What New Mothers Should Know About Insurance America’s Top Insurance Lawyer, Frank N. Darras Suggests Parents Review and Update Insurance Policies

Becoming a mother for the first time is both an exciting and scary experience. From countless doctor appointments, trips for baby essentials, to the never-ending sleepless nights, new mothers have a lot going on. With all of the changes occurring in a new or soon-to-be mother’s life, insurance is probably the last thing on her mind. While the ins and outs of a health insurance plan may have been a priority, new mothers often overlook getting or updating other forms of insurance. However, considering disability insurance and updating existing policies and wills should be done before the baby is even born.

“Becoming a parent is one of the greatest experiences in life. It is a time filled with so much joy. It is also important to talk about protecting yourself and your new family. What if, the unthinkable happened and one parent becomes unable to work or take care of things at home,” asks Frank Darras, America’s top insurance lawyer.

The first step new parents should take is updating their current life insurance policies. While the face amount you previously held was sufficient for a surviving spouse, chances are it is not sufficient for spouse plus one. As all new parents know, babies are expensive and those costs are not going to go away if one parent is no longer there to contribute.

“Updating your life insurance plan should occur before the baby is born, not after. If one or both parents does not currently have a plan, one should be purchased immediately. This is true even if the parent plans on staying at home,” says Darras.

One of the most common misperceptions in insurance is that a stay at home parent does not need life insurance. While it is difficult to determine how much a parent is saving the family by staying at home due to varying factors like location, some financial planners estimate a stay-at-home parent’s “salary” at $75,000 a year.

“Looking at a stay-at-home parent’s worth numerically makes it easy to see why a life insurance policy is still very much needed. Imagine the added financial burden to the surviving parent if the unthinkable should occur,” says Darras.

With a newborn child at home, the last thing a parent should be focused on is insurance. However, adding your newborn to your health insurance policy promptly, making sure you were billed properly for the delivery stay and aftercare expenses should be on the agenda.

“Preparing for your new addition requires us to look and make the proper insurance decisions so those we love are protected,” says Darras.