A marital breakup represents a moment of profound personal and social transformation, which often translates into an immediate economic crisis for those who go through it. The study led by the Universitat de València analyzes this situation, highlighting how expenses resulting from separation – such as legal procedures, moving or temporary accommodation – can become unsustainable, especially for women and vulnerable groups. The project does not seek to promote divorce, but to offer a tool to mitigate its most urgent financial consequences, becoming a support in difficult family transition moments.
Researchers Juan Bataller-Grau and Carlos Vidal-Meliá, experts in Commercial Law and Financial Economics, have explored the viability of a divorce insurance as a mechanism for limited economic protection. Their approach focuses on designing coverage that is not universal, but rather responds to specific and temporary needs, such as financing legal costs or access to previously agreed capital. The objective is not to compensate for all the effects of divorce, but to act as a complement to the existing legal system and public policies.
To support their proposal, the authors have combined the analysis of cultural narratives, such as the series ‘The Divorce Insurance’, with real experiences from the United States and Europe. This approach allows us to identify common patterns in the financial and legal difficulties that people face in the process of separation. Through this double analysis, the technical, legal and social conditions that should be met for such insurance to be viable and socially accepted have been defined.
The study also addresses the risks associated with this type of product, such as late contracting or the possible incentive to fraud. Therefore, they propose control mechanisms, such as waiting periods and clear limits on coverage, to ensure that the insurance works as a real protection tool and not as an incentive to break up. The perception of insurance as a help, not as a reward, is key to its legitimacy and acceptance.
The work, financed by the Generalitat Valenciana and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, does not intend to impose an immediate solution, but to lay the foundations for a framework for temporary financial protection. Its purpose is to offer a model that can be integrated into the family social security system, helping those who need it most in critical times, without altering the balance of family law or generating disincentives.