generally provides child support. The payment is made to the other parent so that the child’s daily expenses are met, including food, cloth and housing. The problem is that courts cannot predict the future medical expenses of any child. It follows that the support amount every month for the child may not be sufficient to cover the future medical expenses of the child.

Covered medical expenses

Californian courts will take into account the expense of premiums payable for medical insurance into awarding the amount of money needed for child support. A part of a child’s health insurance premium acts as credit when it comes to contrast against the child support obligation of the parent. It can be determined how much money will be paid as health insurance premium in a number of different methods.

Future medical expenses

In case parents are aware of any particular medical expenses which must be paid in future, they can negotiate on how to pay such expenses as part of the settlement agreement. To give an example, if both the husband and the wife are aware of the fact that their child’s medical treatment is not covered by insurance, they can agree among themselves to divide that expense ahead of time. A few parents may consent to split those expenses equally, or in percentages which correspond to relative incomes. Alternatively, one parent may agree to shoulder all such expenses.

Uncovered medical expenses

The settlement agreement must explain how the husband and the wife will divide the extra medical expenses which cannot be reimbursed by insurance policies, like the co-pay expenses for medications and doctor visits. Spouses may either divide equally or in proportion to their income. In some cases, one parent may consent to pay all the extra medical expenses. This is factored into the child support amount paid by the other parent.

It makes excellent sense for both the parents to agree on the method for paying uncovered medical expenses. It is frequently seen that one parent will pay the medical costs and then submit the spent amount bills to the other parent for reimbursement. The second one will be provided a certain slab of time to meet such an obligation. A few parents set up a joint account and fund it equally every month. The parent using such an account must inform the other as soon as costs are incurred. Proof of payments like receipts must also be given.

To learn more about the divorce process in California and how mediation can help, please visit our page, What is Divorce Mediation

Health Insurance Considerations In Your Divorce

Posted by: Gerald A. Maggio, Esq.

Top Orange County divorce mediators; California divorce mediatorsYou need to consider several important points while your divorce proceeding is going on. Health insurance should definitely be high on your priority list. It is important to give proper health coverage particularly when you have kids from the marriage.

Obtain affordable health insurance coverage before your divorce is final

Contrary to what you may be feeling about divorce, it does change a lot of things in your life. However, one thing that will not change is that both the parties will have health related concerns for their kids as well as for them. One of the most important worries is definitely about the adequacy of health benefits. If you overlook or sidestep the issue of your health requirements during a divorce or a legal separation, you could be committing expensive mistakes that could even jeopardize your financial standing.

Hence when you are in the phase of a divorce or a legal separation, you should take out some time for your hectic schedule to look at life insurance, health policies etc, However, do not get over agitated earn you find something doubtful in those documents since laws are in place to safeguard the rights of your children and you. Rather, it is better to get your doubts clear from your legal counsel. Here are some of those options to obtain adequate health coverage for your kids and you while the marriage ends. It is irrespective of who will be .awarded the custody.

Try to get health coverage from your existing employer

In case you are employed and an affordable priced health insurance plan is offered by your current employer, then there is no harm in going through what the plan intends to offer with respect to various aspects including prescription, dental and vision. Enroll in it in the case it is within your budget and will meet the needs of your kids and you.

Times have definitely changed as getting health coverage under the policy of your former spouse or as a part of the policy offered by your employer are no longer cheap as they used to be many years ago.

You should ask your estranged spouse to include health coverage as part of your divorce settlement

While there is no certainty whether it will work or not, there is no harm in discussing the matter with your divorce attorney. It is particularly relevant when kids are also involved. The issue is a part of the section detailing about child support in the event of a divorce.

To learn more about the divorce process in California and how mediation can help, please visit our page, What is Divorce Mediation

Does Your Divorce Affect Your Vehicle Insurance?

Posted by: Gerald A. Maggio, Esq.

Orange County divorce mediation lawyers; California Divorce MediatorsAny couple that files for their divorce has to also deal with the proper distribution of their marital assets. But, there is something that many people do not consider. They often overlook the impact of the divorce on their car insurance. Divorce can affect various aspects of the couples’ car insurance including changes in rates to buy a new insurance policy.

Relationship between premium and marital status

The premium for your car insurance policy is the amount that should be paid by you to insure your car against damages including caused due to accidents. However, it is important to note that the premium rate is not same for everybody. In other words, there could be different rates for different people, state to state and even city to city. Insurers will take into account various factors to determine the premiums for the policyholders. But, it is true that your marital status may affect the rate of premiums directly as well as indirectly.

Single versus married

As per a study made by the Insurance Quotes, married people usually need to pay lower premiums as compared to their single counterparts. For instance, a married man who is thirty-five years old may have to pay as much as 3 percent less in some States for their auto insurance as compared to a single man, who is of the same age. On the other hand, a 35-year-old single woman has to pay 2.75 percent more than her married counterpart of the same age. The reason for this is it is statistically proved that married people’s involvement in auto accidents are fewer than in married people.

Indirect effects of divorce on car insurance

The car insurance premiums can be indirectly affected by a divorce too. For instance, in many States, men have to pay higher rates of premiums as compared to women. So when a woman is single once again after her divorce, her premium may lower after the divorce comes through.

The place where you start living after your divorce got finalized may also alter your premium. Premium rates for car insurance are more for all those people who live in urban areas as compared to the suburbs. Moreover, premium rates may not be same for two different suburbs.

There could be also an increase in premium rates since the multi-driver discounts or discounts for purchasing more than one policies will no longer be available to you after your divorce. Such policies include both homeowners’ policies and car insurance policies.

To learn more about the divorce process in California and how mediation can help, please visit our page, What is Divorce Mediation