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Divorce Insurance: A Concept Ahead of Its Time or Doomed to Fail?

Author

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  • Vidal-Meliá, Carlos

    (Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico (ICAE), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain).)

Abstract

Despite the significant economic impact associated with marital dissolution, divorce insurance remains conspicuously absent from contemporary risk management portfolios. This paper addresses this paradox by developing a multi-state, simulation-based actuarial framework that calculates risk-adjusted premiums incorporating critical demographic, economic, and behavioral variables—such as age at marriage, previous divorce history, and income disparities. Unlike previous failed attempts (notably WedLock in the USA), our model dynamically adjusts premiums to account explicitly for evolving marital and mortality risks, effectively mitigating adverse selection and moral hazard through mechanisms such as waiting periods and return-of-premium clauses. Simulation results indicate actuarially sound and market-viable premiums, highlighting divorce insurance’s potential as a financial tool complementary to existing legal arrangements like prenuptial agreements. Our findings underscore the practical feasibility and invite further exploration into overcoming market acceptance barriers and regulatory challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Vidal-Meliá, Carlos, 2025. "Divorce Insurance: A Concept Ahead of Its Time or Doomed to Fail?," Documentos de Trabajo del ICAE 2025-02, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucm:doicae:2502
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/118899
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Actuarial modeling; Divorce insurance; Financial protection; Marital risk; Multi-state model; Premium pricing; Risk assessment.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure

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