by John Darer® CLU ChFC CeFT® MSSC RSP CLTC
1999 Settlement Plan for Daughter Survived Parents Divorce in 2013
” You know this stuff really works” -Med Mal Attorney
- A New York medical malpractice attorney related to another claimant, with me on the phone, something that was extremely gratifying. It comes under the heading of “you know this stuff really works!” It does.
- The New York medical malpractice attorney had recently heard very positive feedback from another client of the attorney for whose daughter I helped put together a comprehensive settlement plan, in 1999.
- The attorney’s client’s daughter had suffered a serious neurological injury. The 1999 settlement plan approved by the presiding judge included, among other things, a supplemental needs trust, permanent life insurance on both parents/caregivers, and a diversified structured settlement portfolio with COLAs.
- The structured settlement obligations were ultimately guaranteed, respectively, by a surety bond from Allstate Insurance Company (for part) and a corporate guarantee from GE Capital Corporation (for another part) which yielded an average of 7.62% income tax free! [Those were the days my friends, and they’ll be back again… ]
All the Attendant Settlement Planning was completed without a QSF
The mother of the child is grateful for the stable income that the structured settlement provides to help with her daughter’s care. The NY personal injury attorney related how the young parents I worked with in 1999 are now divorced.. The life insurance is owned by a trust and a portion of the structure provides for an annual payment to assure that there are always sufficient funds to pay for the level life insurance premiums. Permanent life insurance was selected over term insurance because the parents were young, resources were available and we simply could not risk an insurability issue with either of the parents at the end of the term guarantee period.
Permanent Life Insurance may be a good insurance policy in settlement planning scenarios to assure the contuance of the settlement plan
For example, in the event of the divorce of the parent/caregivers of a severaly impaired child or adult
Each situation must be evaluated on its own individual facts and circumstances. It is however possible that having a child with a severe disability can also drive families apart or into a state of chronic stress or crisis. In the case in question we underwrote the parents for life insurance at a young and healthy age and the premiums stay level.
The divorce has no effect on the life insurance, as the premiums are paid for by the trustee from the child’s account. There is no need for acrimony with the ex-spouse on the issue, or for either spouse to spend additional legal fees litigating the issue of life insurance at the end of a term guarantee period, for reentry underwriting, or risking a large balloon in term insurance premiums to keep the overage thereafter if unable to get that completed.
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