Are you moving to a new home after you and your ex-partner have split up, or is your ex-partner moving out? If so, you might need to change your insurance or buy a new policy. You might also have to review or buy car or pet insurance. Make sure you get the right cover at the best price.
Removing your ex-partner from your policy
If you need to remove your ex-partner’s name from your home insurance policy, or you need to come off theirs, your insurance company will want to know you both agree to this.
Working out the insurance you need
As part of your split, you might take over the house or a tenancy agreement.
To help work out the right choice for you, you can use our free and easy-to-use Budget Planner.
Or, if you owned a car with your ex-partner before, you might want to replace it. It’s likely that you’ll need different or extra insurance cover.
Checklist:
- List the things you own, such as your home (unless it’s rented), the possessions in your home, your car, pets and gadgets.
- Check if you already have insurance for these and, if so, whether it’s the right level of cover. If you don’t have insurance, consider whether you need it.
- Shop around for the right policy.
- Budget for the costs of extra insurance you might need.
Arranging buildings insurance
You’ll need both buildings and contents insurance if you own your home (except for leasehold flats).
With leasehold flats, the landlord will usually arrange buildings insurance.
Buildings insurance is designed to pay out if your home is damaged by something like a flood, a fire or a storm.
If you’re taking out insurance on your home, make sure you shop around for the best policy.
It’s important to not simply choose the cheapest one, but make sure it will provide the cover you need for where you live.
Find out more in our guide Home insurance – how to get the best deal
Arranging contents insurance
Whether you own or rent your property, you’ll need contents insurance.
If you need buildings insurance as well, you can buy combined buildings and contents policies.
If you don’t need buildings insurance, you can buy contents-only cover.
This will pay out if your possessions are stolen from your home or damaged by a fire or flood, for example.
Find out how to get the best policy in our guide What is contents insurance?
Insuring your car
If you’ve been a named driver on your ex-partner’s car insurance, you might not have a ‘no-claims’ discount in your own right.
This is a discount on the full price of insurance which you earn for every year you don’t make a claim.
If you don’t have a no-claims discount, you might find it hard to get a quote for car insurance from some companies. And where you can get a quote, the premiums are likely to be higher.
Find out more in our guide Car insurance – what you need to know
Insuring your pet
You might think pet insurance is a luxury you can do without when you’re dealing with other pressures of separation.
But before you make up your mind – think about how you would pay a vet bill if your pet became ill or had an accident.
If you decide to buy pet insurance, it’s worth knowing that policies can vary. Some pay out for a limited time, while others will pay out for ongoing conditions – for example arthritis or diabetes.
Find out how to get the right policy at the best price in our guide Pet insurance – do you need it?
Insuring your gadgets
If you have an expensive mobile phone, tablet computer or laptop, you might want to insure them, in case:
- you lose them
- they’re stolen or
- they get damaged.
Check your home insurance details first, as this might already cover gadgets you own. If not, you might want to buy standalone cover.
But make sure you check the policy information so you know when the policy will pay out.
