Court Opinion

ID: 9584396
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:47:44.102064+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:07:44.062247
License: Public Domain

Hill, Presiding Justice,
dissenting.
Lawyers drafting or approving separation agreements or consent orders providing for alimony or child support will be well *559advised to include a provision specifying what shall happen in the event of the death of the payor. The majority has found that an agreement providing child support until the child “arrives at age 21, marries, dies or becomes self supporting,” the boilerplate language of child support, is evidence that the parties intended the obligation to pay child support to survive the death of the payor. Moreover, the majority has found that a life insurance provision is not sufficient evidence as to the intent of the parties to overcome the intent manifested by the boilerplate language. Let me pose this question: Why include a life insurance provision if,, following the death of the payor, the monthly payments are to continue as before? I would have thought such provision to be sufficient evidence of the intent of the parties to overcome boilerplate. I therefore respectfully dissent.